Requirements for Post-Graduate Degrees in International Affairs

For more information, contact:

Program Director: Assoc. Professor Sandra Tarte 

Coordinator of Graduate Studies: Assoc. Professor Greg Fry

For information on applying to the Program, see Study at SGDIA.

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For general admissions requirements for all postgraduate programmes at USP, please refer to the 2012 USP Handbook and Calendar.

The Certificate can be completed on its own and also serve as a staircase into the Diploma and Masters programmes.

Admission Requirements:

Note: Applicants not eligible under the preceding clauses but who have exceptional professional achievements may be considered.

Programme Requirements

The Postgraduate Certificate in Diplomacy and International Affairs is awarded upon successful completion of two courses from the following options:

• PL400 Regional Diplomacy in the Pacific Islands OR PL401 Pacific Islands Foreign Policy
• PL409 Diplomacy, Negotiations and Statecraft
• PL410 World Politics and International Relations
• EC416 WTO and Trade Liberalisation in Developing Countries 

II. Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy and International Affairs (PGDDIA)

The Diploma can be completed on its own and also serve as a staircase into the Master of Arts programmes.

Admission Requirements: students must have one of the following:

1. Bachelor’s degree from a recognized tertiary institution with a GPA of at least 3.0, OR

2. Bachelor’s degree from a recognized tertiary institution with a GPA of at least 2.5 and at least three years of relevant professional experience, OR

3. Postgraduate Certificate in Diplomacy and Inter­national Affairs with a GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants who are not eligible to be admitted under the preceding clauses but have exceptional professional achievements may be considered.

Programme Requirements

The Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy and International Affairs is awarded upon successful completion of four courses from the list under Certificate program. Students may register directly for the Diploma or “staircase” in from the Certificate program.

III. Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Affairs (MADIA)

Admissions Requirements: students must have one of the following:

1. A Post-graduate Diploma in International Affairs with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
2. Comparable educational experience as assessed by program advisors.

Program Requirements:

Students must successfully complete eight courses, including five core courses (four may be credited from work toward the Certificate or Diploma) and three electives.

Students may choose to clus­ter their electives around a particular academic stream (such as law, environ­ment, economics or development studies).

Core Courses are the same courses listed under the Certificate (above), plus PL411 Research Essay in Diplomacy and International Affairs.

Electives include but are not limited to the following (others may be taken with a Program advisor’s approval):

• PL402    Special Topic in Diplomacy and International Affairs
• PL403    Pacific Politics
• LW468   Public International Law
• LW473   Foreign Trade and Investment Law
• LW469   European Law and the Pacific
• EC406   International Economics and Trade
• EC408   International Finance and Development
• MS441  Regional Management of Marine Resources I
• EV414   Climate Change, Impact and Vulnerability

IV. Master of Arts in International Affairs (Research) (MAIA)

Students should consult with the Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies before seriously considering this option. The MA in International Affairs (Research) may be completed in two ways.

1. THESIS ONLY. Students design and conduct an original research project and submit a thesis of up to 50,000 words. This option is recommended only for very strong students with an excellent academic record.

2. SUPERVISED RESEARCH PROJECT: Students take two courses and write a thesis of approximately 30,000 words, based on original research.