The New Fletcher Master in Global Affairs Degree
This month, Fletcher welcomed the inaugural Master in Global Affairs (MGA) class of 2022 to campus. Ten students representing three countries and a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and fields of study arrived in Medford, attracted by the new accelerated program and the opportunity to become part of the global Fletcher family.
Launched last year, Fletcher’s newest degree program is an alternative to the two-year residential MALD program, offering a practical option for international affairs students with a few years of professional experience who wish to concentrate their study in a single field -- on a full or part-time basis -- and to return to the workforce in as soon as 16 months.
One of the MGA’s key features is integrating classroom study with field education. Because the nature of the program is experiential, students are required to complete a practicum in field and may complete an optional summer internship for course credit.
For incoming student Robert Jones, who hails from London, UK, a diverse cohort and the practical aspects of the Fletcher MGA were among his top considerations. “A practicum in place of a capstone project, along with the summer internship, allows me to immediately apply the theory I learn in the classroom to real-life examples,” he said. “And after achieving the necessary depth in my focus area, the accelerated timeline will enable me to fast-track my return to the workforce.”
Boston-based Melinda Monzione chose the part-time MGA in order to gain a broad-spectrum, cross-disciplinary education in international affairs and leadership at Fletcher, while pursuing independent study on the emerging theory and practice of Cultural Diplomacy as Director of Traveling Exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
“The MGA is tailor-made for me at this juncture in my career,” she said. “It’s allowing me to pursue my professional and academic ambitions simultaneously.”
The MGA provides access to a world-class Fletcher education to a broader pool of highly qualified candidates, in particular those seeking an accelerated option to a two-year residential program.
In speaking about the school’s first-ever MGA class, Academic Dean Kelly Sims Gallagher said, “This fall, we are delighted to welcome the inaugural class of MGA students -- uniquely capable individuals with diverse interests and goals but all united in their excitement about pursuing this degree. I look forward to working with each of them as the inaugural academic director of this degree program.”
Please visit Master in Global Affairs for more information or
contact fletcheradmissions@tufts.edu.
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