Please click on any of the criteria listed below for a detailed description of the requirements
Concentration Requirements All candidates must concentrate their studies in two programs, one of which must be International Economics. Students select their second concentration from one of the functional or regional studies programs. A student usually takes six courses to meet a concentration requirement. Programs that are part of a broader field may have distribution requirements in other programs within the field. Students must consult with the director of their chosen second program or with their adviser in order to plan an appropriate course of study. Please visit the individual program Web sites for listings of M.A. Requirements: International Economics Program
International Economics Functional Studies Programs International Relations (IR)/General
IR/ Conflict Management
IR/ Energy, Resources and Environment
IR/ Global Theory and History
IR/ International Law and Organizations
IR/ Strategic Studies
International Development Regional Studies Programs African Studies
American Foreign Policy
Asia/ China Studies
Asia/ Japan Studies
Asia/ Korea Studies
Asia/ South Asia Studies
Asia/ Southeast Asia Studies
European Studies
Middle East Studies
Russian and Eurasian Studies
Western Hemisphere/Canada
Western Hemisphere/Latin America (Top)
Language Requirements Before graduation, M.A. candidates must pass examinations (reading, listening, speaking and, in some cases, writing) to show proficiency in one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, English (non-native English speakers), French, German, Hindi-Urdu, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian (Farsi), Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai or Vietnamese. Regional studies programs may require a proficiency examinations in a language specific to that region. Click HERE to see languages required by concentration. Those that are not native speakers of English must pass the English placement exam, even if using a different language for proficiency. Click HERE for more information on the English placement exam. (Top)
Core Requirements All M.A. candidates at SAIS must pass either an examination or a class in at least two of these four core subjects:
- American Foreign Policy Since World War II
- Comparative National Systems
- Evolution of the International System
- Theories of International Relations
M.A. students are expected to pass the two required core exams by the beginning of their final semester. Certain programs require specific core exams be completed prior to the start of their�third semester. Consult program requirements for core deadlines. Students should check their program requirements carefully in planning which core exams to take. No M.A. candidate is permitted to take the oral exam until core requirements have been met. Core exams are given four times a year�in September, December, January and April/May. In some cases, two versions of the exam are offered. Consult the Registrar's section of the SAIS Web site for the most current information on the dates of exam offerings and the versions offered. Syllabi for the core exams can be obtained on the Academic Affairs section of the Web site. The failure of a core exam is not officially recorded when no course credit is involved. Although students are required to complete core exams prior to their fourth and/or final semester, they are strongly encouraged to fulfill both core requirements by the beginning of their third semester. Students who fail to pass or fulfill a core exam requirement by the beginning of their final semester will be required to register for the core course for credit. Core exams that are not taken for credit are also graded. Passing grades of B- and higher will appear on the student's transcript, but will not count toward GPA calculations. Students have the option of taking the exam a second time for a higher grade that then replaces the lower grade on the transcript. Students who fail a core exam twice will be required to take the core course for credit. In that situation, the only recorded grade will be the grade received in the class. (Top)
Total Course Requirements SAIS M.A. Students must earn passing grades in 16 non-language, credi courses (14 or 12 for students with dual-degree status or advanced standing). The lowest passing grade at SAIS is a B-. (Top)
English Placement Requirements In addition to the TOEFL or IELTS exams required for admission, all international students need to take an English placement exam to determine whether they need further training to succeed in their studies at SAIS. The test is administered during orientation and at the beginning of the academic term. Students who do not pass the first semester English placement exam will be required to take English classes during their tenure at SAIS and may be asked to reduce the number of non-language courses taken per semester. An international student who studied at least the last three full years of high school in a U.S. accredited high school may request an exemption for the first-semester English placement exam requirement. To be exempted, students must provide a letter from their school stating the number of years/semesters they attended the school as well as the name of the school's accreditation agency. Graduates of American schools abroad also need to provide this information. Check the Admissions section of the SAIS Web site for a list of SAIS-recognized accreditation agencies. Students who have attended a school affiliated with the British system and who have passed their British A-level exams can use these test results to demonstrate having studied high school courses in English and as grounds for exemption from the first semester English placement exam requirement. For specific information and details on language qualification examinations, view the Language Studies Program Web site. (Top)
Concentration Capstone Requirements All M.A. students are required to complete a capstone in order to graduate. This is an integrative project or experience within the non-economics concentration and requires an assessment. It is at the discretion of program directors to determine what constitutes a capstone. Generally, a capstone should be completed in a student's second year. If the capstone occurred during the first year, the final outcome/product should be submitted in the second year and should be integrative in nature. Some programs may choose to allow the M.A. Oral Exam, to compete for honors, as one of the capstone options. For more information, visit the individual program sites. (Top) | 
