Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies
(IR/PS)
OFFICE: Building 4, Level 1, Robinson Building Complex
Professors
Courses
The Master of Pacific International Affairs (MPIA)
Requirements for Admission
Students interested in pursuing the MPIA degree program at UCSD’s
Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS)
must have earned a B.A., or its equivalent, from an institution
of comparable standing to the University of California. A minimum
grade-point average of 3.0 or better in undergraduate course work
or prior graduate study is required for admission. Undergraduate
preparation that includes one or more of the following is strongly
encouraged: the social sciences (specifically economics and political
science), quantitative methods (such as calculus and statistics),
foreign language, and related area studies courses. The admissions
committee looks for students with previous professional employment,
a history of meaningful international experience, and demonstrated
leadership ability.
Applicants are required to submit the following: an online UCSD
application for graduate study (http://graduateapp.ucsd.edu);
two official transcripts from each college or university attended;
three letters of recommendation; a résumé or curriculum
vitae; a personal statement; a Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score report. TOEFL
scores are also required of international applicants whose native
language is not English and whose undergraduate education was conducted
in a language other than English. A minimum score of 550 on the
paper/pencil version and a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based
version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is
required. Interviews are not conducted for admission to the MPIA
program. For further details regarding the application process,
procedures, and deadlines please visit the IR/PS Web site, http://irps.ucsd.edu,
and click on “Admissions”.
Orientation tours are available for all prospective applicants
who would like further information about the MPIA program. Tours
assist prospective applicants in becoming better acquainted with
IR/PS’s MPIA program and in understanding how the program
might relate to their long-term career goals. The tour schedule
is available on the IR/PS Web site in the Admissions section under
“Orientation Tours.” To sign up for a tour, please contact
the IR/PS Office of Admissions at (858) 534-5914 or email irps-apply@ucsd.edu.
The MPIA is a two-year, full-time program.
The MPIA Curriculum (98 units)
The MPIA curriculum (98 units) is made up of a set of core disciplinary
and skill-oriented courses (38 units), a regional specialization
(8 units), the foreign language requirement (up to 24 units), a
professional Career Track (24 units), and unstructured electives.
Core Curriculum
The Core Curriculum is designed to integrate diverse subject areas
such as international management, international relations, applied
economics, and comparative public policy. It comprises the following
courses:
Globalization, the World System & the Pacific (IRCO 412)
Managerial Economics (IRCO 401)
Policy Making Processes (IRCO 400)
Quantitative Methods (IRCO 453 and IRCO 454)
International Politics & Security (IRCO 410)
International Economics (IRCO 403)
Finance (IRCO 421)
Accounting (IRCO 420)
Capstone Coursechoices include Managerial Decision Making
(IRCO 460), Business and Government in the Global Economy (IRCO
461), and Public Policy Workshop (IRCO 462)
The Regional Specialization
The regional specialization is made up of two designated courses
on the economy and political system of a students chosen country
or region. All students must complete a regional specialization,
and may choose from among the following five options: Latin America,
Japan, Korea, China, and Southeast Asia.
The Foreign Language Requirement
IR/PS considers foreign language competency to be an indispensable
skill for international relations professionals. The foreign language
requirement is designed to ensure that students achieve a level
of competency to assist in their global interactions. The foreign
language requirement may be satisfied in any one of three ways:
(a) native speaker ability; (b) completing six quarters (four semesters)
of college-level language instruction from UCSD or a comparable
institution, with a grade of B or better in the final course; or
(c) passing a special IR/PS-administered language exam, which is
the equivalent of the final exam administered in the sixth-quarter
course in the selected language. The foreign language requirement
may be partially or wholly completed prior to matriculation at IR/PS.
Please contact the IR/PS Language Program for additional information.
Students must fulfill the foreign language requirement in a language
that corresponds to their elected region of specialization. In rare
cases, students who demonstrate a strong interest in selecting a
foreign language that does not correspond to their chosen area of
regional specialization may petition to do so. Students may select
either Brazilian Portuguese or Spanish when studying Latin America.
Students specializing in China, Japan, or Korea, must study Chinese
(Cantonese, Mandarin, or other dialect), Japanese, or Korean, respectively.
Students electing to specialize in Southeast Asia may study Bahasa
Indonesia, Bahasa Malay, Chinese, Thai, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or
other approved language. Please contact the IR/PS Language Program
for further information.
Beyond the basic language requirement, IR/PS also offers the option
of certification of more advanced language proficiency for students
who choose to pursue further language study. Students pursuing advanced
language skills are strongly encouraged to undertake significant
language study prior to coming to IR/PS.
