Dual and Exchange Programs

Fletcher offers numerous ways for students to enhance their education through dual degrees, exchange programs and cross-registration in Boston and around the world.  

Study law at top institutions, including Harvard, UC Berkeley in California, or St. Gallen in Switzerland. Explore global business at Dartmouth, in Shanghai at CEIBS, in Paris at HEC, or in Spain at IE Madrid. Deepen your expertise in global affairs at St. Gallen, Switzerland, or the Diplomatische Akademie Wien-Vienna School of International Studies in Austria.

Take advantage of Tufts’ world-class programs and Boston’s vibrant academic environment by combining your studies in international affairs with other outstanding program offerings across Tufts University, including the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, or the School of Medicine. 

Learn more about each program below. If your interests go beyond what’s listed here, reach out to us - we’re eager to help you customize a degree program that aligns with your career goals.

Ready to Apply?

Applicants interested in a dual degree should apply to both schools independently, ideally on the same timeline, with the exception of the MALD/MIA with St. Gallen. Applicants interested in that program submit only an application to Fletcher.

Expand Your Studies with Tufts Dual Degrees

MALD/MA

Department of Urban and Environmental Policy, Tufts University
The dual degree program with the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) of the Tufts University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences allows highly qualified students to earn both a Master of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy and a MALD in three years. Designed for careers in international environmental and resource policy, the program prepares graduates for work in economic and development institutions, government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. 

Students develop the skills to address global environmental challenges such as transboundary pollution, climate change, deforestation, species loss, and chemical contamination. The program requires completion of 11 UEP courses (in addition to 12 Fletcher courses), a one-credit thesis or capstone, and an internship, with three semesters spent in residence at each school.

MALD/MS

Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University

The dual degree program with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy allows highly qualified students to earn both a MALD and an MS in Nutrition in three years, compared with four years if completed separately. The program prepares students for careers in international food and nutrition policy across economic and development institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. 

The MS curriculum includes 16 courses covering basic nutrition, statistics and epidemiology, survey research design, and the economic, political, and administrative aspects of food policy and nutrition program development.

MA/MD

School of Medicine, Tufts University

The MA/MD dual degree program prepares physicians with a strong foundation in international law, politics, economics, and business, equipping them to address global health challenges. This program allows a limited number of highly qualified students to earn both an MA from Fletcher and an MD from Tufts School of Medicine in five years, fostering a global perspective on medicine and healthcare policy.

MA/DVM

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University
The dual degree program with the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine allows highly qualified students pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) to earn a one-year MA at Fletcher. The program is designed for veterinary students interested in international policy-making roles in areas such as livestock development, wildlife management and fisheries biology, equipping graduates to address global challenges at the intersection of animal health and international policy.

Study with Our Global Partner Institutions

Explore our dual and exchange programs around the world across international affairs, business, and law. 

At a Glance

MALD/MIA

University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
The dual degree enables students to pursue complementary professional studies in international affairs at two institutions, spending one year in residence at Fletcher and one year in residence at the University of St. Gallen. The dual degree program allows students to earn both the Fletcher MALD and the St. Gallen MIA in two years, less time than would be required if each degree were sought separately. Both schools will credit certain coursework from the other school to meet the requirements for each degree. A required thesis will be completed in the second year while students are at St. Gallen.

Candidates may apply to the dual degree by submitting one application to Fletcher. Students pay tuition and receive scholarship aid at the institution where they are enrolled each semester.

LLM/MIL

University of St. Gallen, Switzerland

This dual degree enables students to earn both a Master of Laws in International Law (LLM) from Fletcher and a Master in International Law (MIL) from St. Gallen in one and half to two years of study, depending on course selection. Students may begin at either institution and can cross-count courses to fulfill all requirements.

The program is unique in allowing master’s-level law students to study in two jurisdictions, gaining access to complementary courses at both schools and exploring international law from both U.S. and European perspectives.

Please note, the Fletcher LLM does not qualify students to sit for U.S. bar exams.

JD/MALD

Harvard Law School, Harvard University
The four-year JD/MALD dual degree program allows students to combine a Harvard law education with Fletcher’s interdisciplinary focus on international affairs. Students spend their first year at Harvard Law School, followed by a full year at Fletcher. During the third and fourth years, students remain enrolled at Harvard Law School while cross-registering for the required number of courses at Fletcher to complete both degrees. Up to four Harvard Law School courses may be applied as transfer credit toward the MALD degree. For more details, prospective students should contact the admissions office.

