We welcome your interest in the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) at the University of Denver. Ranked by Foreign Policy Magazine as a top ten institution in international studies, GSIS provides a unique blend of programmatic flexibility and academic intensity which marshals practice and illuminates it with rigorous theory. Our students are sought after by employers around the globe for their interdisciplinary perspective, a critical trait in our ever-changing world, and their technical skills.

The University created the Department of International Relations, one of the first in the country in 1929. It became the Graduate School of International Studies, in 1964, under the leadership of Josef Korbel, father of former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Since its inception, GSIS has been committed to helping professionals respond intelligently, ethically and effectively to the challenges facing our global village.

An Education with a Human Touch

GSIS is known for its commitment to each student's intellectual and professional development. At GSIS we help you identify your goals, cultivate your passions and pursue your dreams. You'll work closely with our faculty to explore your areas of interest. And our career services professionals will assist you in your search for internships and jobs that reflect your professional and personal interests, skills and values.

Our master's, doctoral, and certificate programs allow you to master the core competencies of international studies while you pursue your own specialization that dovetails with your career aspirations.

"I was able to bring my three years of field experience in Honduras with the US Peace Corps back to GSIS and tailor my degree in such a way that I learned what I wanted to know."
- Greg Kimmitt (Georgia)
MA in International Administration - Peace Corps

A Community of Diverse Beliefs and Perspectives

Students from all over the globe - from China to Egypt, Kazakhstan to Cuba, England to Bosnia - share their diverse perspectives on the world and challenge and are challenged in return by a demanding faculty constituted by distinguished scholars and practitioners. Human Rights students sit next to Security students in classes that connect the two fields. Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration students and Development students combine to question conventional "wisdom" about how to sustain growth while mitigating poverty and gross inequality of the developing world. The ability to examine international issues through an interdisciplinary lens is a distinguishing characteristic of GSIS.

"Gaining knowledge of other parts of the world and interacting with students from all over the world make us global citizens with global responsibilities."
-Raslan Ibrahim (Israel)
PhD Student

Practical Experience around the Globe

The GSIS experience is not just in Denver, Colorado. GSIS values practical experience in the field and is one of the few schools that give academic credit for internships. Students work with the Office of Career and Professional Development to find internships in a wide variety of locations around the globe, from Denver to Boston to Greece, Zimbabwe, Peru and China. In 2005, 56% of our students interned outside of Denver working in an extraordinarily varied group of organizations spanning the public, ngo/nonprofit and private sectors. For those students who find unpaid, international internships, we offer the Paterson International Internship Fund to help subsidize the associated costs.

"My internship with the Public Policy Staff at the US Department of State, where I worked on US foreign policy issues with numerous African countries, was immeasurably helpful. After passing the Foreign Service Officer exam, I am now an FSO at the US Embassy to South Africa."
- Brian George (Michigan)
MA in International Studies '00
US Embassy to South Africa

A Rich Legacy

You'll profit from our extensive network of alumni, who often are willing to share resources and exchange ideas. In the public sector, we are Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State. We are Heraldo Munoz, current Ambassador to the United Nations for Chile. We are also Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif, current Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations. In the nonprofit sector, we are Susan Waltz, former chair of Amnesty International's International Executive Committee, and Pierre-Michel Fontaine, former director of the Office the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo. No doubt you will also stay in touch with faculty members and your fellow students. In addition, through newsletters and Web postings, we keep you informed about GSIS related initiatives and the whereabouts of your peers.

"I love the fact that there are so many of us here in Washington. With just a phone call, I can contact any one of my friends from GSIS, whether at the Departments of Commerce or Transportation, with an NGO like America's Rivers or privately employed by SAIC."
- Stacy Taylor (Kentucky)
MA in International Administration, '99
Director of Development, Physicians for Human Rights