Friday, December 12, 2014

Adding breadth to the SAIS degree

SAIS offers a smörgåsbord of courses. 

Those who take the MA program, one of the several degrees offered at SAIS, pursue a concentration and specialize in an area of their interest. They can choose from regional or policy concentrations and, in some cases, combine the two.

SAIS offers a multi-disciplinary curriculum and students are encouraged to take courses outside of their concentrations.

Most concentrations leave room for several electives, which enable students to take courses across different disciplines.

These courses and professors have such an impact on students because they give insight into topics they may not have previously considered and illustrate that in the field of international relations, everything is related.

Below a few students talk about the courses they are taking outside of their concentrations.

Chelsea Boorman - American Foreign Policy
Though I'm an American Foreign Policy concentrator, I enrolled in Mark Gilbert's course on European Imperialism in the 20th Century. 

In taking the course I realized that without understanding colonial history, it's impossible to understand how the current global political system of states functions. 

The course has given me a new way of thinking about the world -- both in the past and in the present -- and in touching on Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, in addition to themes of conflict, strategy, and history, it's given me a new lens to approach U.S. foreign policy.

Ana Rasmussen - Energy, Resources and Environment
I decided to take Erik Jones's West European Political Economies course because I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to study European politics and economics while living in Europe.
SAIS students in Florence with Professor Cavina

As the semester progressed, it became clear that issues of energy, politics, and economics are inextricably linked. This was especially apparent in the cases of oil and power generation and the impact they have on policy making in a globalized economy.

Cara Bragg - Conflict Management
I enrolled in Anna Cavina's Italian Art History & Culture class

It was wonderful to have a change of pace from the traditional SAIS coursework, and being able to witness some of the history and iconic art of the country made me feel more a part of Italy. 

Together with in-class lectures, the walking tours in Bologna and day trips to Florence and Ravenna offered an opportunity to discover some of the great treasures of these cities that I might not have found on my own. 

And to top it off, Professor Cavina invited us to her home for a true cultural experience -- an Italian feast shared among friends.

Amina Abdiuahab

1 comment:

Friv 2015 said...

a great architecture

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