nyu ma ir thesis

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International Relations

Degrees and fields of study.

• M.A.  in International Relations
• Joint M.A.  in International Relations/Journalism
• M.P.A.-M.A.  in Public and Non-Profit Management and Policy and International Relations (Dual Degree)

See also  Politics  for related programs of study.

Concentrations

M.a. international relations.

• International Politics and International Business
• International Relations/Asian Studies
• International Relations/European and Mediterranean Studies
• International Relations/International Law
• International Relations/Latin American and Caribbean Studies
• International Relations/Middle Eastern and Levantine Studies
• International Relations/Russian and Slavic Studies
• International Relations/U.S. Foreign Policy

Application Deadlines

Applications and all supporting materials must be  submitted online by 5PM  Eastern Time. If a listed deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or U.S. federal holiday, then the next business day will be the actual deadline.

M.A. in International Relations Program

• November 1 : Spring admission
• February 15 : Fall admission, priority deadline
• May 15 : Fall admission, final deadline

Joint M.A. Program in International Relations/Journalism

• January 4 : Fall admission

M.P.A. in International Development Policy and Management and  M.A. in International Relations (Dual Degree)

• May 1 (for both applications) : Fall admission 

M.P.A.-M.A. applicants must submit  two separate applications  — one to GSAS, and another to NYU Wagner . 

Requirements

In addition to the general application requirements, the department specifically requires:

Test Scores

• The GRE general test is not required.

TOEFL/IELTS

Applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores (TOEFL preferred)  unless they:

Are a native English speaker; OR

Are a US citizen or permanent resident; OR

Have completed (or will complete) a baccalaureate or master's degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English.

Statement of Academic Purpose

Joint m.a. program.

Journalism requires applicants to write a personal essay. The essay is an extremely important part of the application, so treat it accordingly. The essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words in length. In addition, all applicants must submit at least two samples of their work, whether published or not.

The goal of the essay is to give the Admissions Committee a concrete sense of who you are as someone who aspires to a career as a professional journalist, writing and reporting for print, online or broadcast media. It should address the following questions: What do you expect to get from the program? What aspects of your experience are most relevant to your interest in journalism? Tell us about your background--your academic degree, intellectual interests, work experience, life experience, and other sources of inspiration--and explain how this background informs what you want to do as a journalist.

Applicants should also describe their existing "body of work" as a journalist, critic or just someone who writes. We are mostly interested in published work, but if you have yet to break into print, then tell us what kind of writing you have done. What have been your major themes? What issues and phenomena most engage you? What publications do you read regularly and why? Which journalists do you admire, which do you dislike, and which have influenced you?

Please append to your essay a brief statement of your plans for financing your graduate work. This statement must be included, whether or not you are applying for financial aid.

All Other Programs

Please explain, in a brief and concise manner, how your past studies and work experience relate to a course of study at the graduate level in International Relations at NYU. Please also explain why you chose to apply to study in the IR Program at NYU and the specified concentration (if any), or the dual degree M.P.A.-M.A. in Public and Non-Profit Management and Policy and International Relations, and how NYU specifically will help you to advance your personal and professional objectives. The statement should be no more than two double-spaced pages.

NYU’s Program in International Relations trains individuals who wish to make a difference in the world either through the practice of international affairs in government, the non-governmental or private sectors or through continued academic study. With that in mind, please reflect on the following questions in writing your Statement of Academic Purpose:

● How do the Program’s objectives fit with your own goals and interests?

● How will your educational objectives help you achieve your future career goals?

● Where do you see yourself 10 years after graduating from NYU?

Writing Sample

All programs.

An English-language writing sample is required. The writing sample must not exceed 3,000 words (excluding citations and bibliography) and should be double-spaced, in typescript. It could be a short course paper, an excerpt from a longer paper or thesis, or a published article. If possible, it should be related to international relations or contemporary global issues. If needed, a writing prompt is available on the  program’s website . Most importantly, the writing sample should demonstrate the author’s critical thinking, analytical ability, and prose writing skills in English. A strong writing sample will improve the chances of admission.

In addition to the writing sample shown above for all master’s applicants, two different writing samples are required for Journalism. The writing samples need not have been published, although if you have clips you are proud of, please do submit them. The samples should represent your best overall work and your aptitude for journalism. Clips from your college newspaper, personal essays, academic research papers, and short fiction are all acceptable.

Useful Links

• GSAS Bulletin
• Department Website
• Email [email protected]
• Application Portal
• Back to Programs, Requirements and Deadlines

The Graduate School of Arts and Science reserves the right to change this information at any time. This page supersedes all previous versions.

Last updated August 2023.

