Georgetown Launches M.A. in International Business and Policy
Georgetown University today announced the launch of a new Master of Arts degree in International Business and Policy, jointly offered by its McDonough School of Business and Walsh School of Foreign Service.
The 12-month, hybrid program is designed for professionals currently working in business, government, or non-governmental organizations who want to better understand the business frameworks and socio-political and economic issues that affect doing business around the world. It will be delivered in hybrid model, combining in-person and online components. The first class will enter the program in January 2017 and will graduate in December 2017.
The innovative design of the program interweaves the complementary strengths of each school’s respective faculty and rigorous curriculum. The program incorporates residencies on Georgetown’s Washington, D.C., campus and at two sites overseas, online coursework for two classes, and a social action field project that will give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and values that they have learned in the program to a real-world situation.
“In an increasingly complex global world, it is critical that business and government leaders, and those who aspire to leadership roles, understand the nuances of doing business against a dynamic backdrop of political change and global economic uncertainty,” said David A. Thomas, dean of Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.
The program combines the strengths of the McDonough School of Business, known as the premier destination for global business education, and the Walsh School of Foreign Service, a highly ranked school of international affairs whose founding predates the U.S. State Department by six years. The new M.A. in International Business and Policy also is the first executive education degree program to be offered by the Walsh School.
“My own experience working with issues of governance, conflict, and the political economy of development around the world speaks to benefits of bringing together a foundation in business and economics with an understanding of the political forces that shape them,” said Joel Hellman, dean of Walsh School of Foreign Service.
With a curriculum that equally blends business and policy courses from the two schools, the year-long program is structured into six residential modules and two online courses. Four residential modules will take place quarterly on the Georgetown campus, and the remaining two will occur in rotating international locations, this year in Santiago, Chile, and Frankfurt, Germany. Themed courses, selected for their relevance to leadership and global issues, will be offered in evening seminars during each residency and will allow students to explore current issues in conversation with local practitioners and Georgetown faculty. A distinguishing feature of the program is the Social Action Project, which will provide participants the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a real-world social issue of their choice.
Graduation will take place on Georgetown’s campus during the concluding December residency. The M.A. degree will be conferred by Georgetown University. In addition to university-wide alumni benefits, since the M.A. in International Business and Policy falls under the McDonough School of Business’ Executive Degree Program offerings, alumni are able to participate in the school’s Lifelong Learning program.