UC Berkeley School of Law, University of California at Berkeley
This dual degree program is normally completed in four years, giving students the opportunity to pair a rigorous legal education at UC Berkeley with Fletcher’s broad, multidisciplinary study of global affairs.  Students spend a full year at one school, followed by a full year at the other school.  During the final two years, at least one semester must be completed in person at Fletcher, with the remaining three semesters spent at UC Berkeley School of Law. 

To earn the JD, students spend two full academic years in residence at UC Berkeley, complete the required first-year curriculum, meet the professional responsibility and writing requirements, and complete 85 law units. Up to eight Fletcher courses may be credited to the UC Berkeley JD degree.

berkeley library

MBA/MALD

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

This dual degree program is designed to allow students to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Tuck School of Business and a MALD at Fletcher in three years, compared with four years to complete the two degrees separately. The program prepares graduates for leadership roles in international corporations, financial institutions, development organizations, and government agencies. 

Students complete the MALD requirements along with Tuck’s first-year core and at least eight electives. Four electives from each school may be counted toward degree requirements at the other. The program requires a minimum of three semesters in residence at Fletcher and five quarters in residence at Tuck, and students may begin their studies at either school. Career and student services are available through both institutions, and first-year students at either school may apply for admission to the other to pursue the dual degree.

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai, China

The Fletcher–CEIBS dual degree program allows students to combine international business training with interdisciplinary studies in international affairs, earning both an MBA from CEIBS and a MALD from Fletcher in two and a half years. Students spend 12 consecutive months in residence at CEIBS from June through July, followed by three semesters at Fletcher. Each school credits approved coursework from the other toward its degree requirements, creating an integrated program that prepares graduates for careers at the intersection of business and global affairs.

HEC MBA Program, HEC School of Management, Paris, France

The Fletcher–HEC Paris dual degree program enables students to earn both a MALD from Fletcher and an MBA from HEC Paris. HEC’s 16-month general management MBA offers courses taught in English or in English and French, and is consistently ranked among the world’s top international business programs. With a student body that is 80 percent international and an alumni network of 25,000 graduates, HEC provides an immersive global business environment.

Students in the program spend a minimum of three semesters in residence at Fletcher and three terms (10 months) at HEC, and may begin their studies at either school. 

IE Business School, Spain

This dual degree program allows students to earn both an MBA from IE Business School and either a MALD or MA from Fletcher in two to two and a half years. Designed for careers at the intersection of international affairs and management, the program is especially suited for students seeking leadership roles in global corporations, financial institutions, development organizations and government agencies.

Students must meet the requirements of both schools. For the MBA/MALD option, this includes a minimum of three semesters in residence at Fletcher and four trimesters at IE. For the MBA/MA option, one year of residence at each school is required. Students may begin their studies at either institution.

madrid statue

Diplomatische Akademie Wien-Vienna School of International Studies, Austria

This program allows students to spend a full year at each institution and earn either a MALD from Fletcher or a Master of Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy. Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements of their chosen program, including a thesis, with each school accepting the equivalent of one year of coursework from the other for credit. Those pursuing the Fletcher MALD attend one year at the Diplomatic Academy, and vice versa.

Ad-Hoc Dual Degree Programs

In addition to Fletcher’s official dual degree programs, students may design their own ad hoc dual degrees with other leading graduate or professional schools. Candidates should consult the Fletcher Director of Admissions or Registrar after gaining admission to both institutions to ensure the proposed program meets all requirements.

Fletcher requires that students admitted to an ad hoc dual degree spend at least three semesters and complete a minimum of 36 credits for the MALD or the MIB, transfer no more than four courses from the partner institution after completing eight Fletcher courses, and fulfill the capstone project requirement. Students must apply separately to each school, with admissions and scholarships managed by the institution in which they are registered.

Exchange Programs

Fletcher students can broaden their perspectives through international exchange programs, gaining firsthand experience at partner institutions around the world and learning new ways to approach global challenges.

While on exchange, students pay tuition to their home institution and continue to receive financial aid from it, while enjoying full degree candidate privileges at the host school. Participants, nominated in their first year, take the equivalent of four courses abroad and are responsible for arranging credit transfer. Up to 3.0 credits accepted per exchange term (and per semester) may be applied toward Fletcher degree requirements.

Global Affairs Exchanges 

Fletcher students have the opportunity to study international issues from new perspectives through exchange programs with leading institutions. Students with a strong research background may spend a semester at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, earning the equivalent of one semester of course credit (30 ECTS). Others may study at Sciences Po in Paris for a fall or spring term,  an option open to all nationalities but requiring strong French proficiency, with preference given to first-year MALD candidates.

International Business Exchanges 

Fletcher students focused on international business may spend a semester in their second year as visiting students at leading institutions such as HEC School of Management in France, IE Business School in Spain, China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, the Indian School of Business or Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.