Students on the Country and Regional Studies track are subject
to a different foreign language requirement. These students must
pass both the speaking and the reading proficiency examination in
their selected language. The writing proficiency examination is
optional. The minimum required level of proficiency is equivalent
to a Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Scale 2+ for Spanish, 2 for
Portuguese, and 2- for most other languages.
The proficiency examination is administered throughout the academic
year. Students not following the Country and Regional Studies track
may take the exam once free of charge in a language that IR/PS currently
provides instructional support. Those students on the Country and
Regional Studies track may take the exam twice free of charge, regardless
of language selection. Please consult with the IR/PS Language Program
Office for additional information.
A variety of language courses are offered by UCSD. IR/PS offers
four-unit language courses for international relations professionals
in Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish
at the intermediate or advanced levels. In addition, subject to
demand, courses in Bahasa Indonesia, Korean, Vietnamese, or other
Pacific Rim languages may be offered. Students electing to study
a foreign language where IR/PS instructional support is not offered
must secure their own language instruction and funding. Course credit
for self-supported language learning may be given upon evaluation
and approval of the director of the Language Program. Please contact
the IR/PS Language Program for additional information.
Students are placed in foreign language courses based on prior
preparation and on the results of a placement test administered
during the week of orientation.
Career Tracks
Beyond the core curriculum, the regional specialization, and the
foreign language requirement, students are offered an array of Career
Tracks from which to choose. The Career Tracks provide an opportunity
to focus on a specialized professional career path and to work closely
with other students and faculty who share similar interests. A Career
Track consists of six courses (twenty-four units). Each track combines
some designated requirements and a range of relevant electives from
which to choose. All students must take a Career Track. A student
whose interests do not fall within the existing range of tracks
may take the Self-Design Track, and create a tailor-made package
of courses in consultation with their faculty adviser. Currently,
IR/PS offers the following Career Tracks:
International Management
International Politics
International Environmental Policy
Public Policy
International Economics
Development & Non-Profit Management
Country & Regional Studies
Self-Design (approval of faculty adviser and associate dean required)
Electives
Students may use remaining units to take electives across the range
of IR/PS courses in management, political science, economics, regional
studies, and language, as well as (with approval) courses offered
elsewhere on campus. The number of elective units available to a
student will vary, depending on factors such as prior language study.
Prospective students are advised to consult the IR/PS Office of
Admissions for a full list of elective courses currently offered.
Internships
Students are encouraged to participate in various internship programs
that are available in business and industry, federal and state government,
and through various foundations and institutions. The school has
established links to a number of programs with internships.
Education Abroad Program
Students are encouraged to participate in the Education Abroad
Programs (EAP) in their second year of study. Though this will necessitate
a third year of study to meet MPIA requirements, the opportunity
provides unparalleled experience in the selected regional study
area and language. By petition, certain credits earned through EAP
may be applied to the MPIA degree requirements.
Career Services
The IR/PS Career services team provides students with expertise,
guidance, and resources to successfully manage their careers. This
individualized process begins in career management orientation before
the student’s first quarter and continues throughout the two-year
program.
Career Services include individual career consulting appointments,
workshops, employer/alumni panels, internship/job listings, and
on-campus interviews. Specialized workshops include résumé
writing/cover letters, effective job search strategies, interviewing
skills (including videotaped mock interviews), labor market trends,
job offer evaluation, and negotiation of total compensation packages.
The Ph.D. in Economics and International Affairs
Requirements for Admission
Applicants who seek admission to the highly competitive joint Ph.D.
program must have earned a B.A., or its equivalent, from an institution
of comparable standing to the University of California. Preference
will be given to students with prior academic records of distinction
and to those who have a background in one of the fields of emphasis
and/or geographical areas covered by the program.
Applicants are required to submit the following: an online UCSD
application for graduate study (http://graduateapp.ucsd.edu);
two official transcripts from each college or university attended;
three letters of recommendation; a résumé or curriculum
vitae; a personal statement; a writing sample; a Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) score report. TOEFL scores are also required of
all international applicants whose native language is not English
and whose undergraduate education was conducted in a language other
than English. A minimum score of 550 on the paper/pencil version
and a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based version of the
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
The minimum criteria required for admission to the extremely selective
joint Ph.D. program can be found on the following Web site: http://irps.ucsd.edu/academics/phd.php.
Admission is offered to a very small number of applicants.
The Ph.D. Curriculum
Program of Study
The Ph.D. In economics and international affairs prepares students
for research careers in economics, with an emphasis on international
affairs and the Pacific region. The program combines the analytical
skills of economics with political economy, institutional analysis,
and region/empirical knowledge.