MPA, International Development Policy and Management Specialization-MA, International Relations

To address the complex, pressing international affairs issues of our time, you’ll need an education that lives at the nexus of international development and international relations. At NYU, you can earn both an MPA with an International Development Policy and Management specialization and an MA in International Relations in just two years of full-time study. You’ll gain practical policy, management, and analysis skills and perspectives from a professional degree while also building a deeper and comprehensive understanding of international relations and politics. You’ll benefit from a unique cross-exposure, preparing you for a broad array of careers in international affairs in the United States or around the world.

Course & Credit Requirements

Total credits required: 57.

• International Relations (INTRL-GA 1700, 4 credits), Global and International History (INTRL-GA 1600, 4 credits), and Writing for International Affairs (INTRL-GA 3992, 2 credits)
• Qualitative Analysis I (INTRL-GA 1220),  Regional and Comparative Politics (INTRL-GA 1450), or The World Economy (INTRL-GA 1900)
• 8 Elective credits
• 2 Master’s Thesis Seminar credits (INTRL-GA 4000)
• 15 Core credits
• 9 International Development Management & Policy Specialization credits
• For Core and Specialization courses, and a sampling of Elective courses, please visit the International Development Specialization  checksheet .
• 3  Capstone  credits

Language Requirement

For the MA in International Relations, students must demonstrate proficiency in one language other than English by completing one of the following:

• Passing the GSAS foreign language proficiency examination
• Completing an intermediate-level foreign language course with a grade of B or better at NYU or another accredited institution. Students must submit an official transcript as proof of completion. While an undergraduate course may be used to satisfy the language requirement, credit and GPA impact from an undergraduate course may not apply toward either graduate degree.
• Completing secondary education or undergraduate degree in an institution where language of instruction is not English.

Internship/Professional Experience Requirement

MPA students who enter NYU Wagner with less than two years of full-time, degree-relevant experience are required to satisfy the MPA's Professional Experience Requirement (PER)  prior to beginning Capstone. In addition, all IR students are required to satisfy the MA program's  Internship Requirement .

The same experience can be used to satisfy both the MA's Internship Requirement and the MPA's Professional Experience Requirement, as long it satisfies each program's fieldwork requirements as outlined via the links above.

End-Event Requirements

Ma thesis requirement.

Students must write an MA thesis on a discrete piece of research. Students must enroll in the MA Thesis Seminar, INTRL-GA 4000 (2 points) in their fourth semester. The course is designed to provide structure and guidance to students writing a thesis.  The thesis will be an academic work of 10,000-15,000 words dealing with an important and timely topic in international relations.

MPA Capstone Requirement

All Wagner MPA students are required to complete a capstone project. Each capstone project provides students with a year-long consulting or quantitative research project to resolve a problem or conduct an analysis for a public service organization.

Sample Program Sequence

Sample schedule .

Total Credits Required: 57 (33 for the MPA; 24 for the MA)

Key to Course Codes  -GA = Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) course (MA, International Relations) -GP = Wagner Graduate School of Public Service course (MPA, Public & Nonprofit Management & Policy--International specialization)

Fall, Year 1 [15 credits]

Registration residency: Wagner

• INTRL-GA 1700 International Relations  (4 credits)
• INTRL-GA 3992 Writing for International Affairs  (2 credits)
• CORE-GP 1022 Introduction to Public Policy  (3 credits)
• CORE-GP 1018 Microeconomics  (3 credits)
• Students who would prefer a lighter first-term plan may choose to move CORE-GP 1011 Statistical Methods to the summer term, as long as enrollment in an intensive quantitative course over the summer would not interfere with their professional development plans (e.g., satisfying the MPA's Professional Experience Requirement and the MA's Internship requirement with a full-time summer position).

January, Year 1 [3 credits]

• PADM-GP 2201 Institutions, Governance, and International Development  (3 credits)

Spring, Year 1 [14 credits] 

• INTRL-GA 1600 Global and International History  (4 credits)
• INTRL-GA 1220 Qualitative Analysis I
• INTRL-GA 1450 Regional and Comparative Politics
• INTRL-GA 1900 The World Economy
• CORE-GP 1020 Management and Leadership  (3 credits)
• CORE-GP 1021 Financial Management  (3 credits)

Summer, Year 1

Focus on MA Internship / MPA Professional Experience Requirement

Fall, Year 2 [15.5 credits]

Registration residency: GSAS

• International Relations Elective  (example): INTRL-GA 1750 Natural Resource Conflict  (4 credits)
• International Relations Elective  (example): INTRL-GA 1800 International Development    (4 credits)
• PADM-GP 2202 Politics of International Development  (3 credits)
• PADM-GP 2203 Economics of International Development  (3 credits)
• CAP-GP 3226 Advanced Projects in International Development Policy and Management I  (1.5 credits)

Spring, Year 2 [9.5 credits]

• INTRL-GA 4000 Master’s Thesis Seminar  (2 credits)
• CAP-GP 3227 Advanced Projects in International Development Policy and Management II  (1.5 credits)
• MPA General Elective coursework (6 credits) -- Consider courses in the following Wagner focus areas : Growth, Sustainability, and Inequality; Organizations and Management in International Contexts; International Finance; and Health, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Aid. 

