Thursday 22 August 2013

Academics: SAIS's partnerships offer winning combinations

SAIS recognizes that it is not the only academic game in town.

Our students have wide-ranging interests and career aspirations. So it's no wonder that SAIS has agreements with a number of leading institutions allowing students to earn two degrees in complementary fields in less time than it would take to pursue the programs separately.

About 10% of SAIS students pursue dual degree programs in business, law, public administration and public health.

SAIS Europe has special dual degree agreements with three European partners:

  • University of Bologna
  • Diplomatic Academy (Vienna, Austria)
  • Sciences Po Lille (France)

Each of the agreements allows a student to spend one year at one of the partner programs and one year at SAIS Europe in Bologna and to earn two degrees.

If a student from one of these partner programs spends their second year of study at SAIS Europe, they write a 20,000-word thesis in the second semester in lieu of two courses. This can be particularly attractive to someone interested in research. These students end up getting a Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) from SAIS Europe.

For more information on SAIS Europe's dual degree options, see pages 20-22 of our 2013-14 catalog.

SAIS has dual degree agreements with seven other universities that allow students to split their time between Bologna and Washington, DC while at SAIS:

  • INSEAD
  • Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Tuck School, Dartmouth College
  • Stanford University Law School
  • University of Virginia Law School
  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University

Dual-degree students typically receive one semester of credit at SAIS in exchange for work done at the partner institution, and vice versa. So dual degree candidates save time -- and therefore money -- compared to what they would spend pursuing the degrees separately.

Students can create ad hoc dual degree agreements with other prominent universities.

Daniel Anderson, a dual degree student who studied at SAIS and Wharton, said he was particularly interested in learning about economic growth and private sector development in emerging markets.
"The SAIS International Development Program is well tailored to this interest, providing an in-depth perspective on how economics and government policy impact private sector growth in developing countries," Anderson said.
For more information on the dual degree options, consult our website.

Nelson Graves