Master of Arts in International Political Economy

TOOLS FOR THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION

Analytical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives on World Politics and Economics

Globalization and the increased interconnectedness between politics, economics, and policy require a new set of specialized educational tools. The four-semester Master of Arts in International Political Economy (MAIPE) program prepares students from the United States and around the world to analyze the complex interactions between political and economic trends, both domestically and at the international level. This program provides the analytical tools and contextual background that prepares students for the challenges of competition in market economies around the globe. The MAIPE program is also ideal for students who may be interested in subsequent pursuit of the Ph.D. degree, since the foundations laid in this program allow full transfer of credits toward the doctorate.
 An Analytical and Interdisciplinary Approach to World Politics

The MAIPE degree program takes advantage of the high level of curricular integration between the departments of Economics and of Politics and Policy. Graduates will be trained in the analytical tools most frequently in demand for analyzing trends and issues in the international political economy. Students develop basic skills in microeconomics and macroeconomics while mastering the major conceptual approaches to world politics and international political economy. Students focusing on international economics usually emphasize formal models and econometrics in their methodological training, while those primarily interested in politics emphasize decision theory and statistics. All students are encouraged to develop the sophisticated computer skills most useful in applied situations.

In addition to the development of analytical tools, students choose fields of study in the substantive areas where politics and economics overlap. Possible emphases include international trade, economic growth, money and finance, regional integration, international regimes and negotiations, globalization, foreign investment, and the economic determinants of regime changes. Students may also choose to emphasize particular regions of the world such as Latin America, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, Africa, or Europe.
A Choice of Careers

Graduates holding the MAIPE degree have many career options. Those choosing professional careers will find that their grounding in analytical techniques opens doors in both private and public sectors. Recent graduates have found employment in consulting firms, international organizations, nonprofit organizations, and the United States government. They also serve as analysts and managers in large corporations. Average salaries are competitive with those attained by economists.

Other students in this program have chosen to continue their studies at the Ph.D. level. Completion of a doctoral degree with a focus on international political economy opens the door to both academic employment and to challenging opportunities in the public and private sectors.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
 

The M.A. in International Political Economy (MAIPE) is a 48-unit degree program that prepares students to analyze the complex interactions between political and economic trends, both domestically and at the international level. This program provides the analytical tools and contextual background that prepares students for the challenges of competition in market economies around the globe. The MAIPE program is also ideal for students who may be interested in subsequent pursuit of the Ph.D degree, since the foundations laid in this program allow full transfer of credits toward the doctorate.
CORE COURSE REQUIREMENT (8 units)

Choose two (2) courses from the following list:

• PP352 Comparative Political Economy
• PP411 International Political Economy
• SPE360 American Political Economy
  
  RESEARCH TOOLS (12 units)

• Choose three (3) courses from the following list:
  
  Sequence 1
• PP482 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
• PP487 Applied Data Analysis, OR
• PP488  Bayesian Methods, OR
• PP489 Multilevel Modeling
  
  Sequence 2
• ECON308  Mathematics for Economists
• ECON381  Econometrics I
• ECON382  Econometrics II OR ECON383  Econometrics III
  
  FORMAL & ECONOMIC BACKGROUND (8 UNITS)
• SPE315 Game Theory, AND
  
  Choose one (1) of the following courses:
• PP354 Political Risk Analysis
• ECON302 Macroeconomic Analysis
• ECON313 Microeconomic Analysis  
• SPE410 Foundations of Political Economy  
• SPE471 Strategic Modeling for Politics, Economics & Business
  
  TRACK 1: APPLIED POLITICAL ECONOMY (20 UNITS)
  
  Core Course Requirement:
• PP373 The Domestic Politics of Foreign Economic Policy
• PP418  Seminar in International Political Economy
  
  Choose two (2) courses from the following list:
• PP371 Globalization & Diversity
• PP408  Seminar in World Politics
• PP412 Regional Integration
• PP419  Seminar in International Political Economy
• ECON172 Environmental Economics
• ECON235 Money and Banking
• ECON247 International Trade Theory and Social Inquiry
• SPE348 Regulatory Policy
• SPE349 Energy and Environmental Policy
  
  Choose one (1) course from the following list:
• PP361 Comparative Politics of the Middle East
• PP363 Asian Politics
• PP366 Political and Economic Development in Latin America
• PP375/POST 225 Politics of Africa
  
  TRACK 2: APPLIED AGENT-BASED POLITICAL ECONOMY (20 UNITS)
  
  Core Course Requirement:
• PP438 Dynamic Modeling Seminar in Foreign & Defense Policy
• SPE472 Complexity Theory in economics and Politics
  
  Choose Three (3) courses from the following list:
• PP447  Seminar in Social Network Analysis
• PP448  Seminar in Computational and Agent -Based Modeling
• ECON286 Public Choice
• SPE471 Strategic Modeling for Politics, Economics & Business Decisions

Contact Information:

For program inquiries
Albert Ramos
SPE Recruiter
Albert.Ramos@cgu.edu
909.607.9101

For application questions
Lesa Hiben
Admissions Coordinator
Lesa.Hiben@cgu.edu
909.621.8699