Master in International Affairs

Master in
International Affairs - MIA

Master in International Affairs - MIA

Application Date: 1 Aug - 15 Dec every year
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Graduation Requirements

This curriculum applies to students admitted from AY2024/2025 cohort onwards. MIA students are required to read 64 units* and achieve a Grade Point Average (GPA) of minimum 3.0 to graduate. You need to complete the following:

5 Core Courses

5 Specialisation Elective Courses

3 Elective Courses
1 Restricted Elective

Master Thesis / Capstone Project / White Paper

*The 64 units is inclusive of the 20 units of core courses or equivalent and 4 units of a Restricted Elective, and where 8 units of electives can be at undergraduate Level 3000 or Level 4000.

You may opt to graduate without a specialisation. Student may choose one of the following areas for specialisation:

Semester 1 (August - December)
PP5901 \| International Relations: Theory and Practice	4 units
PP5904 \| Research Methods in International Affairs	4 units
PP5914 \| Global Politics and the Economy	4 units
*Elective 1	4 units
Semester 2 (January - May)
PP5913 \| Comparative Politics	4 units
PP5915 \| International Relations of Asia	4 units
*Elective 2	4 units
*Elective 3	4 units
*Refers to specialisation electives, restricted elective, or free electives. Specialisation is not mandatory. If you choose not to specialise, you may choose any electives that are offered in the semester. Click here to learn more about the core courses. Please click here for the electives available at LKYSPP.

Semester 1 (August - December)
MIA Capstone Paper Project/Thesis or White Paper	8 units
*Elective 4	4 units
*Elective 5	4 units
*Elective 6	4 units
Semester 2 (January - May)
MIA Capstone Paper Project/Thesis or White Paper (cont’d)
*Elective 7	4 units
*Elective 8	4 units
*Elective 9	4 units
*Refers to specialisation electives, restricted elective, or free electives. Specialisation is not mandatory. If you choose not to specialise, you may choose any electives that are offered in the semester. Click here to learn more about the core courses. Please click here for the electives available at LKYSPP.

MIA students may also take the following electives from the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences as their specialisation:

Politics, International Relations and Law	International Security	International Economics and Development	Regional Studies: The Asia Pacific	International Public Management and Leadership	Energy, Environment and Water
LL5050V Public International Law	LL5286V Transnational Terrorism and International Law	LL5278V Trade and Investment Law in the Asia-Pacific	LL5003V China, India, and International Law	LL5050V Public International Law	LL5031V International Environmental Law & Policy
LL5109V International Law and Asia			LL5109V International Law and Asia	LL5308V Behavioural Economics, Law & Regulation	SE5294 The Politics of Environment in Southeast Asia
LL5133V Human Rights in Asia			SE5151 Approaches to the Study of Southeast Asia
LL5251V International Humanitarian Law			SE5233 Economies of Southeast Asia
LL5285V International Dispute Settlement			SE5294 The Politics of Environment in Southeast Asia
LL5286V Transnational Terrorism and International Law
LL5287V ASEAN Law and Policy
LL5308V Behavioural Economics, Law & Regulation

Please click here for Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences module description.

Please click here for Faculty of Law module description.

What you gain from the MIA programme

You gain a keen working knowledge and deep understanding of issues, theories and debates in International Affairs
You hone a critical awareness of the strengths and limitations of each International Affairs subfield, and learn to make sense of its complexities
You learn to apply key theories and analytical tools to devise solutions for complex problems
You learn cross-cultural and decision making skills to make practical judgements that are balanced by theoretical, analytical and ethical considerations
You gain the confidence to provoke and effect positive transformations in the world, solving problems in ways that are constructive, imaginative, analytically sound, practically feasible and culturally sensible
You acquire a deep, nuanced understanding of Asia and its place in the world

Continuation and Termination

A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 for two consecutive semesters or 3.0 for three consecutive semesters is required. Students who fail to maintain the minimum GPA would have his/her candidature terminated.

Internship & Career Preparation

Career Preparation for MIA Students

At the LKY School, we provide students with the tools, guidance and opportunities that will enable them to win the jobs or promotions they seek and chart their paths to career success. Discover the many career services and resources you can tap on during your course of study at the LKY School.

Career Coaching

MIA students have access to dedicated career advisors who can help them with career planning, job search skills and strategies, CV/resume writing, mock interviews, etc. These consultations can take place remotely or in-person at the Bukit Timah Campus. MIA students also have access to Career Advisors at NUS' Centre for Future-ready Graduates by logging in to NUS Talent Connect to book an appointment at the Kent Ridge Campus.

Career Clinics

Career Clinics is a specially curated programme exclusively for MIA students, comprising skills workshop, site visits and career talks featuring organisations working in International Affairs. Through the Career Clinics, you will have an opportunity to expand your network, gather insights from practitioners, and get to know prospective employers better.

Past Career Clinics include:

Asia Europe Foundation
European Union Centre, Singapore
Interpol Global Complex for Innovation
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)- Yusof Ishak Institute

Alumni Connects

Alumni give the best advice! MIA students are part of a community of more than 3000 LKY School alumni from over 90 countries. We encourage and facilitate student interactions with alumni from all programmes through events and virtual connections.

In addition, MIA students also have access to career resources that are available to all LKYSPP students and all NUS students.

Internships

Students who enrolled in the MIA programme can choose between an MIA Internship Capstone, a Master Thesis or a White Paper.

The MIA Internship Capstone is a self-sourced internship-based project that culminates in a paper on an international issue or challenge that the student worked on or observed during the internship. Students usually do these internships during the vacation period between the first and second year of the MIA programme, full-time for at least two months. Students will be allocated a faculty advisor who will guide them on their internship capstone.

Some organisations who have hired MIA interns

Asian Development Bank
China-Italy Chamber of Commerce
Control Risks Group
German Development Institute
Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses
International Cooperation Centre, National Development and Reform Commission
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS),
Meituan-Dianping
Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

What Can You Do
With an MIA Degree?

Are you pondering over what can you do with a Master in International Affairs? Our MIA alumni have gone on to pursue meaningful careers in a variety of roles and industries across Asia. Equipped with international perspectives and a nuanced understanding of Asia, our students go on to be leaders in their respective fields – read on to hear some of their stories.

Prior to enrolling in LKYSPP, Jessica had worked as an Associate Producer at CNBC International in Singapore. After completing the MIA programme, Jessica joined Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) as an Assistant Director, ASEAN. Her work focuses on Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand. She was involved in SIIA’s report on The Sino-American Conflict & ASEAN. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies, Broadcast & Cinema Studies from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.