Human Security Concentration

Because the globalization process has made the world seem exponentially smaller, threats from tsunamis, earthquakes, disease and starvation are arriving faster and in more dramatic fashion than ever before. One of the most innovative, forward-thinking disciplines in international affairs today, the human security major covers a wide swath of issues critical to the safety of people worldwide.

Our Human Security program, one of the first of its kind in the United States, emphasizes the development of peacekeeping and peace-building skills. Students study threats to individuals from nongovernmental, nonmilitary sources. Examples of threats include civil wars, international migration and crime, global climate changes and natural disasters. We teach students to focus on the human condition as a planet, resulting in a new generation of leaders able to guide our global community through some of the most perilous times it has ever experienced.

Download Plan of Study »

Download Plan of Study beginning Fall 2025 »

GSPIA Core Classes (12 credits)

    Quantitative Methods
    Macroeconomics
OR
    Microeconomics
    Public Policy Seminar
    Capstone Seminar
OR
    Thesis
Internship Requirement: All students must complete an approved internship of at least 300 hours while enrolled at GSPIA. The internship must be approved by the student’s career advisor in advance. Students with at least three years of relevant full‐time work experience may petition their career advisor for a waiver of this requirement during their first semester.

MPIA Degree Core (6 credits)

    International Affairs
    Human Security

Human Security Major Courses (12 credits)

PIA 2--- Human Security Major Course
PIA 2--- Human Security Major Course
PIA 2--- Human Security Major Course
PIA 2--- Human Security Major Course

Free Elective/Minor Courses (18 credits)

PIA--- Elective/minor course
PIA--- Elective/minor course
PIA--- Elective/minor course
PIA--- Elective
PIA--- Elective