How to Apply Committee on International Relations The University of Chicago

Offered jointly by Harris Public Policy and the Committee on International Relations , the program results in two master of arts degrees—one in public policy and one in international relations. Combine training in public policy analytical tools with a broad analytic understanding of the political and economic dynamics of international relations. Students nau course evals are encouraged to begin thinking about their MA paper in the context of their courses, and to consider seminar papers as bases for an MA paper. The MA paper offers an early opportunity for students to undertake a substantial work of independent research, and which advances a number of worthwhile objectives, some substantive, others more procedural.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the practices entailed in high-performance geopolitical event forecasting, with an eye to both intellectual and professional applications. It will survey a number of cornerstone academic works drawn from the fields of psychology, political science, economics, and decision science in pursuit of a rigorous understanding of the difficulties entailed in accurately predicting important geopolitical events. It will also allow students to gain hands-on experience in making effective forecasts themselves. This course is designed to discuss the ways that cultural and social psychology contribute to understandings about human rights conceptually, and how human rights issues emerge from social dynamics.

CIR places more graduates in research, in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, than any other field. Looking at the Class of 2021, 94% of our graduates accepted full-time employment or were accepted into doctoral programs within 9 months of graduation. When contract and part-time roles were added, this outcome increased to 95%.

International applicants must meet the Division’s English language requirements, as outlined here. While most of the incoming cohort will be admitted from the pool of applicants in January, the admissions committee continues to read applications and offer admission and aid on a limited basis to applications received by May 2. Students with more than two unexcused incompletes or missing grades may be denied a leave of absence and be asked to withdraw from the program instead.

In addition, students must successfully complete the introductory seminar Perspectives in International Relations and participate in the master’s thesis workshop throughout the academic year. Master’s workshops are led by CIR preceptors and give students the opportunity to present and discuss their research projects as they develop from proposal to final draft. If a student is unable to meet the expectations outlined in their probationary document, the student may be subject to dismissal from the university. Students may not transfer to another degree program or apply for a dual or joint degree program at UChicago while on academic probation.

The Application for Admission and Financial Aid, with instructions and deadlines, is available online at apply-ssd.uchicago.edu/apply. Complete nine graduate-level University of Chicago courses for credit and earn a minimum 3.0 GPA. A double-spaced, solo-authored writing sample of 4,500 to 8,000 words, ideally from a single seminar paper or research project. You must first matriculate in the master’s program with the Committee on International Relations prior to applying to Harris.