Go Further With Global Affairs At Rice
Rice’s Master of Global Affairs gives you the opportunity to study policy, economics, diplomacy, and international issues in one of the most globally connected cities in the country. Based in Houston, you’ll be surrounded by energy leaders, Fortune 500 companies, government partners, and international nonprofits working on the same challenges you’re preparing to solve.
Co-sponsored by the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and Rice’s School of Social Sciences, this two-year professional master’s program helps you connect rigorous academic training with real-world exposure, so you can turn your interest in global affairs into a career with impact.
Build Your Global Affairs Background
Explore the core courses, study areas, and applied experiences that help Rice Master of Global Affairs students build practical skills, focus their interests, and prepare for work across global policy, security, development, and international affairs.
Core
Global Systems
Build the analytical foundation to understand international politics, economics, and global challenges through real-world case studies and practical global affairs tools.
Institutions & Development
Explore how countries develop and change by examining poverty, well-being, institutions, and real-world development challenges through policy, economic, political, and social analysis.
Decision Making Under Uncertainty
Explore how global leaders make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty, and examine why some foreign policy choices succeed while others lead to costly mistakes.
Issues In Contemporary US Foreign Policy
Examine today’s most urgent U.S. foreign policy challenges, from China and Russia to the Middle East, Ukraine, Taiwan, and the shifting balance of global power.
Quantitative Applications In Global Affairs
Apply quantitative research methods to real policy questions in global affairs, including comparative policymaking, political economy, and security.
Macroeconomics In A Global Economy
Build a foundation in macroeconomic analysis by examining how labor, capital, and goods markets shape output, employment, prices, and international economic policy.
International Security
Examine today’s security challenges, from great-power competition and U.S. security policy to terrorism, civil war, humanitarian intervention, and other emerging global threats.
Study Areas
International Political Economy
Explore how governments, markets, and global institutions shape the world economy, from trade and finance to energy, taxation, development, health, and the environment.
International Security
Study the forces that shape global stability, including war, terrorism, civil conflict, cybersecurity, military power, and international cooperation.
International Political Development
Examine how governments and societies change over time, including democracy, modernization, political reform, elections, representation, migration, and regional transformation.
Experience
Graduate Field Internship
Gain hands-on experience through an internship with an international organization, government agency, nonprofit, embassy, commission, or private-sector partner. This field experience helps you build your professional network, apply what you’ve learned, and explore career paths in global affairs.
Capstone Course
Bring your learning together through a final project focused on a real-world policy challenge. You’ll use your internship experience, area of study, and analytical skills to investigate an issue and develop practical, policy-based recommendations.
Diplomatic Immersion
First year Rice MGA students partner with the Houston Consular Corps for a two-part program that blends high-impact mentoring with real-world immersion and insight to the world of diplomacy. Students work with among a rotation of a local Consular Corps Head of Mission to learn about policy areas important to the mission. Participants divide into teams and present briefs to a jury of consular members with an opportunity to receive feedback.
International Masterclass
Eligible second year Rice MGA students are invited to participate in a one-week Global Negotiation Masterclass abroad that offers immersive workshops, site visits, expert discussions, and concludes with a hands-on negotiation simulation focused on solving contemporary policy challenges
Alumni Spotlight
Angel Smith ' 22
Associate Director
Fulbright Independent Researcher for Fulbright Awards
Fulbright Awards (a US Department of State program)
Building a Career Across Climate, Energy, and Policy
Angel Smith ’22 used Rice’s Master of Global Affairs program to strengthen her research, public speaking, Arabic language skills, and global policy perspective.
Her experience helped lead to opportunities with the Critical Language Scholarship, Boren Fellowship, Fulbright Program, and ExxonMobil’s Low Carbon Solutions business.
Read Angel’s story to see how Rice helped her build a career at the intersection of climate, energy, policy, and international development.
