Carnegie Mellon University

MS IRP Curriculum

The MS IRP is a two-year full-time program with a required internship in the summer between the first and second years.  Students may take a maximum of 54 units per semester and a minimum of 36 units per semester. Part-time options are available only after consultation with the department.

Curriculum (186 units)

Students must complete all of the following core courses.

  • 84-701 Regression Analysis for Political Science I (12 units)
  • 84-702 Regression Analysis for Political Science II (12 units)
  • 84-710 Thesis Proposal Tutorial (6 units)
  • 84-711 Qualitative Methods in Social Science Research (6 units)
  • 84-720 International Security Graduate Seminar (12 units)
  • 84-721 American Politics Graduate Seminar (12 units)
  • 84-722 Comparative Political Institutions Graduate Seminar (12 units)
  • 84-726 International Relations Graduate Seminar (12 units)
  • 84-791, 84-792, 84-793, 84-794 Policy Seminar (12 units total, 3 units per semester)
Students are required to complete a summer internship in a related field between the first and second year of the program.  The internship will allow students to synthesize the program’s studies in the context of practical and hands-on experiential learning opportunities.  CMIST has dedicated staff to support students in all aspects of the internship process. 
Students must complete a graduate-level thesis paper (84-799) in the final semester. Please view the Thesis Proposal Guidelines for further details.

Students must complete one course in each of the four concentration areas (48 units), plus an additional two courses (24 units) in chosen concentration.

International Relations
  • 84-600 Security War Game Simulation
  • 84-603 International Human Rights
  • 84-604 In the News: Analysis of Current National Security Priorities
  • 84-610 International Political Economy
  • 84-618 Politics of Developing Nations
  • 84-622 Nonviolent Conflict and Revolution
  • 84-623 War and Peace in the Contemporary Middle East
  • 84-624 The Future of Democracy
  • 84-625 Contemporary American Foreign Policy
  • 84-629 Asian Strategies
  • 84-640 Collaborative Research in Political Science
  • 84-662 Diplomacy and Statecraft
  • 84-665 The Politics of Fake News and Misinformation
  • 84-667 The Politics of Antisemitism
  • 84-669 Decision Science for International Relations
  • 84-674 An Introduction to Technology and War
  • 84-680 US Grand Strategy

International Security

  • 84-600 Security War Game
  • 84-604 In the News: Analysis of Current National Security Priorities
  • 84-605 The Future of Warfare
  • 84-612 Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • 84-617 Defense Resourcing: From Strategy to Execution
  • 84-623 War and Peace in the Contemporary Middle East
  • 84-628 Military Strategy and Doctrine
  • 84-650 A Strategist's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
  • 84-663 Click. Hack. Rule: Understanding the Power and Peril of Cyber Conflict
  • 84-665 The Politics of Fake News and Misinformation
  • 84-670 Nuclear Security and Arms Control
  • 84-672 Space and National Security
  • 84-673 Emerging Technologies and the Law
  • 84-674 An Introduction to Technology and War
  • 84-680 US Grand Strategy
  • 84-683 Cyber Policy as National Policy
  • 84-686 The Privatization of Force
  • 84-687 Remote Systems and the Cyber Domain in Conflict
  • 84-688 Concepts of War and Cyber War
  • 84-689 Terrorism and Insurgency
  • 84-690 Social Media, Technology, and Conflict

Comparative Politics

  • 84-603 International Human Rights
  • 84-606 Latin American Politics
  • 84-618 Politics of Developing Nations
  • 84-624 The Future of Democracy
  • 84-663 Click. Hack. Rule: Understanding the Power and Peril of Cyber Conflict
  • 84-680 US Grand Strategy

American Politics

  • 84-602 Judicial Politics and Behavior
  • 84-609 American Political Divides and Great Debates
  • 84-619 Civil-Military Relations
  • 84-625 Contemporary American Foreign Policy
  • 84-651 Bias, Objectivity, and the Media's Role in Politics
  • 84-652 Representation and Voting Rights
  • 84-654 The American Experiment: Unraveling the US Electoral System
  • 84-655 Democracy's Data: Analytics and Insights into American Elections
  • 84-665 The Politics of Fake News and Misinformation
  • 84-667 The Politics of Antisemitism
  • 84-680 US Grand Strategy
  • 84-693 Legislative Decision Making: US Congress