Students design their degree program around a selected theme, which can be a traditional concentration, such as law and diplomacy; a concentration involving emergent technologies, such as international science and technology policy; or a personally designed concentration involving the student’s area of curricular and career interests, such as international environmental affairs, career interests.

Following successful completion of the core curriculum, students work with faculty advisers to choose elective courses and a capstone experience suitable to their thematic interests. The capstone experience is either an internship, which enables students to experience the integration of their curricular studies in an actual professional environment, or a master’s paper, which allows students to explore in depth their areas of interest and may also involve original research.