The maximum number of credits a graduate student should take per semester is 12 (4 classes). In order for students to have good academic standing, they must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the course of the program.
Most Fall and Spring Semester courses meet for a total of 14 sessions for 2 hours and 40 minutes each.
Summer courses are divided into 2 sessions. Most courses meet 12 times per session – 2 times a week for 6 weeks. Each class session lasts up to 3 hours. Students are advised to take only one class per summer session. Note: In order to qualify for federal financial aid during the summer semester, students must take a minimum of 6 credits or 2 courses.
Some of our courses meet on intensive and special schedules during Fall, Spring, January Term, and Summer. These courses have been designed to meet the required number of hours to fulfill 3-credits and are announced as available.
Download the Degree Requirements Worksheet
Overview of MSGA Degree (approved as of Fall 2015)
4 Core Courses (12 Credits)
6 Concentration Courses (18 Credits) – each concentration has one required course
3 Electives (9 Credits)
1 Capstone or Thesis Project (3 Credits)
Total: 14 Courses (42 Credits)
MSGA Core Courses (All courses are required)
MSGA Core Courses are offered every semester and limited sections are often offered in summer sessions, with at least one evening section during the fall and spring semesters. International Relations and International Political Economy are not offered in the summer sessions. The Core is the foundation for the global affairs degree and careers in the field.
Core Courses
| International Relations in the Post Cold War Era | GLOB1-GC 1000 |
| International Political Economy | GLOB1-GC 1030 |
| International Law | GLOB1-GC 1040 |
| Analytical Skills for Global Affairs | GLOB1-GC 3035 |
MSGA Concentration Courses (6 required)
A minimum of 6 courses or 18 credits are required in your chosen concentration. In addition to the courses specified below by concentration, Global Field Intensive courses can be applied towards any concentration, upon successful application and approval. A solid research argument must be made in the proposal/application statement; information about Global Field Intensives can be found on the academic website and this information is updated throughout the academic year.
Use the comprehensive course list to help you with planning.
Most concentrations have a non-core prerequisite. See the chart below.
| Concentration | Required Concentration Course | Semester Typically Offered |
| International Relations/Global Futures | The Future of International Relations / GLOB1-GC 2045 | Spring |
| Transnational Security | Transnational Security / GLOB1-GC 2000 | Fall & Spring |
| Global Economy | Fundamentals of Corporate Finance / GLOB1-GC 2295
Alternative: GLOB1-GC 2130 Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Purpose-driven Leadership in the 21st Century (offered in Fall) |
Spring
|
| International Development & Humanitarian Assistance | Developing Countries in the Global Economy / GLOB1-GC 1020 | Fall & Spring |
| Environment/Energy Policy | Energy & the Environment / GLOB1-GC 2430
(Alternative: GLOB1-GC 2405 Energy, Environment and Resource Security) |
Fall
|
| Human Rights & International Law | International Human Rights / GLOB1-GC 2240 | Spring |
| Peacebuilding | Peacemaking and Peacebuilding / GLOB1-GC 1010 | Fall & Spring |
| Global Gender Studies | Gender and International Affairs / GLOB1-GC 2340 | Fall |
Electives
A student is required to take 3 courses or 9 general elective credits. The elective requirement may be fulfilled by any course within the MSGA curriculum including Global Field Intensives and Regional Study courses, or 2 other courses through another NYU graduate program such as Wagner, Stern, or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Non-MSGA courses can only be applied toward general elective requirements and transfer credits must be pre-approved by department administration. Students must follow specific NYU school cross-registration procedures.
MSGA Regional Study Courses
Regional courses count as electives. One regional course can be used to fulfill a concentration requirement if the student produces written work that is relevant to his or her concentration. Note: MSGA Regional Study Courses are offered in alternating semesters whenever possible.
| From the Mughals to Modernity: India’s Democracy and Its Discontents |
GLOB1-GC 1060 |
| Inside Latin America | GLOB1-GC 1100 |
| Europe in the 21st Century | GLOB1-GC 1105 |
| Inside Africa Today | GLOB1-GC 1110 |
| Asia Today: An Introduction | GLOB1-GC 1115 |
| A Global Context: Transformation in Central Asia | GLOB1-GC 1125 |
| Russia and the World | GLOB1-GC 1130 |
| National Security, Politics, and Society: The Middle East | GLOB1-GC 1135 |
| Vietnam and ASEAN at the Vortex of Geopolitics and the World Economy in the 21st Century | GLOB1-GC 1140
|