RENALDINE LAFLECHE ’23, who received her bachelor’s in public policy and service and is pursuing a Master of Public Administration, worked as a fellow in Washington, D.C., for Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who represents the 24th district of Florida. She served as the president of the American Society for Public Administration South Florida student chapter.
OUR WORLD NEEDS LEADERS WITH A GLOBAL AND HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE WHO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DRIVE MEANINGFUL ACTION. THE STEVEN J. GREEN SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS SHAPING THOSE GLOBAL LEADERS TODAY.
We seek to understand the world we live in and the challenges we face as one human family. Our innovative approach bridges the social sciences and the humanities and integrates coursework with experiential learning. We inspire our students to think about the world in unique ways and to tackle the most critical issues facing us today, including human rights; poverty and inequality; security; and economic development and sustainability.
Based in the dynamic, diverse, cosmopolitan city of Miami, the Green School’s scope is global. Our students come from more than 90 countries around the world and speak dozens of different languages.
The Green School is home to eight departments as well as some of the university’s most prominent international centers, institutes and programs. These include the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as part of a select group of National Resource Centers on Latin America, and the Cuban Research Institute, a top center for academic research on Cuban and Cuban-American issues.
The school was established in 2008 to fulfill the promise of FIU’s founders to foster a globally engaged citizenry. In 2015, Ambassador Steven J. Green, his wife Dorothea Green and their daughter Kimberly Green recognized the school’s potential to become an institution of significant international impact. Their transformative gift of $20 million is shaping the school’s destiny and advancing its mission.
Our exceptional faculty and innovative programs have earned the Green School full membership in the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs – one of only 25 in the United States and 40 in the world to have earned this distinction.
Green School students are committed to creating a just, prosperous and peaceful world. Through our cuttingedge research, first-rate teaching and innovative training, the Green School prepares them to become tomorrow’s changemakers.
Shlomi Dinar Dean
STRATEGIC THEMES EXPLORING CRITICAL ISSUES
The Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs equips our students to think about the world in unique ways, generating policy-relevant dialogue and research on critical global issues, including the following strategic themes:
William T. Jackson PhD ’22, a postdoctoral fellow at American University School of Public Affairs, founded The Justice Project of South Florida, which works to improve interactions between law enforcement and communities of color.
BY THE NUMBERS
14 TOP-50 PROGRAMS AMONG U.S. PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
335 FACULTY
8 DEPARTMENTS
1 OF ONLY 25 APSIA U.S. MEMBER SCHOOLS
4,700+ STUDENTS
61 CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
44 PARTNERSHIPS WITH UNIVERSITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD
40,000 ALUMNI
35 DEGREE PROGRAMS
113 countries of origin represented by our student body
RANKINGS & DISTINCTIONS
RECOGNIZED
AS AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER
The school is a full member of the prestigious Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) –the only one in Florida, one of only 25 in the U.S. and only 40 in the world.
KIMBERLY GREEN LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CENTER
The center is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as one of 19 National Resource Centers on Latin America in the country.
JACK D. GORDON INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY
The institute is at the forefront of discourse on public policy and national security.
ONLINE
MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM
The overall program and six specialties are ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 50 at U.S. public universities.
MIAMI-FLORIDA JEAN MONNET EUROPEAN CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
The center, housed within the Green School’s European and Eurasian Studies Program, is one of 12 such centers to receive this designation by the European Commission.
MASTER’S IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM
The online program is ranked No. 11 by U.S. News & World Report among U.S. public universities.
THE FIU CUBA POLL
Conducted by the Cuban Research Institute in collaboration with the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center, it is the longest running poll of its kind in the U.S.
THE JORGE M. PÉREZ METROPOLITAN CENTER
The center is a leading urban think tank and applied research unit offering customized services and studies for organizations across various sectors.
FIU MODEL UN PROGRAM
The Model UN Team has been a Top-10 program in North America for the last 13 years, placing it in such prestigious company as the University of Chicago, Georgetown University and Harvard University – and is the No. 1 program in Florida.
