The School of International Service was established in 1957 and has an alumni network of over 20,000. SIS enrolls more than 3,000 students from over 150 countries.[1][2] The school makes extensive use of the academic and governmental resources offered by its location in Washington, D.C. The School of International Service consistently ranks highly among international relations programs.[3][4] SIS is a member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs.[5] SIS also has partnerships with schools such as the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
The founding of schools of international affairs was urged by PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower during the height of the Cold War. His initiative called together thirteen University presidents, including AU's Hurst Robins Anderson, encouraging them to create human-focused international affairs programs dedicated to preparing practitioners for foreign policy beyond the U.S.–Soviet rivalry.[citation needed] In response, SIS was founded with the mission to establish a school based on service to the global community. In 1958, the school admitted its first full-time class, replacing AU's Department of International Relations. The class consisted of 85 students representing 36 countries.
In 1967, SIS added its International Communications program, the first such program offered by an American university. In 1981 SIS inaugurated the Ibn KhaldunChairofIslamic Studies to address concerns that American universities lacked an appropriate venue for exploring the greater Muslim-Western understanding. In the 1990s, SIS established dual degree programs with Ritsumeikan UniversityinKyoto, Japan and Korea UniversityinSeoul, Korea. In 1991, SIS added the Center for the Global South, followed in 1995 by the addition of the Mohammed Said Farsi Chair in Islamic Peace, and in 2000 with a joint program on National Resources and Sustainable Development with the United Nations University for Peace. New degree options implemented in 2010 include the Global Scholars Program, a concentrated three-year B.A. program, an M.A. program in Social Enterprise, and, in partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps, a Master's International degree combining a Peace Corps assignment with SIS academic work.
In 2004, plans were initiated for a new, 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2), academic building designed by architect William McDonough, which was completed in spring 2010. It is a LEED Gold-certified building, featuring 3,230 square feet (300 m2) of photovoltaic solar panels, low-flow faucets to reduce water consumption, and three solar water heating systems.
The School of International Service offers a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. The school also allows undergraduate students to earn a minor in International Studies as well as undergraduate certificates in either European Studies and International Studies.
Master of Arts in International Affairs (with a concentration in Comparative and Regional Studies; Global Governance, Politics, and Security; International Economic Relations; Natural Resources and Sustainable Development; or United States Foreign Policy and National Security)
Master of Arts in International Affairs Policy and Analysis
Master of Arts in Intercultural and International Communication
Dual Master of Arts in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (with the University for Peace)
The school also has programs with Ritsumeikan University, Korea University, and Sookmyung University. Information on dual-degree, semester, or summer/intersession study abroad programs are available on the Office of International Programs website.
The Ph.D. program in International Relations at SIS prepares students for careers as teachers and scholars at universities and research institutes in the private and public sectors. Ph.D. field concentrations include Development Studies; Global Environment; Global Governance & International Organizations; Peace & Conflict Resolution; Political Violence; Security; Technology, Culture & Social Change; and United States Foreign Policy and National Security.
In this program, experienced international affairs professionals are able to broaden their knowledge, enhance their intellectual development, expand their professional effectiveness, and strengthen their international leadership skills and knowledge.[citation needed]
One can construct an individually tailored program of study from among the school's eight disciplines:
American University's School of International Service offers two online international relations degrees: a Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) and an Executive Master of International Service (MIS).[8][9] The MAIR program features live online classes and five concentrations, including Global Security, International Development, and International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.[10][11] The Executive MIS degree is designed for professionals with seven or more years of experience in the fields of international affairs or international service.[12]
Susan Rice – the 24th United States National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017 during the Barack Obama administration. She was formerly a U.S. diplomat, Brookings Institution fellow, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during President Bill Clinton's second term.
Abdul Aziz Said – foreign affairs scholar specializing in diplomacy Islamic world
Cathy Schneider – author and professor of urban politics, comparative social movements, and criminal justice
Stephen Silvia – scholar of international economics, international trade relations, and comparative politics (with emphasis on Germany and United States)
Roger Tangri – British-American scholar of African politics
[Takehiko Yoshihashi ]- distinguished professor in the original faculty in 1958. A Nisei born to a Samurai family. Taught international politics to undergraduates. A Christian, he would have been dean of the SIS but for Methodist prejudice against orientals.
[Laurence Wadsworth ] a freebooting adventurer, he taught international law 1958-1968. For leisure, he road-raced an Alfa Romeo; Prof. Yoshihashi was his pit crew. He climbed the Matterhorn only to find that Dean Ernest Griffith had climbed it before him.
[Samuel L. Sharp] an irrepressible Polish emigré, ex-OSS, lawyer, journalist and linguist who taught Soviet studies and the Interwar period.
In his time the most popular member of the SIS faculty.
^"American University". US News Best Colleges 2012. U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
^"American University Profile". APSIA.org. Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA). Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