Program Advisory Committee
Each student is assigned a Program Advisory Committee of four economics
and IR/PS faculty, at least one must be from economics, one from
IR/PS and one outside member from another UCSD department. With
this committee, the student works out a plan of study that the committee
must approve. The student must make satisfactory progress in a coherent
program of course work and reading courses, which meet the approval
of the Program Advisory Committee.
Course Requirements
The Ph.D. curriculum in economics and international affairs is
designed to provide students with basic training in the techniques
of modern economics, as well as empirical and institutional knowledge
of the Pacific region. The first year will consist of the three
sequences of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics, taught
in the Department of Economics. The second year will consist of
continuation of the three series plus seven electives. Two of these
electives will be an IR/PS sequence in political economy. In subsequent
years, courses will consist of the regional sequence, an empirical
project, and two third-year papers.
Regional Requirement
Students must take at least three courses, one of which may be
a reading course on policy processes and issues in the Pacific region.
These courses may consider the Pacific region as a whole, as a sub-region,
or examine individual countries. The courses may be in both IR/PS
and, with prior permission, related departments. Some students may
choose to take more than the minimum three courses to deepen their
knowledge of a particular country or area. Comprehensive examination
on regional areas is not required.
Language Requirement
Students are expected to achieve a level appropriate to the students
dissertation topic of reading proficiency in at least one foreign
language. Proficiency may be verified by examination or by certification
by thesis supervisor.
Comprehensive Examinations
Students must pass written comprehensive exams in microeconomics,
macroeconomics, and econometrics, which will be administered and
graded by the economics department.
Dissertation
Candidates must present a dissertation prospectus no later than
March of their third year in the doctoral program. They will be
examined on their prospectus by their dissertation committee and
must complete a dissertation, which makes a substantial and original
contribution to knowledge commensurate with the standards of the
University of California in order to receive the Ph.D. degree.
Oral Defense
Students will defend their dissertation at a final oral examination,
which will be open to the public.
Ph.D. Time Limit Policies
Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of five years.
Total university support cannot exceed six years. Total registered
time at UCSD cannot exceed seven years.
The Ph.D. In Political Science and International Affairs
Requirements for Admission
Applicants who seek admission to the highly competitive joint Ph.D.
program must have earned a B.A., or its equivalent, from an institution
of comparable standing to the University of California. Preference
will be given to students with prior academic records of distinction
and to those who have a background in one of the fields of emphasis
and/or geographical areas covered by the program.
Applicants are required to submit the following: an online UCSD
application for graduate study (http://graduateapp.ucsd.edu);
two official transcripts from each college or university attended;
three letters of recommendation; a résumé or curriculum
vitae; a personal statement; a writing sample; a Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) score report. A minimum score of 550 on the paper/pencil
version and 213 on the computer-based version of the Test of English
as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all international applicants
whose native language is not English and whose undergraduate education
was conducted in a language other than English.
The minimum criteria required for admission to the extremely selective
joint Ph.D. program can be found on the following Web site: http://irps.ucsd.edu/academics/phd.php.
Admission is offered to a very small number of applicants.
The Ph.D. Curriculum
Program of Study
The Ph.D. In political science and international affairs prepares
students for research careers in political science, with an emphasis
in either international policy analysis or comparative policy analysis.
The program combines the analytical skills of political science
with political economy, institutional analysis, policy analysis
(especially economic policy) and regional training, with special
attention to East Asia and/or Latin America.
Course Requirements
The Ph.D. Curriculum in political science and international affairs
is designed to provide students with basic training in the techniques
of modern political science, as well as applications to specific
policy areas and countries or regions.
Seventeen courses are required prior to advancement to candidacy.
There is a common core sequence, consisting of comparative public
policy, two courses in comparative politics, two courses in international
relations and research design. Each student must declare a primary
field of either international policy analysis (IPA) or comparative
policy analysis (CPA), consisting of three specialized courses.
There is also a regional focus of five courses. Three additional
courses must be taken from a set of electives.
Regional Requirement
The regional focus consists of international relations of Asia
Pacific or international relations of the Americas (depending on
which region is the students primary region), three additional
courses in the students primary region, and one course in
another region offered by either lR/PS or the Department of Political
Science are required. By petition, students may count a region other
than one of the IR/PS offerings (currently China, East Asia, Japan,
Latin America, or South-east Asia) as their primary region.
Language Requirement
All students in the program are required to meet a high standard
of proficiency in a foreign language before being advanced to candidacy.
The language must be linked to the students region.
Seminar Papers
Each student must submit two seminar papers, one in each field.
The penultimate draft of each seminar paper must be completed prior
to taking the appropriate field exam, and the final draft must be
completed by the end of the quarter in which the exam is taken.
