IP Announces New Master of Arts in International Studies
by Downing Thomas
As the globe becomes increasingly interconnected by communication mechanisms, economic systems and transportation networks, we, as inhabitants of the United States, must recognize our increasing involvement in events that occur elsewhere. Technological, political and economic transformations occur worldwide; the Internet reaches all but the most isolated villages; no region in the world is further than 36 hours away by air from any other; and international organizations share power with sovereign states. Further, market capitalism has penetrated the most resistant of economies, with multinational foundations rivaling states in terms of influence in some areas.
Building on two related strengths – that of a highly successful undergraduate program in international studies, currently with more than 450 majors, and the expertise and experience of a faculty engaged in research on a variety of international issues and topics, International Programs at the University of Iowa has proposed a Master of Arts degree in International Studies to prepare our students intellectually to engage a changing world.
Purpose of the Program
The Iowa Promise, The University of Iowa’s Strategic Plan for 2005-2010, emphasizes the need to internationalize the educational experience, to increase international communication and collaboration, and to equip students to live as members of an international community. The proposed M.A. in international studies supports these goals by offering a graduate level interdisciplinary and international degree program. The degree will be awarded on the completion of a coherent program of study, beginning with a core requirement, the “International Colloquium,” designed as a methodological and theoretical foundation for the degree. Building on that foundation, a series of interrelated courses will be selected in close consultation with a faculty adviser, allowing each student to develop a focus area in relation to his or her degree goals. All M.A. students will complete a thesis.
Program faculty represent a range of disciplines encompassing major scholarly activities in the humanities, social sciences and professions. The creation of a master’s program in international studies will take the Bachelor of Arts program to a new level by building on existing assets, which include high standards, appeal to motivated, top-caliber students – approximately 40 percent of all international studies majors participate in the University Honors Program – and participation of outstanding faculty from across campus. Furthermore, the flexibility of the proposed M.A. will facilitate incorporation of a broader spectrum of faculty expertise into international studies, allowing not only for pedagogic enhancement at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, but also stimulating scholarly interaction among faculty groups from different disciplines and different colleges across campus. The University of Iowa has already seen examples of such synergism, for example, in the areas of global health, of communication and culture change, and of human rights and social justice, all of which represent rapidly developing areas of scholarship that have attracted participation by increasing numbers of University of Iowa faculty and students.
The international studies M.A. degree will satisfy the needs of students who are interested in questions of development, globalization, politics, history, health, culture and human rights beyond the bachelor’s degree, and will also provide preparation for employment. The degree will be appropriate for students who have graduated from the UI’s international studies undergraduate program, or for students who have other disciplinary backgrounds but wish to internationalize their credentials.