What We Could Learn from the Massive Youth-Led Protests in Serbia in March 2025
International policy student Roo Luo shares what she thinks changemakers could learn from Serbian youth during the largest protests in Serbian history.
Preview Days, July 17–18
Experience firsthand how our master’s programs will transform your global career. Explore our beautiful Monterey, California, location and meet the people who will help you achieve your professional and personal goals.
View the ScheduleYou want to change the world. We will teach you how.
The Middlebury Institute of International Studies is a graduate school of Middlebury College and training ground for developing and implementing practical solutions. It is home to some of the world’s leading experts in global security, sustainability, development, education, and language services. They will be your mentors, teaching you how to advance understanding, promote peace, and drive change in pursuit of a more just world. Get personalized info.
Featured News
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Nonproliferation Professor’s New Book on Why Deterrence Didn’t Work in Syria
Professor Jeff Knopf is coauthor of Coercing Syria on Chemical Weapons on the impact of credibility in efforts to keep Syria from using chemical weapons.
Recent Graduate Wins First Prize at 10th Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest
Sijin Xian, who completed her master’s in conference interpretation this spring, won first prize in the prestigious contest organized by Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
New Online MA in Organizational Leadership Empowers Graduates to Lead Globally
The asynchronous degree prepares students for advanced leadership roles in their organizations or build careers in leadership development.
How I Got Hired: Media Programs Manager, Planet
Anne Pellegrino leveraged the open-source intelligence skills developed at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies to land a job at a top satellite imagery firm.
Field Work: Students Bring Community Needs Data to Life in Bilingual Videos
Students have worked on a long-term data analysis and marketing project with the Institute’s META Lab and the United Way of Monterey County.
Terrorism Expert Examines 1985 Boat Hijacking in New Italian Documentary
Jason Blazakis lends his expertise to Sigonella La sfida, which premiered 40 years after the hijacking of a cruise ship, with 97 passengers taken hostage.
Environmental Policy Graduate Student Competes on "Jeopardy!"
On May 26, Miles Tepper EPM ‘26 competed on the legendary quiz show. His tip for aspiring competitors? Get out to local trivia nights here in Monterey!
Graduates Celebrate Community and Perseverance at Spring Commencement
Middlebury Institute students, family, friends, alumni, faculty, and staff gathered Saturday to celebrate the achievements of 219 graduates from 32 homelands.
As a Localization Project Manager, I’m More Excited Than Scared about AI
Alum Claudia Siegenthaler says she’s seeing a lot of upside to using AI as a project manager at a localization company.
MIIS to Host First-Ever West Coast International Cyber Competition
The Middlebury Institute has partnered with the Atlantic Council to host undergraduate and graduate students in November 2025 for a cyber competition.
Competition Develops Future Cybersecurity Leaders through Policymaking Scenarios
MIIS fielded two teams of students who responded to fictional cyber catastrophes during the annual Cyber 9/12 competitions in Washington, D.C., and online.
State Department Honors Alum for Project Reaching a Million Egyptian Students
Jeffrey Mattison MATESOL ’05 received an English Language Specialist Impact Award from the U.S. State Department for enhancing English textbooks used in Egypt.
Channeling a Passion for Food into a Career in Sustainability
Environmental Policy and Management student Leilani Leszkay has put her passion for food into action by helping the campus café craft a healthier menu.
Community Partner Convenings
Colleagues and students regularly meet with community partners to explore student engagement through project-based experiential learning, courses, internships, and Practica.
Students Localize a New Online Game Through Class Project
Translation and localization management students, Xiaofei Shen and Minting Lu, gained valuable professional experience localizing an online game in development as a class project.
Why The Middlebury Institute
Learning in Language: Advance Your Global Career
Transcript
The Middlebury Institute differs from a lot of other institutions in that we’re required to study language here. But also we’re expected to put that language into practice. At the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, I work as a graduate research assistant. And in that role, a lot of my research that I do is conducted in Chinese.
In the field, being able to access documents and media reports in a foreign language, firsthand, directly from sources, is something that’s really important.
We’re learning the language, not just to learn the language, but how to use it in conversations of what we would use in our professional careers.
I haven’t taken a Spanish course since high school. It was intimidating at first, but I was able to catch up. Remember what I needed, just like conversational phrases, and eased right back into it with the grammar and the vocabulary.
There are a lot of great things about being in Monterey and being at the Middlebury Institute. While I’m in school, I’m able to build a portfolio of work using the target language to show to future employers, or if I wanna go to get a PhD. These are real world skills that I’ve put into practice.
Learning language is one step that students who wanna be leaders in this field in the future should take if they have the opportunity. And I definitely felt that going to the Middlebury Institute was my opportunity.
There are just so many benefits and advantages with having a second language, especially in this globalized world. Things are changing, the world is changing. So the Middlebury Institute is taking us on to new approaches, to new methodologies and tools that we can use.
Your Success Is Our Priority
At the Middlebury Institute, your career is our focus from your first day of classes.
You’ll not only take in-depth courses taught by world-renowned experts. You’ll also get personalized, comprehensive academic and professional advising, plus valuable internships and assistantships. You’ll graduate with a practical degree, fully prepared for a rewarding career.
Make a Smart Investment in Your Career
When you earn a graduate degree from the Middlebury Institute, you’ll be prepared to be a leader in high-demand global industries and organizations. With our scholarships, grants, and other aid, you’ll see that our programs are an affordable investment in your future.
88%
of students receive scholarships
350+
professional internships annually
96%
working within one year of graduation
Our Graduates Work At
Why We Chose the Institute
Jorge Silva
Setting the tone for politics
Lisa Li
Combining language studies with technology
Kyle Pilutti
Studying International Security and Arabic
Anna Galbraith
Building a Career on International Experience
Michael Ross
A Rewarding Career Change
Alan Lovewell
Turning Business Plans Into Reality
James Slaton
Bringing help to Romanian orphans
Justin Arrington
Applying learning to life
Learn from the Experts
Be taught by faculty with extensive professional experience at organizations around the world. You’ll be guided by the most up-to-date field information and technology along with expertise and mentoring.
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I believe that progress is possible only when we grasp at a deep level what caused our missteps.
Xiaoyan Shen
Associate Professor, Translation and Interpretation
Meet Xiaoyan Shen -
I study terrorism and nuclear weapons, particularly in South Asia: terrorist group strategies, nuclear tension in the subcontinent, and the security of nuclear weapons in Pakistan.
Sharad Joshi
Associate Professor, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies
Meet Sharad Joshi -
I am committed to collaborative environments in which societal inequities can be both explored and resisted through the inclusion of diverse voices and ways of knowing.
Netta Avineri
Professor, TESOL and Teaching Foreign Language
Meet Netta Avineri -
I encourage students to actively reflect on their thought patterns and experiences. I help learners uncover, examine, and potentially replace preexisting ideas and assumptions.
Mahabat Baimyrzaeva
Associate Professor, MPA, International Policy and Development
Meet Mahabat Baimyrzaeva
Centers and Initiatives
James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) is the largest nongovernmental organization in the world devoted to curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction—and the only organization dedicated exclusively to graduate education and research.
Visit CNSLive and Study in Monterey
An Ideal Location for Your Graduate Studies
The Middlebury Institute is located in the heart of Monterey, California, known as the “language capital of the world.” With our culturally diverse population, educational opportunities, natural and scenic recreation areas, historic significance, and proximity to Silicon Valley, you’ll find a wealth of advantages when you choose to study here.
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