The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology is launching a new one-year, 30-credit hour Master of Science in International Affairs, Science, and Technology (MSIAST) program. The program, which will be offered beginning fall 2021, will serve both traditional students and returning professionals interested in issues at the intersection of science and technology and international relations and policy. 

The MSIAST program is part of a growing trend of one-year degrees developed to accommodate working professionals with financial and time constraints on their educational prospects. Through the program, students will study the ongoing, evolving, and emerging technological and scientific trends currently facing policymakers, innovators, scientists, and researchers around the globe. 

“As one of the leading technological institutes in the world, Georgia Tech provides an unparalleled universe of possibility for the next generation of leaders and scholars,” said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs and K. Harrison Brown Family Chair. “This program will meet growing demand in the workforce and offer an accessible option to our student population as interest grows around the strategic and political implications of science, technology, and innovation.”

The MSIAST program comes at a time when there is increased need for individuals who are equally fluent in public policy and in the scientific and technological aspects of challenges such as climate change, space exploration, advances in health care, and more. 

“To adequately address these types of issues, global leaders must understand the dynamics of international relations as well as the science and technology that underlie these issues and their potential solutions,” said Mariel Borowitz, associate professor in the Nunn School and director of the Nunn School Program on International Affairs, Science, and Technology. “Government agencies, non-profits, and companies that are concerned with these issues have a demand for individuals with this set of skills.” 

With its distinguished faculty covering a broad range of topics in international relations, including those significantly impacted by science and technology, the Nunn School is an ideal place for both traditional students and professional learners to train in these areas. 

Through the program, students will also be exposed to policy questions related to energy, the environment, information and communication technologies, transportation technology, infrastructure, and the organization of cutting-edge research. By covering these and other scientific and technological trends that are influencing national, international, and global policy, the program enables students to respond quickly to these growing concerns.

“Working across campus, students will have the opportunity to build bridges, forge networks, and engage with entrepreneurs, academics and policymakers who will be the drivers of tomorrow,” said Borowitz. 

The Nunn School currently offers one other one-year program, a 30-credit hour Master of Science in International Security (MSIS), as well as three graduate certificates. To learn more about the programs offered by the Nunn School, please visit the website.