OUTREACH PROGRAMS
MIAMI CONFERENCE ON GLOBAL DEMOCRACY
This annual international conference, inaugurated in 2023, explores contemporary democratic backsliding on a global scale. Guest speakers and expert panels explore how waning public support for democracy, economic inequality and social tensions, populist politics, great power competition and the weakening of political institutions have contributed to a decline in democracy worldwide.
HEMISPHERIC SECURITY CONFERENCE
Presented by the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, the annual conference focuses on the most pressing security challenges facing the Western Hemisphere. Participants include thought leaders from governments throughout the hemisphere, including senior military officials, as well as representatives from academia, governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.
DOROTHEA GREEN LECTURE SERIES
Launched in 2018, the Dorothea Green Lecture Series is the Green School’s premier event series, generously endowed by Ambassador Steven J. Green and his wife Dorothea Green. It focuses on the most important global issues of the day – from threats to democracy to the struggle for human rights and the United States’ standing in the world. The series has brought dozens of the world’s leading experts and opinion-shapers to FIU.
RUTH K. AND SHEPARD BROAD DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES
The school’s original flagship speaker series, it brings leading thinkers, scholars and dignitaries from around the world to FIU. The series is generously supported by the Shepard Broad Foundation and inspired by the legacy of Ruth and Shepard Broad, whose lives transcended boundaries of states and societies.
DIPLOMAT
IN RESIDENCE
Housed within the Department of Politics and International Relations, the Diplomat in Residence at FIU is one of only 16 senior diplomats participating in the program nationwide. Assigned by the U.S. Department of State, these senior Foreign Service officers counsel students and support foreign affairs programming.
CHERYL LITTLE BS ’82, who studied Criminal Justice at the Green School and was executive director of Americans for Immigrant Justice for 26 years, is a true human rights advocate and one of this country’s leading experts in the immigration field. She has received numerous honors and awards for her work, authored many publications, appeared in the media and has testified before Congress.
The Green School transcends academic and professional boundaries and emphasizes the human condition as a fundamental dimension of our world.
ELIECER JIMÉNEZ ALMEIDA, a PhD student in the Department of Modern Languages, had his film, “Havana Stories” – which combines elements of documentary and fiction – premiere at the 40th annual Miami Film Festival. He was invited to compete for the annual Knight Made in MIA Feature Film Award.
DEPARTMENTS
The Green School comprises eight signature departments, offering 35 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in which our faculty and students engage in research, contribute to policy solutions and promote international dialogue. Our unique interdisciplinary approach encourages students to create connections across numerous subject areas of the social sciences and humanities. Various degrees are also offered by our centers, institutes and programs.
CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the field of criminology and criminal justice education, the department engages in research, scholarship and teaching on core issues related to crime and justice.
• A 2022 study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice Education ranked FIU CCJ faculty 13th out of 45 PhD programs in journal article publication productivity.
• The online MS in Criminal Justice program was No. 11 among public universities in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 rankings.
STEVEN
ECONOMICS
Students gain an understanding of economic problems and institutions, and are equipped with analytical tools to apply this knowledge to solving contemporary problems. The graduate program emphasizes the synergies among fields like international economics, industrial organization and technological change.
• The department’s curriculum enables students to think critically and apply theory to economic and social issues while developing an ability to evaluate the validity of theoretical predictions.
• The department has an active research faculty, publishing in top academic journals. While it specializes in development economics and international economics, faculty also work on macroeconomics, economic growth, financial economics, political economy, industrial organization, law and game theory.
GLOBAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL STUDIES
Uniting the faculties of anthropology, geography and sociology, this innovative department explores global challenges such as inequality, migration, diasporas and nature-society relations. Its research and teaching themes resonate with FIU’s location in Miami, a crossroads of sociocultural, political, economic and environmental forces bridging the U.S. with the Caribbean, Latin America, the Atlantic region and the world.
• Department research employs theoretical approaches utilizing qualitative, quantitative and applied methods.