Both papers must demonstrate knowledge of the students regional
focus, as well as knowledge of relevant theory in the field. At
least one of the papers must also demonstrate knowledge of a substantive
policy area, related to the students primary focus field.
Comprehensive Examinations
Each student must pass two comprehensive examinations, one in international
relations and one in comparative politics. Each exam will be graded
by a joint committee consisting of three permanent faculty members,
with at least one from political science and at least one from IR/PS.
The primary field exam contains a focus field, which may be either
a substantive field of policy analysis (e.g. trade, environment,
international finance) or the students chosen primary region.
Regardless of focus field, that part of the exam will test the students
knowledge of theoretical literature and ability to apply it to a
policy issue of relevance to the region.
Dissertation
Candidates must present a dissertation prospectus to be examined
by their dissertation committee, and must complete a dissertation
which makes a substantial and original contribution to knowledge
commensurate with the standards of the University of California
in order to receive the Ph.D. Degree The dissertation committee
shall consist of four faculty members chosen from the Department
of Political Science and IR/PS, with at least one from each unit.
A fifth member must be from outside the department and IR/PS.
Oral Defense
Students will defend their dissertation at a final oral examination,
which will be open to the public.
Ph.D. Time Limit Policies
Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of the fourth
year. Total university support cannot exceed seven years. Total
registered time at UCSD cannot exceed eight years.
The Ph.D. In International Affairs
Pending final approval of the joint Ph.D. Degree programs in economics
and international affairs, and political science and international
affairs, no future admissions will be made to the Ph.D in International
Affairs Program.
Global Leadership Institute Program
The Global Leadership Institute Program (GLI) is designed for working
professionals seeking additional exposure to the various areas of
international management, international relations, and comparative
public policy.
Participants in the program spend from one quarter to one academic
year at IR/PS. Under the auspices of the program, professionals
have an opportunity to further internationalize their knowledge
and experience, as well as enhance their professional development
in areas such as finance, management, marketing, accounting, quantitative
methods, econometrics, long-range strategic planning, international
affairs, and comparative decision-making. The program of study is
tailored to individual interests under the guidance of the programs
director and faculty advisers.
GLI offers:
- An individualized program leading to a Certificate of Study
- An optional five-week prep program in August.
- Opportunities to interact with world-renowned Pacific Rim scholars
and policymakers
- Special seminars and lectures by academics and professionals
- GLI-sponsored cultural events and field trips to local, state,
and federal organizations and government offices
For further information, contact the Global Leadership Institute
Program office at (858) 534-7420.
The Korea-Pacific Program
The Korea-Pacific Program was formed in September 1989 in recognition
of the growing importance of Korea in the world, of Korean-U.S.
relationships, and of the Korean model of social and economic development.
Directed by IR/PS Professor Stephan Haggard, the program promotes
the understanding of Korea in an international context and encourages
the study of Korea by offering courses on the countrys economics
and politics. Research is supported on contemporary Korean political
economy. Outreach to the community is offered through seminars,
lectures, courses, and cultural events.
In comparison with other Korean studies programs in the United
States, the IR/PS Korea-Pacific Program is distinctive in several
respects: it concentrates on contemporary Korea, focuses on policy
questions, stresses the foundations of Korean economic growth, explores
Koreas international relations, and seeks to understand Korea
in a broad regional context.
The ASEAN-Pacific Project
The ASEAN-Pacific Project is one of several major regional and
theme-based nodes of activity within the Graduate School of International
Relations and Pacific Studies. Its mandate is to support students
and to serve as a catalyst for the development of Southeast Asia-related
teaching and research activities within the school. The director
of the project is Associate Professor Andrew MacIntyre.
The ASEAN-Pacific Project extends the success of the schools
original Vietnam-Pacific Project, with scope being broadened to
embrace the other countries of Southeast Asia.
The project is built upon private donations to the school, with
this resource being supplemented by resources obtained from external
grant agencies and the university. The project supports the activities
of students at IR/PS with an interest in Southeast Asia through
fellowships (for summer travel and internships) and visiting guests
speakers.
The project also serves as a catalyst and facilitator for research
projects within the school relating to Southeast Asia. It seeks
to promote disciplinary-driven work on political and economic topics
pertaining to Southeast Asia, as distinct from more traditional
area studies scholarship. Examples of this include recent work on
national political institutions and policy-making, the dynamics
of regional cooperation, food and agricultural policies, and the
relocation of the global magnetic disk-drive industry to Southeast
Asia. Other recent research-related initiatives include a major
international workshop for Ph.D. students in political science working
on Southeast Asia, and a workship for the U.S. Agency for International
Development on political conflict in Indonesia.
Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies
(IR/PS)
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