complete master’s degree options in as few as 12 months
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Explore Master’s Degrees
Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
Prepare to lead positive change through a rigorous yet efficient array of skills-building courses.
- On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
- 40 credits plus optional internships
- Complete full-time in 12 to 18 months
Executive Master of Public Administration—On Campus or Online
Fill gaps in your knowledge with a program tailored to your career goals—five to seven years of experience required. An online option for working professionals provides added flexibility.
- Online or on campus in Syracuse, N.Y., options (separate programs)
- 30 credits
- Complete part- or full-time in as few as 12 to 15 months
International Relations
Master of Arts in International Relations
Satisfy your curiosity about the world, and develop skills and knowledge to change it for the better.
- On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
- 40 credits with a required global internship
- Required career track selection to focus your studies
- Complete full-time in 18 months
Master of Arts in Public Diplomacy and Global Communications
Prepare to drive change in a range of international contexts through effective public and interpersonal communications. One powerful degree, two schools: the Maxwell School and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
- On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y., and Washington, D.C.
- 43 credits with a required global internship
- Complete full-time in 18 months
Executive Master's in International Relations
Improve your leadership and management skills and global affairs knowledge—seven years of experience required.
- On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
- 30 credits
- Complete on a part- or full-time basis
Executive Master’s in International Relations in D.C.
Leverage the combined experience, knowledge and networks of two top-ranked institutions—the Maxwell School and the Center for Strategic and International Studies—and earn your degree while you work in D.C. Seven years of experience required.
- On campus, in Washington, D.C.
- 30 credits
- Complete part-time in as few as 18 to 20 months
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Doctoral Program
PhD in Public Administration
Educate the next generation of public service leaders and conduct research that moves the field of public administration and policy analysis forward.
- On campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.
- 72 credits (36 credits beyond the M.A.)
- Full-time residential program, typically completed in 4.5 years
Department Admission Events
We offer a range of in-person and virtual opportunities to learn more about the Maxwell School and degree programs offered by the Public Administration and International Affairs Department, answer questions about the application process, and help you work toward your goals.
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Our D.C. headquarters at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, top-ranked by the Global Go To Think Tank Index, gives students access to leading minds in the world of policy and international affairs, competitive internships, employment opportunities and a deeply engaged network of D.C.-based alumni.
Need a midcareer boost? Explore our Certificates of Advanced Study
We offer a variety of regional, topical and skills-based Certificates of Advanced Study (CAS) to help you focus and refine your expertise. Some CAS can be earned as part of a master's program while others can be earned independent of a degree. Learn to use data to formulate and analyze policy, deepen your knowledge of effective public management practices, develop techniques to promote collaboration and resolve conflicts, broaden your expertise in a specific region of the world, and more.
![PAIA students gathered in conference room](/images/default-source/callouts-1-1/cas-students-library560.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=7a7cc755_3)
Human Rights Crimes Advisor Gains Critical Skills in Executive Master's in IR Program in DC
December 6, 2022
As a high school senior in suburban Syracuse, Heather Fischer took her first Maxwell School course in public affairs through a program called Project Advance. Today, she is enrolled in Maxwell’s executive master’s in international relations program in Washington, D.C., studying to gain a policy perspective to underpin her professional work fighting human trafficking and other human rights crimes in the national security space.
![Heather Fischer Capitol](/images/default-source/news/heather-fischer-400x300px.jpg?sfvrsn=eed5c7d7_1)
Fischer is senior advisor for human rights crimes at Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS), where she advises the company strategy to use data for good. Through federal contract work, TRSS helps inform U.S. government efforts to combat human trafficking, safeguard children from online sexual exploitation, pursue human rights violators, and promote women, peace and security.
“Holding perpetrators accountable and being a part of securing justice for victims and survivors of human rights crimes is about the most rewarding work I can think of,” says Fischer. “Seeing the resiliency and courage in some of the survivors I’ve had the privilege of working with is what fuels me.”
Fischer began that work at Love146, a nonprofit that combats child sex and labor trafficking worldwide. She gained the notice of Ambassador Cindy McCain, who subsequently enlisted her to serve as program manager at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University. That position led to roles as special advisor for human trafficking at both the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Justice, before Fischer was tapped by the Trump administration to serve as the first White House special advisor or “czar” for human trafficking.
“Suddenly, my issue, which was known but not well understood to most, became a top priority on the platforms of the nation’s leaders,” she says.
She’s hoping her master’s degree will provide valuable theory to guide her decision making. “Obviously, my time in government provided valuable public affairs experience, but I was really thrown into the deep end of the pool,” she says. “When I saw Syracuse was offering an executive master’s program in conjunction with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, I knew this would be a great opportunity to work on the theory around the intersection of national security and human rights.”
It has been even more valuable than anticipated. She says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs, and faculty “have taken me under their wing and encouraged and challenged me to stay in the arena in Washington, D.C., and continue to be a leader.”
“The Maxwell School has provided me with a network of support that I didn’t even know I needed,” she adds. “The experience has been priceless.”
By Renée Gearhart Levy
Published in the Fall 2022 issue of the Maxwell Perspective
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