General Requirements
This master of arts degree requires at least 36 credit hours with thesis and non-thesis options. Students must show reading and speaking competence equivalent to the completion of three college courses in one major foreign language or the equivalent of two college courses each in two foreign languages. It is strongly encouraged that every student who applies for admission to the program will have had a significant international experience, in the form of study, work or residence abroad before commencing the degree program. Students without such prior experience will be encouraged to undertake some study or work abroad of limited duration, as approved by their advisory committees, before completing the degree.
The global affairs curriculum consists of six three credit-hour core courses. In addition, a minimum of 15 hours will be taken in International and Comparative Studies. Students who write a master’s thesis will enroll in three credit hours of master's thesis; students who take the non-thesis option will take an additional course so as to reach a total of at least 36 credit hours for the degree. Non-thesis students must pass a written and/or oral comprehensive examination. No more than 25 percent (nine credit hours) of the minimum 36 credit hours required for this master's degree may be transferred from other institutions, subject to the normal rules and procedures of the University of Oklahoma Graduate College.
Admissions Procedures
Norman Campus: Applicants should submit a University of Oklahoma Application for Admission and official transcripts to the Office of Admissions and Records, 1000 Asp, Room 127, Norman, OK 73019-2105. Test scores and supplemental application materials should be sent directly to The School of International and Area Studies, The University of Oklahoma, 729 Elm Avenue, Hester Hall rm 100, Norman, OK 73019-2105.
Although Graduate College lists the deadlines for the Fall and Spring semester as July 15 and December 1, the graduate committee for the School of International and Area Studies has set an earlier deadline to apply for admission. Applicants should submit all materials before February 15 for the Fall semester and October 15 for the Spring semester.
All applicants should submit the following admissions materials:
- Graduate Record Examination scores.
- Three letters of recommendation (from academic referees if possible).
- Statement of purpose explaining the motive for applying to the program and what the applicant hopes to accomplish during the course of study.
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- University of Oklahoma application form.
- Please note the there is a non-refundable application processing fee: $40 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and $90 for international students.
Academic Standards and Admission
Admission will be granted on the basis of undergraduate grade point average, scores on the Graduate Record Examination, a statement of purpose, and at least three letters of recommendation. Applicants will be expected to have a bachelor's degree in a discipline that provides a foundation for graduate study in global affairs or global management. The faculty committee for the graduate program in international studies will review applications for admission.
Core Curriculum (18 credit hrs.)
The following FIVE courses (15 credit hrs.):
PSC 5513 - International Relations Theory
PSC 5563 - International Political Economy
PSC 6603 - Comparative Politics Field Seminar
ECON 5273 - Survey of International Economics
IAS 5113 – Field Seminar in International Studies
ONE graduate course (3 credit hrs.) in statistical and analytic methods, from the following:
BAD 5033 - Statistical Modeling for Decision-Making
ECON 5023 - Statistics for Decision Making
PSC 5913 - Introduction to the Analysis of Political and Administrative Data
SOC 5283 - Advanced Sociological Statistics
Reading and speaking competence in ONE major foreign language approved by the student’s advisory committee at a level equivalent to three semesters of college-level instruction, OR reading and speaking competence in TWO major foreign languages approved by the student’s advisory committee equivalent to two semesters each of college-level instruction. The student’s competence in the language will be certified by the ACTFL/ETS examination or by an alternative instrument approved by the OU Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES: Five courses (15 hours).
Elective courses may be chosen from International and Area Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, or other departments, as approved by the student’s advisory committee. **No more than two of these courses may be from Political Science.
Thesis and non-thesis options
A) Thesis option (with 3 credit hours for INTL 5980 - Master’s Thesis): A master’s thesis will be required, demonstrating the student’s capacity for independent, original research, analysis, and synthesis. Each student will enroll for three credit hours of INTL 5980 - Master’s Thesis. Upon completion of the thesis, the student must sustain an oral defense of it.
B) Non-thesis option (with an additional 3 credit-hour elective course to meet the 36 hour minimum): The student must pass a written and/or oral comprehensive examination on the course work for the program, administered by a committee of the faculty of the program, and take an additional 3-hour elective course in the major option, as approved by the student’s advisory committee to meet the 36 credit-hour minimum for the degree. The advisory committee will determine the format of the comprehensive examination.
