Concentrations
Concentrations are just one feature of the MPIA program. They are intended to give Bush students more opportunities to fashion a specific program of study tailored to their needs and interests.
Definition: Concentrations are clusters of courses dealing with a common theme or topic. Most courses in MPIA modules are Bush School courses, but some include seminars offered by other departments at the University. Usually MPIA concentrations consist of five or more elective courses offered by several different faculty members. Most will be offered once each year.
Selecting Concentrations: MPIA students are under no obligation to take a concentration, but for those who do, selection should be done in consultation with the student's advisor/committee chair and should reflect the student's career plans and professional interests. Some courses may be listed as part of more than one concentration, but a student may apply a particular course to only one concentration.
Choosing Two or Three Concentrations: Assuming that a student takes the minimum of two courses for the selected concentrations, the student may elect to add a third concentration to his or her degree plan. Alternatively, a student may focus upon any one concentration and elect to take more than the minimum of two courses in the chosen field. Still another option is to take single courses as general electives from either courses offered anywhere in the Bush School or elsewhere in the University. In other words, the program is designed to permit substantial choice and flexibility. The Master in Public Service and Administration (MPSA) program also has concentrations, so MPIA students may choose one of those as well, assuming they take the necessary courses to make an integrated program.
Concentration Topics:
- International Economic Development
- International Economics
- Transfer Pricing
- American Diplomacy in World Affairs
- Defense Policy and Military Affairs
- Intelligence as an Instrument of Statecraft
- International Politics
- Regional Studies
International Economic Development
Coordinator: Professor Ren Mu
- BUSH 624: Fundamentals of Global Economic Development
- BUSH 632: Quantitative Methods II
- BUSH 689: The Political Economy of Developing Countries
- AGED 646: Institutions Serving Agriculture in Developing Nations
- BUSH 689: Micro Credit as a Tool against Poverty
International Economics
Coordinator: Professor Kishore Gawande
- BUSH 625: International Trade Policy
- BUSH 626: Balance of Payments/International Finance
- BUSH 629: Multinational Enterprises
- BUSH 632: Quantitative Methods II
- BUSH 689: Advanced Economic Development
Transfer Pricing
Coordinator: Professor Lorraine Eden
- BUSH 629: Multinational Enterprises
- BUSH 632: Quantitative Methods II
- BUSH 689: Advanced Trade Policy
- BUSH 689: Principles of Transfer Pricing
- ACCT 640: Accounting Concepts or Principles or ACCT 646: International Accounting (if student has equivalent introductory accounting 640 class already)
American Diplomacy in World Affairs
Coordinator: Professor Larry Napper
- BUSH 667: International Crisis Management
- BUSH 689: American Diplomacy
- BUSH 689: National Strategy and Contemporary Diplomacy
- BUSH 689: American Diplomatic History from Wilson to FDR
- MGMT 639: Negotiations
Defense Policy and Military Affairs
Coordinator: Professor Mike Desch
- BUSH 650: National Security Law
- BUSH 651: National Security Policy
- BUSH 654: Military Strategy in the Conduct of Nations
- BUSH 656: Fundamentals of Homeland Security
- BUSH 689: Congress and International Security
- HIST 645: Modern Military History
- SOC 689: War and Democracy
Intelligence as an Instrument of Statecraft
Coordinator: Professor Jim Olson
- BUSH 650: National Security Law
- BUSH 652: Role of Intelligence in Security Affairs
- BUSH 653: Technical Collections
- BUSH 657: Terrorism in Today's World
- BUSH 659: Transnational Security Issues
International Politics
Coordinator: Professor Chris Layne
- BUSH 607: World Cultural Geography
- BUSH 609: International Law
- BUSH 627: Great Books in World Politics
- BUSH 640: Energy Policy and Security
- BUSH 689: International Organization in Global Affairs
- BUSH 689: Micro Credit as a Tool against Poverty
- BUSH 689: Grand Strategies of the Great Powers
Regional Studies
Coordinator: Professor Rola el-Husseini
- BUSH 655: Evolution of the European Union
- BUSH 689: Russia in International Politics
- BUSH 689: Transatlantic Relations
- BUSH 689: Authoritarianism and Political Elites in Arab World
- BUSH 689: Political Islam and Jihad
- BUSH 689: Politics of the Contemporary Middle East
- BUSH 689: Chinese Foreign Policy
- BUSH 689: Political Economy of Asia
- BUSH 689: Politics of China in Transition
