A Mission-Driven Education

The world has changed considerably since The Fletcher School opened its doors in 1933. We’ve evolved and grown, too, but our core mission remains unchanged: to educate professionals committed to maintaining the stability and prosperity of a complex, challenging, and increasingly global society. We continue preparing students to excel in positions of influence, to break new ground in careers where they serve local, national, and international communities, and to pursue just and mutually beneficial solutions to some of the world’s most intractable challenges.

Mission driven, student guided

Fletcher’s academic philosophy is built on the belief that students are best equipped to determine what specific knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to succeed. Each student’s individual course of study is customized to fit particular interests and career objectives.

With more than 175 courses and 11 fields of study offered each year, Fletcher students rarely chart the precise same academic path. The options at Fletcher are as diverse as the interests and aspirations of our students.

Know the world

Global interdependence is a fundamental reality of life in the 21st century. From reconstructing post-conflict societies and fostering markets in emerging economies, to analyzing security threats and promoting human rights, the challenges of our times transcend borders and disciplines.

A Fletcher degree prepares graduates to overcome the political, social, legal, cultural, and economic challenges common to these problems ­– examining them from every angle of the global professional landscape.

Shape the future

Whether addressing international policy challenges like climate change or drilling into more focused issues like the impact of transnational crime on peace processes, a Fletcher education is oriented toward solving real-world problems. That means taking a practical approach, informed by hands-on knowledge and experience, but also taking a step back to reflect and ask deeper questions.

Our educational philosophy, while impact-oriented, is more than simply finding solutions to well-defined problems. We also aspire to understand why the problems exist, and from whose perspective they became problems to begin with. Leveraging this depth of understanding and an interdisciplinary framework, our students develop a truly global perspective that enables them to become responsible and effective international affairs practitioners.