Responding to Global Changes with Cutting-Edge Offerings

In a world where global challenges are increasingly interconnected, the Online and Executive Programs team at the School of International Service (SIS) is taking bold steps to ensure their Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) and Master of International Service (MIS) program's curriculum remains at the cutting edge of international affairs education. This includes an important name change to one of its key concentrations and rolling out several new and redesigned courses in the upcoming academic years. These updates reflect a curriculum that responds directly to current global affairs and emerging professional demands.

Responding to Global Changes

The renaming of the concentration from International Development to Sustainable Development, Global Health, and Human Rights represents more than just a name change - it's a strategic response to evolving global needs and challenges.

"This new name better captures the interdisciplinary approach we take, empowering students to develop sustainable solutions that promote health, human dignity, and equitable development across the globe," says Professor Claudia Hofmann, Executive Director for Online and Executive Programs at SIS.

"The renaming of our concentration to 'Sustainable Development, Global Health, and Human Rights' reflects our commitment to addressing the most pressing global challenges of today," says Professor Hofmann. "I'm excited for the opportunities this will create for current and future students to engage with these critical issues."

The update reflects a deeper understanding of how global challenges intersect in today's world. As Lauren Carruth, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Environment, Development & Health, explains, "In the multidisciplinary field of international affairs, we now recognize that global problems are never isolated or singular. Epidemics of disease can worsen poverty, conflict, and patterns of discrimination."

Professor Carruth teaches the Global Health Politics and Policy course and focuses on preparing students to engage with emerging global issues. She explains,

"This course is designed to challenge students to think critically and practically about global health policies, problems, institutions, and inequalities. We use several specific topics (including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, malaria, emerging pandemics, vaccines, and others) as case studies to critically examine the (re)production of health disparities around the world. This course also challenges students to put people first in matters of global health, and in so doing, re-imagine the possibilities for global health programming, policy, and action."

Professor Scott Freeman, Assistant Professor of Environment, Development & Health, notes that the inclusion of human rights in the concentration marks a significant shift in development studies, "Human rights can be considered part of international development, but historically has been sidelined by concerns for economic growth," he says. "Focusing on human rights realigns the notion of development with a broader pursuit of well-being that moves beyond typically economic metrics."

Freeman will be teaching the online SISG-768 Politics of Global Development course in Fall 2025. In his courses, he focuses on the history of development and ensures students get a well-rounded interpretation of this area of study. Freeman explains, "Critical examination of the history of development must be at the center of what we teach here. How have the narratives of development been deployed and to what end?"

Addressing environmental sustainability is a key part of this evolution. As Professor Jennifer Wallace, who teaches SISG-768 Sustainable Development and Global Environmental Policy, emphasizes: "By breaking these problems down into their component parts -- actors, interests, and institutions -- students leave the course equipped to apply their knowledge to a dynamic policy environment." Wallace's research interests primarily focus on environmental linkages to conflict, with particular attention to natural resource management and environmental degradation.

The concentration's interdisciplinary nature prepares students for the complex challenges they'll face in their careers. Professor Michael Stanaitis, who has been teaching International Human Rights: History, Theory and Practice, an all-synched course that will be offered regularly, emphasizes this point:

"Sustainability, development, health, and human rights all overlap with one another to a degree in practice. Each of these fields possesses unique theories and historical narratives...I hope the inclusion of human rights in this new and exciting concentration will allow students to understand how, while the logic of these issue areas can at times clash with one another, the social and political forces behind these issue areas can nevertheless be used as force multipliers in understanding and promoting positive global social change."

This name update demonstrates SIS's commitment to staying ahead of global trends while providing students with the tools they need to address tomorrow's challenges. The revamped concentration offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing complex global issues, from climate change and public health crises to human rights concerns.

New Course Offerings

Starting in Spring 2025 students will have access to several innovative new courses, including:

• Grand Strategy (SIS-653): A one-time all-synchronous course examining the integration of state resources and government tools in achieving policy objectives
• Political Risk Analysis (SIS-750): A new second-level methods course providing practical skills in analyzing political events and their impact on global activities
• Global Dimensions and Challenges of Modern Diplomacy (SISG-770): A contemporary examination of diplomatic practice and its evolution in the 21st century

Redesigned Courses in Progress

We're also revitalizing our curriculum with updated versions of essential courses being rolled out over the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years.

Summer 2025

• International Economics (SISG-764): Redesigned to address current global economic challenges

Fall 2025

• Project Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (SIS-750): Updated to incorporate contemporary evaluation methodologies

Spring 2026

• Causes of War (SISG-767): Examining the factors and conditions that explain patterns of peace and conflict

Summer 2026

• Intercultural Communication (SISG-761): Refreshed to reflect modern cross-cultural dynamics

Concentration Enhancements and All-Synchronous Offerings

Concentration enhancements include a new course from the online Master of Science in International Relations and Business Online (MSIRB) integrated into the MAIR and MIS offerings.

Additionally, all-synchronous offerings will provide real-time interactive learning experiences, and foster engagement and collaborative discussions.

• Private Sector Engagement with Social Issues (SIS-739): Exploring the evolving role of business in addressing social challenges (integrated from MSIRB, Fall 2025*)
• International Human Rights: History, Theory, and Practice (SISG-768): An all-synchronous course providing a comprehensive examination of human rights in the modern context (Recurring offering, next offered in Spring 2026)
• Refugees, Migration, and Trafficking (SIS-712): An all-synchronous course exploring the complex dynamics of international migration, refugees, and human trafficking and how they impact state governance, security, and human rights. (One-time offering, Fall 2025*)

* Some all-synchronous courses are one-time offerings. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these unique opportunities when available.

Looking Forward

This comprehensive update to our course offerings and the renaming of the concentration demonstrates SIS Online and Executive Programs' commitment to providing students with the most relevant, current, and practical education possible. The new and redesigned courses will be released over the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years.

Students interested in learning more about these new updates and how they fit into their academic programs and concentrations are encouraged to contact their academic advisor for guidance once the updates go into effect. Additional details will be shared through each program's academic newsletter.

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