Master of Arts

The M.A. in International Studies prepares students for careers in the private as well as the public sectors, including international business and both national and global governing institutions or NGOs. It is also open to students interested in academic and research-oriented careers.

Eligibility

The M.A. program is open to students who fulfill the IU Graduate School Admission Requirements, in addition to the following:

  • a minimum of a 3.3 grade point average (GPA) for B.A. course work.
  • language eligibility requirements can be met in the following ways:
    1. The undergraduate record must show completion of at least two years of any single foreign language at the college level.
    2. Equivalent mastery of a foreign language must be demonstrated through a proficiency exam.
    3. If you do not meet these requirements, you will need to undertake further advanced language training to complete the Masters degree.

Deadlines

Application Deadline for Fall 2025 (domestic applications)

January 1, 2025

Application Deadline for Fall 2025 (international applications)

December 1, 2024

Degree requirements

There are 36 credit hours (minimum) of graduate coursework for the M.A. portion of the degree. Please refer to the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Bulletin for more information.

Please refer to the graduate bulletin for requirement details.

MA Degree Map

Application requirements

A fully completed application will include your:

  • Graduate School Application for Admission and Financial Aid
  • Official final transcripts from each college or university you've attended.
  • Resume/CV
  • Statement of interest indicating motivations for wishing to pursue the M.A. program (1-2 pages).
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • TOEFL exam (for international applicants.)1
  • Evidence of foreign language proficiency (four semesters on transcript or proficiency exam)

    [1] If the graduate applicant's native language is not English, the College requires a score of at least 79 on the TOEFL iBT (delivered via the internet). Please note that the paper-based TOEFL ITP exam – sometimes called the institutional TOEFL – offered by the Intensive English Program on the Bloomington campus, cannot be used in place of the TOEFL iBT. Alternatively, an international applicant may submit the result of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination in lieu of the TOEFL iBT. The College requires a score of at least 6.5 on the IELTS for graduate admission.

Want to learn more?

Contact the HLS grad office

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