All students spend their first year taking a core curriculum, which provides a solid academic grounding in the institutions, traditions, and mechanisms of international exchange. These core courses will cover targeted study of the critical analytical tools used in multidimensional problem solving, exposure to the most prominent theories of sociocultural interchange, and the professional skills necessary to begin working in the international milieu at any level and in any field.

In the fall semester, students take three core courses:
Actors, Institutions, and Legal Frameworks in International Affairs
Foundations of Diplomacy and International Relations Theory
Multi-Sector and Quantitative Analysis

In the spring semester, students take these remaining core courses:
Culture, Global Diversity, Civic Responsibilities, and Leadership
International Economics: Principles, Policies, and Practices
Colloquium on Current Policy Challenges