• The undergraduate curriculum emphasizes interconnections among cultural, political, economic and ecological dimensions in an age of globalization, with training appropriate to the changing workforce of the 21st century.
CARMEN REINHART ’75, who received a BA in Economics from the Green School, is the former senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank, the international financial institution that works to reduce poverty in developing countries. She is now the Minos A. Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System at Harvard Kennedy School.
HISTORY
From the ancient world to the present day, the department fosters a love of historical inquiry and lays a foundation for successful careers in history, law, journalism, government service, librarianship and other professions. Students study the complex interactions between the world’s cultures and develop the analytical insights to understand the past and change the future.
• The department includes a broad, global curriculum that features U.S., Latin American, European, West African, Asian, comparative and transnational histories. Students acquire excellent analytical skills, becoming familiar with public history theory and methods, alongside an expertise in oral and digital history.
• The department pioneered the establishment of a PhD in Atlantic History, and is committed to transnational and comparative approaches as well as regional historical research that takes advantage of Miami’s location and cultural specificities.
MODERN LANGUAGES
This department offers multiple opportunities for undergraduate and graduate study in language, culture and literature, from language classes in Arabic, German, Hebrew or Russian, to culture classes in Chinese, Haitian Creole, Italian and Japanese.
• Graduate and advanced undergraduate courses reflect the faculty’s research interests from second-language acquisition to historical linguistics; from the traditional, historically based divisions of literature and culture to the study of related fields of interpretation.
• It is the only department certified in the state of Florida to host the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, which attracts more than 300 test takers each December from the southeast U.S., the Caribbean and beyond.
FRANCISCO “FRANK” GAMEZ ’24, a political science major, was selected for the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program. As a Pickering Fellow, he received a scholarship for a master’s degree program, will complete internships with the U.S. Department of State – one domestic and one abroad – and then enter the U.S. Foreign Service. He was one of 45 students selected nationally for this scholarship, which attracts hundreds of applicants every year.
POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
This rich program combines the traditional strengths of political science with a multidisciplinary approach to the study of international relations. While exploring geographic regions and traditional topics like American politics, comparative politics, international politics and political theory, students go deeper into compelling contemporary issues like democracy, the environment, gender and ethnic tensions.
• The department offers undergraduate degrees in both political science and international relations, and it provides opportunities for public affairs internships.
• Faculty and graduate students conduct research that spans a number of regions, including North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and East Asia.
PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
Providing a professional education in public sector and nonprofit management, the department offers degrees in public administration and eight certificate programs.
• Both undergraduate and graduate programs are highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report and other organizations. They ranked the MPA overall in the top 50 for public universities, with six public affairs specialties ranked No. 2 to No. 27 among programs at public universities.
• PhD graduates have placed in tenure-track positions at leading research universities, including Georgetown, University of Washington, Clemson, George Mason and Penn State.
Green School students receive the most select fellowships in academia, enter top postdoctoral programs and secure prestigious positions in the public and private sectors.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
All of the world’s major religions are taught within a framework designed to let students focus either on comparative topics or on the theory and practice of a specific religious tradition in its historical setting. Themes include peace and conflict, sex and gender, environment, development, migration, health, new religious movements and religious memorialization.
• Many of the department’s undergraduate students are double majors; most are interdisciplinary in their approach to religion.
• MA graduates have gone on to doctoral programs at University of California, Berkeley, Claremont Graduate University, University of Edinburgh, Boston University, Emory University, Arizona State University and top universities in Asia and Europe.
THE GREEN SCHOOL MODEL UN – THE MOST SUCCESSFUL INTERCOLLEGIATE TEAM AT FIU – HAS BEEN A TOP-10 PROGRAM IN NORTH AMERICA FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS, PLACING IT IN SUCH PRESTIGIOUS COMPANY AS THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY – AND IS THE NO. 1 PROGRAM IN FLORIDA.
CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ BS ’12, MA GLOBAL AFFAIRS ’14, is a manager at Deloitte, where he supports a variety of domestic and international government and business clients to develop risk management solutions. He served with the International Republican Institute, a federally funded nonpartisan organization that works in foreign countries to strengthen civil society and democratic governance. He has also led research programs on sustainable development and financial inclusion models in underserved communities around the world.
MASTER OF ARTS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Unlike traditional graduate programs in international affairs, the Master of Arts in Global Affairs offers pragmatic skills combined with the theoretical rigor to tackle the challenges posed by globalization. The premier program has three tracks:
CYBERSECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
GLOBALIZATION AND SECURITY
INTERNATIONAL CRIME AND JUSTICE
Our renowned faculty have worldwide experience in prominent organizations, agencies and companies, including the World Bank, NATO, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Defense, Council of the Americas, Komatsu, Citi and Ackerman Group, to name a few.
The program’s size not only enables students to be placed in the appropriate learning environment to interact closely with such faculty but also offers the personal attention and assistance required when searching for career opportunities. Graduates enter careers in government, nongovernmental and international organizations, as well as the private sector.
CENTERS & INSTITUTES
AFRICAN AND AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES PROGRAM
Distinguished as a leader in the field, the program is engaged in the study of the peoples and societies of continental Africa and the communities of the African diaspora throughout the world.
ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM
This interdisciplinary program provides training for graduate and undergraduate students in Asian languages and cultural history, with a focus on China, Japan and Korea. Faculty represent the fields of anthropology, art history, geography, history, international relations, literature, religious studies and sociology.
CENTER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
Established in 1984, the center’s work provides technical assistance to court systems in Latin America and is a unique resource in international justice sector reform.
CENTER FOR LABOR RESEARCH AND STUDIES
Established in 1971, this is the only labor center in Florida and one of the most dynamic in the nation. The center develops knowledge about the changing nature of work and workers, and makes it available throughout Florida.
CUBAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge about Cuba and its diaspora, the institute is a top center for academic research and public programs on Cuban and Cuban-American issues. Since 1991, it has conducted the FIU Cuba Poll, the longest-running research project tracking the opinions of the Cuban American community in South Florida.
EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM
Students immerse themselves in an interdisciplinary study of Europe, focusing on politics, society and culture of the region. The program encompasses the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and the Black Sea Security Initiative.
GLOBAL INDIGENOUS FORUM
The forum brings global indigenous issues, voices and awareness to the FIU campus and community through a wide variety of academic programs and outreach activities.
GLOBAL JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM
The program provides a rich, interdisciplinary approach to the study of Jewish history, culture, religion, literature and international politics. Students have the opportunity to explore the diverse experiences of Jewish communities across the world.
HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE STUDIES PROGRAM
The program confronts and analyzes devastating acts of inhumanity and cruelty, from the Holocaust to the Rwanda genocide. Students study mass genocides in order to combat the philosophies that have fueled these atrocities – and to honor those whose lives were lost.
JOANNE PÉRODIN, a PhD candidate in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, was appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which provides recommendations to the federal government on environmental justice issues. She is a senior director at the CLEO Institute, a nonprofit organization working on climate education and advocacy.
JACK D. GORDON INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY
The institute offers students the opportunity to engage in public policy discourse, analyze national security issues and learn the cybersecurity skills necessary to meet the demands of an increasingly technological world. Other priority research areas include energy, the environment and prosecutorial policy.
JAIN STUDIES PROGRAM
The first of its kind in North America, the program explores the history, scriptures, doctrines, art, practices and literature of Jainism. Rooted in Jain scholarship, the program also applies the key Jain concepts to a range of fields.
JORGE M. PÉREZ METROPOLITAN CENTER
The center is an applied research and training unit that has provided customized policy solutions to public, private and nonprofit organizations in South Florida since 1997. The center’s core areas are economic and housing market analysis, and survey and opinion research.
