Georgetown’s MA-IBP Program More than Doubles in Military Participation Since 2017

An increasing number of members of the U.S. Armed Forces are attending Georgetown McDonough’s Master of Arts in International Business and Policy Program (MA-IBP), which launched in 2017. Since its launch, the number of military students in the class has more than doubled, with the percentage of military students in the class increasing from 11% to 33% during this time.

Offered by Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) and McDonough School of Business (MSB), this one-year interdisciplinary program blends the strengths of the oldest and best school of foreign service in the world with a top-tier business school. Together, both schools have proven experience in educating global, principled leaders. This perfect combination of two highly accredited institutions is what drew Commander Jonathan Hulecki, U.S. Navy (IBP’20) to seek enrollment. 

“The MA-IBP program has brought together a diverse international cohort of professionals and provides different frameworks and concepts to understand the global economy and geopolitical sphere,” said Hulecki. “Highly regarded professors deliver a ‘no nonsense’ program at the center of the international political stage right here in the nation’s capital.”

Hulecki also noted the added value that this quality education program brings specifically to enrolled active duty service members and veterans. 

“Traditional military education focuses on deepening our intuition on the art and science of war as the world evolves and becomes increasingly complicated,” he said. “Therefore, we must broaden our educational experiences to help us better understand the world around us.”

Both active duty service members and veterans have always brought a unique perspective to the MA-IBP program, and their experience is invaluable in the classroom. Michael O’Leary, teaching professor and senior associate dean for Executive Custom Programs, has taught all four cohorts in Chile, Washington D.C., and Vietnam. Drawing from his extensive work with the program, O’Leary noted just how instrumental their presence was for classroom enrichment.  

“Having students who have served in the military has brought an extremely valuable perspective to our discussions and work,” he said. “They have significant leadership experience in complex and uncertain, global, multi-cultural environments that complements the other students’ diverse backgrounds.”