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Joint Degree in Planning and International Affairs

In order to better prepare students for overlapping careers in Planning and International Affairs a joint degree program is established through which a student may earn the degrees of Master of Science in Planning (M.S.P.) and Master of Science in International Affairs.

The student will complete all requirements for the MSP degree and the MA/MS in International Affairs except as noted below. The program will consist of a minimum of 67 hours.

All students complete an internship of 10 weeks full-time (or part-time equivalent) in a planning or international affairs related agency or organization. The internship should have planning or public policy-related content. This may be a paid or unpaid position; in practice, however, they are usually paid. The intent of the internship is to give students a unique learning opportunity, allowing them to put many of the concepts and methods learned in the classroom into practice in a realistic professional setting. The internship also serves to help students focus their interest area and course work for the remainder of their studies, and provides a maturity gained from relevant work experience. Typically, the internship is completed during the summer between the first and second year of study. Many students, however, fulfill this requirement through part-time employment during the school year. Students are not limited to the local area alone for a position. Internships must be approved by the student's advisor.

Students in this program will NOT have the option of completing comprehensive exams, but must choose either a research paper, thesis, or international studio. For the research paper and thesis options, a faculty member from each program (IA and DURP) must be included on the advisory committee.

For a digital copy of the foldout brochure the department makes available to prospective students, click here .