Graduate School of International Relations and
Pacific Studies
Graduate School of International Relations
and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) Courses, Curricula and Program of Instruction
The Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies
(IR/PS), at the University of California, San Diego was created
in 1986 as the University of California’s first professional
school of international affairs. The school is unique in its geographical
focus on the Pacific (the Americas and Asia). IR/PS is the
only professional program in the United States to concentrate exclusively
on the diverse political and economic systems of this region.
The
school’s programs have been developed in response to the
increasing importance of the Pacific in global economic and
political affairs. When
the school was founded, the globe was still locked in the Atlantic-centric
world of the Cold War. Today, we see the emergence of nations
such as China, Brazil,
Korea, Singapore, and Mexico as important players in a globalized world. As
a result, professionals who can understand and work in complex
international environments
are needed in both the public and private sectors. While previously looking
to Europe as the site of its primary commercial, financial, and
strategic interests,
the United States is now shifting its attention westward toward the Pacific—a
likely source of both extraordinary prospects and substantial challenges in
this century. These changes create both a need and an opportunity: a need for
new
programs of training and research in international affairs and an opportunity
for a new school of international affairs to develop a distinctive, modern
program that links professional training with international competence and
gives greater
prominence to the Pacific.
The school’s primary objectives are to
prepare students with an interest in this region for positions of leadership
in business, government, journalism,
diplomacy, public service, and other fields; to serve as a center of excellence
for research on regional economic, political, social, technological, and
security issues; and to promote dialogue on Pacific region issues
of common concern.
- The degree programs provide students with
professional training for careers
in international affairs and management, including jobs in industry,
government, international organizations, foundations, academia,
and research institutes.
Students receive broad training across professional areas, enabling
those seeking careers in government to appreciate the interests
of the private
sector and
those planning business careers to understand decision-making in public
organizations. The program combines core course work in applied
social sciences with professional
subjects with courses, language training classes and regional studies
to provide students with the skills and knowledge to work effectively
on
Pacific region issues
in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors.
- IR/PS serves as a center
for research on issues of common concern to the nations of
the Pacific. Since the region has become a focal point
of
economic and
security relations, the demand for information and research centered
on this dynamic region has increased. Consequently, IR/PS is
home to several
renowned
research institutes and programs, including the Institute on Global
Conflict and Cooperation, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies,
and the Information
Storage Industry Center. In addition, the school supports collaborative
relationships within the UCSD community by partnering with
institutions such as
Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, the Institute of the Americas, and
the new Rady School of Management.
- As part of the University of California,
the school plays an important role in developing public awareness
and understanding of the Pacific
region. Programs
of public outreach, including visiting lecturers, research seminars,
and roundtable discussions, add to the information available
to citizens
and interest groups
about international issues that affect their lives.
Degree Programs
The degrees offered by the school include a professional Master
of Pacific International Affairs (M.P.I.A.), a Ph.D. in Political
Science and International Affairs offered jointly with the Department
of Political Science, and a Ph.D. in Economics and International
Affairs offered jointly with the Department of Economics. Training
emphasizes international relations, economics and management, public
policy, country and regional studies, and languages of the region.
Mid-career and other executive certificate programs are also
offered by IR/PS. In particular, the Global Leadership Institute
(GLI) is designed for working professionals seeking additional
study in
international management,
international relations, and comparative public policy. Participants in the
program spend up to an academic year at IR/PS beginning in mid-September
and ending in
mid-June. Under the auspices of the program, associates have the opportunity
to further internationalize their knowledge and experience as well as enhance
their professional development in such areas as finance, accounting, quantitative
methods, econometrics, and long-range strategic planning. The program of
study is tailored to individual interests under the guidance
of the program’s
director and faculty advisers.
The M.P.I.A. program is distinctive in several
ways. The program:
- Exposes students to the perspectives
of both private business and public policymaking.
- Offers
specialized training in international politics, economics,
management, environmental policy, public policy, and international
development.
- Provides language training necessary for
professionals specializing in the countries of the Pacific.
- Requires students to focus their studies on the politics,
culture, economics, and language of one Pacific country
or region.
- Creates a laboratory for comparative analysis
of economic management, foreign relations, policymaking,
and development
in the diverse nations
of the Pacific.
The Ph.D. in International Affairs is offered only in conjunction
with either the Ph.D. in political science or the Ph.D. in
economics. These
Ph.D. programs
are designed for students who seek a rigorous training in a
discipline (either economics or political science) along with
a specialization
in a specific
policy area and regional expertise. Ph.D. students are required
to demonstrate knowledge
of a language linked to their regional specialization.
The
M.P.I.A. and Ph.D. programs are distinct and separate. There
is little overlap in the structure or requirements of the two
programs
because
their objectives
are very different. The master’s program provides professional
training for graduates who will pursue international careers
in management, government,
and other fields. The doctoral program offers an academic
education to a small number of students who will pursue international
careers requiring advanced
research capabilities at universities, corporations, government
agencies, consulting firms,
or other research organizations.
However, the master’s
and doctoral programs do share a common intellectual framework.
Both the M.P.I.A. and Ph.D. curriculums are designed to bring
the theories,
methods, and insights of various disciplines together to
analyze policy issues of the Pacific and to blend the
perspectives of public policy makers and
private managers. The same faculty members teach and advise
students in both programs.
The Faculty
The school has attracted an interdisciplinary faculty from such
fields as economics, management sciences, international relations,
comparative politics, public policy, and linguistics. The various
programs draw upon and contribute to research which focuses on
the
regions of the Pacific and on major issues that affect the region.
The school places special emphasis on research in and teaching
of topics of particular importance to the program. These topics
currently include:
- Studies of the Pacific as a system, including the interaction
of the countries and regions within it (e.g., Latin American-Japanese
economic relations, U.S. relations with both East Asia and Latin
America, and the placement of the Pacific in the global system
of international relations, both contemporary and historical).
- Studies in international economics, management, and finance,
including such subject areas as international competition, comparative
industrial organizations, international trade and development,
industrial relations, technological innovation, international
financial structures, policies, institutions, and historical patterns
of development.
- Comparison of the trajectories of socioeconomic development
among the countries of Asia and Latin America, including the exploration
of differences and similarities in state-society relations, culture,
entrepreneurship, linkage to the global economy, and geopolitical
position.
- Comparative analysis of patterns of policymaking in the countries
of the Pacific region to understand how different governmental
structures, economic systems, and social group interests shape
the policy process and influence policy choices in such areas
as budget allocation, regulation of industry, and foreign trade.
For further information, contact the Office of Admissions, Graduate
School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, UCSD, 9500
Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093. (858) 534-5914, email: irps-apply@ucsd.edu,
Web site: http://www-irps.ucsd.edu.
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