Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA)

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Focus on Faculty: An Introduction

Leigh Morris Sloane
Executive Director
Association of Professional Schools
of International Affairs (APSIA)

Attending a professional graduate program in international affairs should be more than an academic exercise-it should be a life-changing experience. A key ingredient is the faculty. As you will see in the following pages, the faculty at these schools of international affairs work diligently to ensure that their students not only gain knowledge of the facts and theoretical underpinnings of the subjects they study, but also develop the analytical skills to assess and respond to immediate, real-world issues. Honing these skills can mean learning how to ask the right questions, when to ask them, and of whom. Additionally, faculty introduce students to a host of resources and activities geared to help them better understand the sources and motivations behind available information.

Practice What They Preach

The faculty of these schools and similar professional programs of international affairs usually have practiced what they preach. Many have served in government as policymakers or have had distinguished careers in diplomatic service, spent time in the private sector, or worked or consulted for NGOs.

These practitioner academics often travel around the world, staying on top of their areas of expertise, and have the ears of current policymakers. As a student in these programs, you should be aware that these faculty members are an important resource and powerful link to the career that you want to build. They can help you turn your interests and passions into a coherent plan of study so that you build the knowledge and skill sets you will need in the professional arena.

Beyond the Classroom

Professional graduate programs expect their students to not only read and study but also use this unique interlude in their life to establish and nurture relationships-with faculty, fellow students, and professionals in the field-in order to acquire a nuanced and multifaceted understanding of the issues they study. These programs understand that engaging with faculty beyond the classroom is an integral part of the international affairs graduate school experience.

Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA)
www.apsia.org
Email APSIA
(301) 405-5238

Jump to another Graduate School Forum: Focus on Faculty page:

• American University, School of International Service (SIS)

Collaborating on The Dragon’s Gift
Deborah Bräutigam

• Brandeis University, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management

Diplomacy and Development: It is a Career
Laurence R. Simon

• Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)

Thinking Outside the Box… and Outside the Borders
Rodolfo de la Garza

• University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies

Graduate School Mentorship at the Josef Korbel
Jack Donnelly

• Florida International University, School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)
  

Preparing Students for Global Careers in an International City
Mark B. Rosenberg

• The George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs

Examining Global Governors
Martha Finnemore

• The Johns Hopkins University, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
  

One School, One Vision, Three Continents
David M. Lampton

• University of Kent, Brussels School of International Studies
  

Study in Europe and Gain a Competitive Advantage
Roger Vickerman

• The New School, Graduate Program in International Affairs

Preparing Leaders for International Development
Sukiko Fukuda-Parr

• Pepperdine University, School of Public Policy

A Distinguished Approach to the Study of Public Policy
Robert Kaufman

• University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA)

Students Take on Big Issues in Human Security at GSPIA
Taylor Seybolt

• Ritsumeikan University, Graduate School in International Relations

An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Study of International Relations in Asia
Sachio Nakato

• National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Leading in a New Age of Global Governance
Scott Fritzen

• University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs

LBJ Students Map Africa’s Vulnerability to Climate Change and Study
South African Governance Challenges in Cape Town
Josh Busby

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