GPS’s program goes beyond what a business degree can offer, setting you up for success in the private sector, government and nonprofits
“International affairs” might conjure up images of high-stakes negotiations between countries at a boardroom table. But in a globalized world, no matter what type of work you’re looking to pursue, it’s more important than ever to understand countries, their geopolitics and the economic relationships they have with each other.
That’s where a Master of International Affairs (MIA) degree from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) comes in.
As you learn about the MIA by exploring the GPS website and talking with the admissions team, you’ll quickly realize that your options go well beyond the State Department. Through the degree’s varied curriculum and its multiple career tracks to choose from, GPS faculty members impart practical skills that allow you to tackle the world’s problems directly, whether they’re big or small.
The public sector
But what does that look like on a practical level?
The MIA takes a multidisciplinary approach to help students understand the forces shaping global decisions. As a result, the degree also opens the door to other roles in government beyond diplomacy by equipping students to think globally and act locally, preparing them for roles where an understanding international dynamics is essential.
An MIA doesn’t restrict your work options just to the public sector: More than half of the program’s graduates go on to work for corporations and nonprofit organizations.
And as some government agencies face increasing challenges in staffing and resources, they value employees who aren’t afraid to find solutions to local problems by looking around the world for inspiration.
[Read: How a Master of International Affairs degree equipped two alumni to be ‘FEMA flexible’]
The private sector
But it would be a mistake to think that an MIA restricts your work options just to the public sector. In fact, more than half of the program’s graduates go on to work for corporations and nonprofit organizations.
Ulrike Schaede, professor of Japanese business and innovation, says the curriculum gives students a competitive edge by providing a depth of knowledge across various fields.
“The MIA program is not just about politics,” she said. “The curriculum is built on a three-pronged approach to teach students the economics, politics and business of the Pacific Rim and Indo-Pacific — all of which trains students to be global leaders in the 21st century.”
“[MIA] graduates, especially of our international management track, are akin to M.B.A.s, but with a much deeper understanding of international politics and geopolitics.”
Ulrike Schaede, professor of Japanese business and innovation
And, she adds, at a time of growing geopolitical turbulence, trade wars, tariff shifts and global supply change resilience threats, what it means to be an international business person is shifting fast to include aspects of economic security and global production network management.
The program’s three-pronged curriculum, she said, gives alumni of our MIA program a versatile skill set that can make their education even more valuable than a business degree alone.
“Graduates, especially of our international management track, are akin to M.B.A.s, but with a much deeper understanding of international politics and geopolitics,” she said.
A student’s experience
Juan Morfín de la Parra, a second-year MIA candidate, exemplifies how students can put their learning into action in both government and business.
The summer, he interned at the Mexican Embassy to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. A large part of his job consisted of monitoring developments in economic policy coming from the White House and from Mexico’s president, then summarizing those developments for the embassy.
Morfín de la Parra shared that when his work involved analyzing data — including the impact of U.S. tariffs on Mexican products — he was employing skills that he had honed in his first year at GPS, where quantitative skills feature prominently in the curriculum.
“It’s great to have a broad knowledge of history and political theory,” he said. “But when you’re dealing with the real world and the global economy, you need to understand what’s going on in terms of numbers.”
Looking forward, Morfín de la Parra said that he’s exploring a career in consulting. At first blush, this might seem like a departure from the material he has learned at GPS. But he explained that what he’s learning has direct application in the private sector.
“If you don’t understand what’s going on in terms of basic geopolitics and the world economy, you’re risking strategic mishaps,” he said. “At a firm, you don’t want to start a project in a country where you’re not aware of the political situation.”
An antidote to global disruption
David Victor, distinguished professor of innovation and public policy at GPS, shared that this is one of the central skills graduates take away on their path to getting an MIA.
“You’ll come out of this program with the capacity to evaluate risks and opportunities internationally,” he said. “But you’ll also be able to organize the evidence in a compelling way, so you can convince other people in your government, your NGO or your company about where the world’s headed.”
“What you learn from the MIA degree is how to think about the sources of [international] turbulence and the management strategies to confront it.”
David Victor, distinguished professor of innovation and public policy
Victor also stressed that business and politics can’t properly be understood without each other.
“Business and government are exposed to international turbulence even more today than almost ever before. What you learn from the MIA degree is how to think about the sources of that turbulence and the management strategies to confront it,” he said. “That’s important if you’re going into government here in the U.S. or overseas, but frankly, it’s increasingly important for a lot of companies, too.”
Applications for our degree programs for the 2026–2027 academic year are open. Are you ready to create solutions that matter? Request information on the MIA degree today.
