Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is dedicated to advancing human progress and improving the human condition through rigorous and creative undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; pathbreaking research; and active engagement in innovative initiatives that apply this education and knowledge to make a real-world difference in the critical challenges humanity faces.

The Pardee School approach to education and research transcends the boundaries that separate academic departments and programs. Our research and education weave together the strands of social science, natural science, humanities methods, and insights to create more integrated knowledge. Our education aims to produce globally competent citizens in all walks of life and professional specialists and leaders in international affairs. Our work is academic and engaged, grounded in a deep understanding of the past, a rigorous analysis of the present, and an unwavering commitment to a better future.

The Pardee School offers undergraduate majors and minors through the College of Arts & Sciences and graduate degrees and certificates through the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Degree Programs

The Pardee School is a substantial and diverse center of global and international education within a liberal arts and sciences framework, offering one of the premier graduate international affairs programs in the United States. Pardee School degree programs offer a special blend of academic and practical applications, a deep commitment to interdisciplinarity, opportunities for serious study of relevant languages and study abroad, and a multidisciplinary curriculum that enhances students’ holistic knowledge of global and transnational affairs.

Undergraduates in the Pardee School include students enrolled for the BA in the College of Arts & Sciences who choose to pursue any of the school’s five majors: International Relations with a variety of emphases, Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies, or Middle East & North Africa Studies. Pardee minors are also available to all Boston University undergraduates in the aforementioned areas and in African Languages & Literatures, African Studies, Muslim Societies, and Muslim Cultures.

The school’s graduate program offers five graduate degrees, two dual-degree programs, and five certificates under the auspices of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Students can choose from MA degree programs in International Affairs, Global Policy, Latin American Studies, International Relations (for those with three or more years of relevant experience), or the Bachelor of Arts in International Relations/Master of Arts in International Affairs. In addition to core classes, students choose a functional specialization, allowing them to develop in-depth knowledge in their chosen specialty. Or they can pursue one of two dual degree programs combining the MA in International Relations with the Master of Business Administration or the Juris Doctor. Certificate programs are offered in African Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies, and Muslim Studies and can be completed in conjunction with graduate degrees either within the Pardee School or in other schools and departments at BU.

Accreditation and Memberships

Boston University, including the Pardee School, is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

The Pardee School is a full member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA).