FAQ

MALD FAQs

The questions that follow pertain specifically to the MALD program. Please also review the general Admissions FAQs.

  • Fletcher’s Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) is a two-year, full-time international affairs degree. The interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the MALD curriculum provides both the fundamental knowledge and practical skills students need to pursue careers in international affairs. The flexibility of the MALD program allows students to design a program suited to their specific academic and professional goals.

  • Our MALD students are, above all, devoted to working in an international environment and grappling with the complex global issues that affect the public, non-profit, and private sectors. They are energized by global events and have a strong commitment to transforming their world.

  • Fletcher considers professional development to be as important as academic development. The Office of Career Services has a staff with dedicated coaches for each sector who help students realize their career goals. All MALD students participate in a ten-week professional development program that helps them manage international careers during and after Fletcher. Throughout their Fletcher careers, all students can take advantage of sector-specific coaching, career trips to Washington, D.C., on-campus recruiting and employer information sessions, and a comprehensive internship database.

  • Fletcher actively seeks to enroll a diverse class of students who have demonstrated academic excellence, have a wide range of personal, professional, and academic experience, and who are strongly committed to an international career. We seek students who, by virtue of their background, achievement, and experience, can contribute to the education of their peers and to the scholarship and practice of international relations. In general, applicants must demonstrate academic ability, strong familiarity with a second language, and hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent. All students must have proven English language proficiency. Fletcher students come from a wide range of undergraduate majors, including international relations and other social sciences, the humanities, business, and physical sciences and engineering. We encourage students take microeconomics and macroeconomics prior to enrollment.

  • For MALD candidates, full-time work experience is not required, but is strongly recommended. The Committee on Admissions carefully reviews each applicant's personal and professional experience to assess readiness for graduate study at Fletcher. Most successful applicants will have at least two to three years of full-time work experience. Voluntary positions, internships, and part-time experience all also play a role in preparing students for study. Prospective students considering the MALD program who are currently in their undergraduate studies should consider the Map Your Future delayed admissions pathway.

  • International experience is not required, but it is strongly recommended. There is no rigid requirement as to length or nature of international experience, but students should have a demonstrated interest in the international environment. For some students, this could mean experience living and/or working outside of the applicant’s home country. For others, a working or research environment where international issues are the focus could be sufficient. The nature of each applicant’s international experience is assessed in the context of his or her individual application and professional goals.

  • Students are not required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English, but do have the option to demonstrate foreign language proficiency.

    Students who choose, and successfully complete, this option will have their passing results noted on their Fletcher transcript. Since the Fletcher course load is demanding and does not leave much time for language study, students wishing to receive this optional credential generally need to have a solid foundation in a foreign language before enrolling.

    English proficiency is demonstrated through the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE examinations, or by having graduated from an undergraduate institution where the primary language of instruction is English.

  • The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is not an application requirement for the MALD program. Applicants who wish to submit score reports as part of their application are welcome to do so.

    If you are an international student and your native language is not English and you have not earned a university degree where English was the primary language of instruction, then you are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic).

    For more information about standardized testing, please visit the Admissions section of our website.

  • MALD students can choose to participate in exchange programs with some of the world's leading professional schools and graduate programs. Most students choose to do their exchange program in the first semester of their second year. Currently, Fletcher offers exchange programs in Switzerland, Germany, France, China, Spain, India, as well as the United States. For more information, please see the exchange program section of our website.

  • Fletcher currently maintains formal dual and joint degree programs with several institutions, and MALD students also have the option of arranging an ad-hoc joint degree program with another institution of their choice. For details on applying for a joint degree or creating an ad-hoc program, please see the joint programs section of our website.

  • While not required, the majority of Fletcher students pursue internships in the summer between their first and second years of study. More information regarding internship opportunities can be found on the career services section of our website.

  • Applications deadlines for the MALD program are as follows:

    • October 10 – Spring enrollment application deadline
    • November 10 – Fall enrollment early notification deadline
    • January 10 – Fall enrollment scholarship priority deadline
    • February 20 – Fall enrollment round 3 deadline
    • April 1 - Fall enrollment round 4 deadline

    For more information about all of our application deadlines, please visit the dates and deadlines section of our website.

  • The MALD program admits a limited number of students for spring semester enrollment in January each year. The application and scholarship process for January enrollment is identical to that for the fall semester, and scholarship funding is available for applicants for spring admission. 

  • Yes, Fletcher offers scholarships to help defray tuition costs. All applicants who complete the Fletcher scholarship application (included with the application for admission) are eligible for scholarship consideration, and awards are based on a combination of both need and merit. We also encourage candidates to seek outside sources of funding including scholarships and loans. We make no distinction between domestic and international students in awarding scholarship funds. For more information regarding scholarship aid, please visit the Fletcher scholarships section of our website.