Career Tracks
The career track is a component of the MPIA curriculum. Career tracks are designed for students to acquire expertise in a functional area. IR/PS offers career tracks in international management, international politics, international economics, international development and nonprofit management, international environmental policy, public policy, and country and regional studies. Career tracks consist of six courses taken from a prescribed list.
International Management
Includes intermediate and advanced courses similar to those offered in MBA programs in such areas as corporate finance, accounting, production and operations management, and international marketing, as well as courses dealing with international business activities such as project analysis and planning, trade, and risk analysis.
Public Policy
Develops tools and comparative perspectives to analyze and evaluate public policies. The curriculum combines case study and applied courses with theoretical and analytical tools.
International Politics
Emphasizes the political, military, and economic determinants of the global environment, as well as explanations for the foreign policies of particular countries. Attention is also given to the Pacific region as an international subsystem.
International Development and Nonprofit Management
Offers students critical knowledge and skills needed for work in the development and nonprofit sectors as managers, technical staff, and consultants. Students explore current issues and strategies related to development and nonprofit management. Includes "hands-on" experience through summer internships in NGOs or development agencies, and case study preparation of an issue facing a nonprofit organization.
International Environmental Policy
Extends the application of concepts and methods from economics, political science, management science, and international law to the complex and contentious environmental challenges that managers, analysts, and advocates in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors face. Teaches students to identify core economic and political issues, to evaluate the tradeoffs associated with potential policy responses, and to formulate strategies for bringing about policy change.
International Economics
Develops expertise in specific areas of international economic policy: managing exchange rates, setting fiscal and monetary policy, regulating multinational enterprises, negotiating trade agreements, adjusting to global economic shocks, and forecasting economic variables.
Country and Regional Study
Provides an option for students who wish to concentrate their studies more intensively on a single region or country. Combines the rigorous IR/PS training in economics and politics with in-depth work on the region of students choice.
Self design required courses
Requirements: by petition; any three of required courses from other tracks in consultation with faculty advisor; another three electives in consultation with faculty advisor.
Note: Specific course requirements for fulfilling a concentration may be obtained from the Academic Affairs Office at (858) 534-5914.
