Ask Professor Martin Edwards
Dr. Martin Edwards coordinates the School of Diplomacy's International Organizations graduate program specialization. He has won teaching and research awards from the American Political Science Association, and is the recent recipient of grants from the National Science and Fulbright Foundations.
What is the graduate specialization in International Organizations?
How does the class material connect to the real world?
I believe in active learning. Two years ago, my students completed a study analyzing the effectiveness of economic surveillance as practiced by the OECD. Last year, my students developed strategies to make international organizations more effective, and several of them were able to get op-eds on their projects published. By learning how to analyze global issues systematically and think critically, my students transition from being consumers of knowledge to becoming producers of knowledge.
How can this coursework help me in the field?
Courses in this specialization provide students with the analytical tools necessary to understand how international organizations function and carefully evaluate their activities. Students of mine have won national scholarships from the UNCF, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Fulbright and Boren Awards for international study. After graduation, they have gone on to work at NGOs in the U.S., Haiti, India, and the Sudan.
Recent graduates of our program work at international organizations such as:
- United Nations Association of the USA
- U.S. Mission to the United Nations
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- Coalition for the International Criminal Court
- Permanent Mission of the Republic of San Marino to the United Nations
- Louise Blouin Foundation
- Global Clearinghouse for Development Finance
- International Rescue Committee
- Oxfam International