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

Students generally enroll full-time, taking courses within the MPA, International Policy and Management Specialization and MA, International Relations programs concurrently. Students who waive a required course will take an elective in its place. Students graduate and receive a diploma from each school after successful completion of the dual-degree requirements for both degrees.

Applicants are required to apply to NYU Wagner and to NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science, Program in International Relations . Once admitted to both, a student will qualify for the dual-degree program. For more information about admissions to Wagner or the Program in International Relations, please contact:

NYU Wagner Admissions [email protected] | 212.998.7414

NYU GSAS Program in International Relations [email protected] | 212.998.3799

Students apply separately to each school and join the MPA, International Development Policy and Management Specialization-MA, International Relations dual-degree program once they are admitted to both schools. Students enrolled in dual master's degree programs with other NYU schools are not eligible for NYU Wagner Named Fellowship programs.

Students will work with advisors from both schools to carefully choose coursework that takes into consideration their unique academic and professional goals. The many sources of advisement that each school has to offer includes faculty advisors, program advisors, peer advisors, and NYU Wagner's Office of Career Services. Students leave the dual-degree program well supported and equipped with the frameworks and analytical skills that will serve them well in the complex and changing intersection of sectors and roles their careers may span.

For dual-degree program advisement, please contact:

Scott Statland, Associate Director, Advisement & Student Services NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service [email protected] | 212.992.8717

Muserref Yetim , Clinical Associate Professor NYU GSAS Program in International Relations [email protected]

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• Program of Study
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Major in International Relations

as.nyu.edu/politics/ba-international-relations.html 19 West Fourth Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10012 • 212-998-8500

Professor Gilligan

International relations (IR), offered through the Wilf Family Department of Politics, seeks to provide students with an understanding of the global system’s past, the tools to function effectively in the present, and the ability to respond to future developments. The program recognizes the changing nature of the contemporary political and economic environment and seeks to lay an interdisciplinary basis for understanding these changes. It provides students with an opportunity to study the complex web of transnational politics in an in-depth, interdisciplinary fashion. The breadth of courses is designed to match the breadth of knowledge and skills that the field requires. The program combines a foundation of core courses in politics, economics, and statistics with a suite of classes on international relations and political economy, elective courses focused on a particular region, advanced study in a foreign language, and a required semester of study abroad. An honors program is offered for qualified students, who take an additional two-semester seminar sequence in their senior year in which they write a thesis under close supervision of faculty members.

Finding Dissertations

• Finding NYU Dissertations
• Finding Dissertations from Other Institutions
• International Resources

NYU Dissertations Online

All dissertations completed at NYU are indexed in the online database  Dissertations and Theses Global. Users who wish to access NYU dissertations, especially dissertations completed since 1997, would be best served by searching this database. Many (but not all) dissertations will be available in full-text.

Dissertation Search Tip:

When searching the database, you can use the Advanced Search functions to limit your results to only dissertations completed at NYU or you can leave the "institution" field blank to search dissertations completed anywhere. 

Why can't I see the full-text? 

When dissertation authors submit their work to Dissertations and Theses Global , they have the option to  embargo the full-text for up to two years from that point. Authors may choose to embargo their dissertations for several reasons, for example, if they are planning to publish the dissertation (or a version of it) as a book. There are currently no options for NYU students to access the full-text of a dissertation if the author has chosen to embargo.  In some cases, the author can extend the embargo beyond 2 years. It is estimated that approximately 50% of dissertation authors at NYU choose to embargo.

Dissertations that have been embargoed will appear with the note, " At the request of the author, this graduate work is not available to view or purchase" in the upper right-hand corner of record.

• Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window Dissertations and Theses Global contains indexes, dissertations and some theses. Full-text is available for many dissertations and theses, including those from NYU.

NYU Dissertations in Hard Copy

NYU dissertations completed before 2007 are available in both print and microform at Bobst.

Bobst Library does not keep copies of any dissertations from the following programs:

• The Medical School and the Dental School maintain separate collections of their own dissertations
• Master's theses are not kept by Bobst Library. Check with the corresponding department or school to explore whether such theses are held.

Bound copies of dissertations are held offsite and must be requested through the catalog for delivery to the library.

Call number ranges for NYU dissertations (Dissertations from Tisch and Courant are under GSAS):

• LD 3907 .E3 - School of Education
• LD 3907 .G5 - Wagner School of Public Administration
• LD 3907 .G6 - Stern School of Business
• LD 3907 .G7 - Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS)
• LD 3907 .S3 - School of Social Work

Dissertations published before 2008 at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Wagner School of Public Administration, Stern School of Business, Silver School of Social Work, and Steinhardt School of Education are available on microform .

