Launch a management career leading the creation and implementation of policies that advance local and global development. Earn two master’s degrees in just four semesters.
Our joint MPA/MA in International Policy and Development (MPA/IPD) is specifically designed to give you real-world experience before you graduate, culminating in a semesterlong practicum, which can be an internship or field-based research project.
|
Start Term |
Credits |
Duration |
In-Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall or Spring | 60 | 4 semesters | Monterey, California |
Our integrated and interdisciplinary curriculum will prepare you to lead in local and global development. Build your expertise in:
Through electives, you will have the opportunity to take additional courses grouped around specific, high-demand, and transferable career competencies.
In your final semester, you will put theory into practice through a semester-long practicum working in the field. On-the-job supervisors and faculty mentors will work closely with you to make the practicum a bridge to full-time employment.
While other graduate schools rely on teaching assistants, our students collaborate closely with our faculty. They combine academic expertise with years of professional experience in major international organizations, including UNCHR (the UN Refugee Agency), USAID, the World Bank, and the U.S. State Department.
Meet our faculty.
Build valuable professional experience while earning your degree through our research centers, labs, and initiatives:
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) are encouraged to apply for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, earning yourself a guaranteed scholarship.
You can integrate Peace Corps service into your degree through our Options for Peace Corps Service, earning yourself a 50 percent tuition scholarship for your final semester.
More than 95 percent of students who request scholarship consideration receive institutional support. You may receive merit, need-based, partner, and external scholarships and financial aid, which are available to both U.S. and international students.
Your personal enrollment advisor can help you think through financing this important investment in your career development.
Earning two master’s degrees in just four semesters represents a significant return on your investment, setting you up for a unique career trajectory.
We take a holistic approach when considering your application, looking at your academic background, international exposure, professional experience, and career goals. We welcome applicants with or without work experience, and our program has numerous opportunities for you to gain professional experience before you graduate. This approach aligns with the Institute’s core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We do not require GRE or GMAT scores for our master’s programs but competitive scores may strengthen your application and positively influence scholarship decisions.
| by Mark Anderson
Unprecedented research conducted by the Center for the Blue Economy and Monterey Bay Aquarium with support from Institute students found sea otters drive about $3 million in local ecotourism.
International Policy and Development graduate Grant Tuioti shares how class projects and alumni connections helped him launch a career in policy-focused data analysis.
| by Banicia Chatkara MAIPD ’18
International Policy and Development student Banicia Chatkara shares how an internship based on her practicum course helped her launch a career in international student advising.
