Boston University, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies

Small classes, inspiring faculty, and generous financial aid are key features of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University (BU). “The Pardee School is an exceptional place for strong college graduates from a variety of backgrounds to follow their passions in cultivating a multidisciplinary career path in international affairs,” says Dean Adil Najam.

Najam believes that careers in global policy will increasingly require broad and combined competencies. Students at the Pardee School benefit from a wide range of course options and program choices. In addition to its flagship MA in International Affairs, the Pardee School offers a mid-career MA in International Relations (IREL) as well as joint-degree options in partnership with BU’s School of Public Health; Department of Earth & Environment; College of Communication; and Graduate Division of Religious Studies. The Pardee School also offers dual degrees with BU’s School of Law and Questrom School of Business.

To an unusual degree, coursework at the Pardee School recognizes the connections among different disciplines and issues. In addition to a wide range of courses within the school itself, students may choose from a broad array of courses at BU in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Graduate students have the opportunity to participate in the optional Washington D.C. Spring Visit.

The Pardee School takes advantage of BU’s long tradition of focus on global studies, which dates back to the 1890s. At the same time, Najam notes, “we are trying to do something new and different. The sense of newness comes with an obligation to respond to the great challenges of the 21st century.”

Students learn to appreciate the fact that people think in different languages and in different cultural contexts. Global leaders need to understand these differencesAdil Najam, dean, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston UniversityStudents benefit from an innovative approach to the teaching of languages and study-abroad programs. They have access to courses in more than two dozen languages, which include not only Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and numerous European languages, but also Hausa, Hindi-Urdu, Igbo, Persian, Swahili, Turkish, Wolof, Xhosa, and Zulu, among others. Students are also encouraged and supported for travel abroad to facilitate their thesis research.

“Students learn to appreciate the fact that people think in different languages and in different cultural contexts. Global leaders need to understand these differences,” says Najam.

The Pardee School was established in 2014, thanks to a generous $25 million grant from BU alumnus Frederick S. Pardee. The school offers generous financial aid for all qualified students, including international students. More than half the incoming class in 2015 and 2016 received financial assistance from the Pardee School.