Using the Library Catalog to Find NYU Dissertations

If you already know the author or the title of the dissertation, you can search the Library Catalog with that information to locate our copy and either recall it from offsite storage or find it in the Microforms Center.

Search tip:

For those wishing to search Library Catalog for dissertations on certain subjects, perform an Advanced Search using the words "Dissertation" AND "[desired subject]."

• Search Library Catalog

Please note: NYU dissertations in the Proquest Dissertations & Global Theses database are indexed in Library Catalog regardless of whether or not they have been embargoed. Just because a dissertation record appears in the Library Catalog does not mean that it is available in full-text. 

Dissertations completed at NYU through 2007 are available on microform. Microform copies are located in the Microforms Center on LL2 of Bobst Library. These are arranged chronologically by school. Some of the older rolls of film contain more than one dissertation. These copies are each given a thesis number in chronological, alphabetical order. The thesis numbers are listed on each roll, corresponding to the cataloged location in the Library Catalog.

What are microforms?

Microforms are pieces of film that contain reproductions of magazines, journals, and other materials. Because newsprint and other types of paper often decay, microforms are used as a method of preserving content.  Microforms come in 2 formats: microfilm (on reels) and microfiche (sheets).

Where are the microforms?

Microforms are located on LL2 in the Microforms Reading Room.

Can I get help?

The Microforms Reading Room is staffed. In addition, notebooks with instructions are available.

Can I make copies?

All microform machines have printing capabilities; some machines also allow you to make PDFs.

Offsite Materials

Some of our materials are stored in an offsite facility. 

To get an item that is marked as offsite:

• Search for the item in the Library Catalog
• Click on the Title
• Click on the Availability Status/Call number link
• Click Request

Offsite materials usually arrive within 2 business days. You'll be notified once the item has arrived, and you can pick it up at the Circulation Desk.

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• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/dissertations

History of Art and Archaeology (MA)

Program description.

Situated in the capital of the American art world, the MA Program in the History of Art and Archaeology at the Institute of Fine Arts is designed for the student who wants to study the history and role of the visual arts in culture and society through detailed, object-based examination, historical analysis and critical interpretation. This degree program is constituted as a broad learning experience supported by numerous opportunities for intellectual inquiry, guided by leading scholars and enhanced by access to New York area museums, curators and conservators, archaeological sites and NYU's global network.

The Institute’s MA in the History of Art and Archaeology is intended for students with a developed interest in the visual arts who wish to earn an advanced degree without the commitment to a multi-year doctoral program. The MA degree will prove useful for students interested in careers in art museums, galleries, auction houses cultural centers, arts foundations, archaeological site management and development, art conservation, or eventual doctoral work in art history or archaeology.

The program is two years of full-time study or three years of part-time study for those with established professional careers who wish to continue working while attending the Institute. For part-time study, each student devises a course of study together with the Director of Masters Studies; a typical course load for part-time students would be two courses per semester for the first two years, and one course per semester in the final year of study.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See Fine Arts for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

Distribution areas, language requirement, master's thesis.

The program requires the completion of 40 credits, comprised of the following:

Regarding the technical study of works of art through the Conservation Center.

Complete four courses in different major areas. Two courses must be classroom seminars. See Distribution Areas are listed below.

• Pre-modern Asia;
• Pre-modern Africa and the Middle East;
• The Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, including Egypt;
• Pre-modern Europe and the Americas;
• Post-1750 Global;
• Museum and Curatorial Studies;
• Material Studies of Works of Art;
• Architectural History

Additional Program Requirements

Students are required to pass a language examination in French, German, or Italian. Other languages will be considered on a case-by-case basis with the Academic Office. The examination can be taken in the beginning and end of the Fall semester as well as at the end of the Spring semester. Full-time students must pass the examination by the end of their third semester; part-time MA students and Conservation Program students must pass the examination by the end of their fourth semester.

A master’s thesis is required. The thesis will be of substantial length (9,000 words) and should provide a comprehensive treatment of a problem in scholarship, competently written, and may be of publishable quality. The topic may be developed from papers written for a lecture course, seminar or colloquium, or from independent research. Students in the conservation program are encouraged to include technical studies in the Master’s Thesis, provided the paper retains its focus on art history or archaeology. The Master’s Thesis must be read and approved by two faculty members. Readers are normally members of the permanent faculty.

Sample Plan of Study

Learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Critically investigate the role of the visual arts in culture through object-based examination as well as historical and theoretical interpretation.
• Effectively communicate original, independent research and interpretations of secondary material through written and oral presentation.  
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of critical issues in the field of art history or archaeology through the composition of an essay on a single topic.

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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