Foreign Service, MS and Public Policy, MPP (Joint Program)
Modality
On Campus
Program URL
https://mccourt.georgetown.edu/programs/dual-degree-programs/mpp-msfs/
The dual MPP/MSFS (Master of Science in Foreign Service) is aimed at students who have an interest in pursuing professions in international affairs policy in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Students in the program will develop the rigorous tools of policy analysis while obtaining substantive training in international affairs.
Academic Policies
Students in Foreign Service and Public Policy joint program are expected to comply with the polices outlined in the University and Law Center Bulletins.
Program Requirements
The dual degree consists of 78- credit hours (39 for MPP and 39 for MSFS) and requires three years to complete. Students are also required to pass a mandatory MSFS oral exam as well as a language and map tests. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in each department (computed separately).
Although there is some flexibility in order to accommodate students’ specific professional and academic goals, students enrolled in the dual MPP/MSFS program typically pursue the following course of study:
| Fall I | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| PPOL 5000 | Stat Meth for Policy Analysis | 3 |
| MSFS Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring I | ||
| PPOL 5001 | Reg. Meth. for Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PPOL 5005 | Microecon II:Mkt Fail Pub Econ | 3 |
| PPOL 5008 or PPOL 5009 |
Public Management or Mgmt & Implem in Dev Countries |
3 |
| MSFS Courses | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Fall II | ||
| PPOL 5002 | Adv Regression/Prog Eval Meth | 3 |
| PPOL 5007 | Comp Politics of Policy-Making | 3 |
| MSFS Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring II | ||
| PPOL 5010 | Ethics/Values/Public Policy | 3 |
| PPOL Elective | 3 | |
| MSFS Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fall III | ||
| PPOL 5011 | Policy Analysis:Client Capston (or Thesis Workshop I ) | 3 |
| PPOL Elective | 3 | |
| MSFS Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring III | ||
| PPOL 5012 or PPOL 5014 |
Plcy Anlys:Clnt Basd Capstn II or Thesis Workshop II |
3 |
| PPOL Electives | 6 | |
| MSFS Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 81 | |
Foreign Service Credit Requirements
MSFS students must complete 39 credits, a language proficiency examination, a leadership requirement, and an oral comprehensive examination in order to graduate. Students select one of the following four concentrations to focus their studies: Global Politics and Security, International Development, Global Business, Finance & Security, Science, Technology, and International Affairs, or Self-Designed Concentration.
Foreign Service Leadership Requirement
The leadership requirement includes a list of curricular and extracurricular leadership training opportunities that enable students to explore and practice their leadership skills before they graduate from the program. This requirement provides students an opportunity to both learn and reflect on the nature of leadership.
Public Policy Capstone Project
Students choose between two capstone experiences: completing a thesis or completing a client-based capstone. Both options span two semesters and involve answering a policy question in an analytically rigorous manner, drawing on the knowledge and skills of the curriculum.
Required Examinations
Foreign Service Language Proficiency Examination
Proficiency in English and at least one other language is essential for a successful career in international affairs and thus a requirement for graduation from the MSFS program. The MSFS program assesses language proficiency in the following ways:
- Language Placement Exam
Prior to the start of classes, MSFS students take language placement exams. This exam serves a dual purpose. First, it is used to determine which level of language study they should pursue at Georgetown, if at all. Second, it determines eligibility to sit for the language proficiency exam that takes place later in the academic calendar. Students whose native language is not English may declare English as their proficiency language, or may select a different non-native language for their proficiency requirement. - Language Courses
Students who are advised to take English or other foreign language course(s) before proceeding to the Language Proficiency Exam should enroll for an additional (fifth) course during their first semester. Language courses offered include: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Additional language study in South and Southeast Asian languages are available to MSFS students through a consortium agreement with Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Note: Language courses do not count for course credit toward the MSFS degree; grades received in language courses do not count in determining the student’s GPA.
Either after completing the Language Placement Exam or after taking language courses, each student must pass an Oral Language Proficiency Exam in their second language with a grade of “good” or better. MSFS strongly encourages all students to take and pass the Oral Language Proficiency Exam as soon as possible after enrolling in the program.
Foreign Service Oral Comprehensive Examination
In the spring of the second year, each MSFS student takes a final Oral Examination, given by a panel of three faculty and/or professionals in the field of international affairs. Students are judged on their ability to present material in a well-organized and articulate manner and to apply what they have learned to practical problems in the field of international affairs.