KIMBERLY GREEN LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CENTER
The center was founded in 1979 to promote the study of Latin America and the Caribbean in Florida and throughout the U.S., drawing upon the expertise of one of the largest concentrations of Latin American and Caribbean studies scholars of any university in the country. It is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Resource Center on Latin America.
CENTERS & INSTITUTES
AGATHA
CARABALLO BS ’02, PHD ’12, founding director of the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership and teaching professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, has organized numerous professional development events related to public service and leadership, and has received awards for exceptional teaching, mentorship and service. Her online classes have received Quality Matters certification, a nationally recognized benchmark for high-quality distance education.
MAURICE A. FERRÉ INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP
The institute honors the life and work of its namesake, the first Puerto Rican-born U.S. mayor and the first Latino mayor of Miami. Through academic, research and engagement programs, the institute examines a wide range of issues, including civic engagement and leadership, resilient community infrastructure and social justice.
MOHSIN AND FAUZIA JAFFER CENTER FOR MUSLIM WORLD STUDIES
Dedicated to the global Muslim experience, the center offers a dynamic, multidisciplinary approach that fosters academic exploration on key themes, including the global Muslim diaspora and intrafaith relations. The center studies the challenges facing the Muslim world, promotes dialogue among the world’s faiths and produces research and analysis.
PROGRAM IN THE STUDY OF SPIRITUALITY
The program provides the opportunity to learn about spirituality and its impact across disciplines, professions and personal well-being through a variety of on-campus courses and community outreach programs.
RESEARCH CENTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIETY
The work of the center, which includes a core group of National Institutes of Health-funded scholars, advances interdisciplinary social science research and training on health and society in developing countries. It also fosters and disseminates evidence-based and policy-relevant knowledge and solutions to address health and social concerns in the region.
VÁCLAV HAVEL PROGRAM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
The program explores the politics of human rights and the process of democratization in countries once under authoritarian governments. The center works in partnership with numerous international organizations to actively foster global dialogue about these topics.
RESEARCH
EXPLORING CRITICAL ISSUES ACROSS DISCIPLINES AND GEOGRAPHIES
The Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs embraces a holistic approach in its research endeavors. In addition to eight departments that bridge the social sciences and humanities and 18 centers, institutes and programs that explore connections across disciplines and geographies, 10 intersecting themes represent the core of Green School faculty research.
These themes embody a comprehensive approach to exploring critical issues, be they global or local, with implications for policy. Such innovative scholarship likewise informs our faculty’s approach to teaching and preparing students to become leaders, researchers and practitioners who view the world through a unique, interdisciplinary perspective.
BESIKI LUKA KUTATELADZE, professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, is founder and co-manager of Prosecutorial Performance Indicators, a national research and technical assistance project focusing on prosecutorial reform. He has been principal investigator on multiple National Institute of Justice-funded projects, and his scholarship has been featured in leading journals and newspapers. In 2019, he was named FIU’s Top Scholar for Research, and in 2021, he received a prestigious FIU Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity.
STEVEN J. GREEN SCHOOL OF
MARK PADILLA, professor of Global and Sociocultural Studies and director of the Research Center for Health and Society, is a medical anthropologist whose work is located at the juncture of anthropology and applied concerns of public health. Since 2006, his research has been funded through the National Institutes of Health and has received support from the Ford Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.
TATIANA KOSTADINOVA, professor of Politics and International Relations and director of the European and Eurasian Studies Program, has conducted research and published works, including two books and many articles in leading journals, focusing on elections, representation, political parties, institutions and political corruption, particularly in Eastern Europe. Her primary teaching area is comparative politics.
SAHEED ADERINTO, professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies, was awarded the prestigious Dan David Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the study of history and includes $300,000, the world’s largest cash prize in the field. The selection committee lauded Aderinto “for situating African history at the cutting edge of diverse literatures in the history of sexuality, nonhumans and violence.”
BRIAN FONSECA is director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and founding executive director of Cybersecurity@FIU. His technical expertise in national security and foreign policy has been featured in media worldwide, and he has testified twice before the U.S. Congress. Fonseca has more than 30 publications, including six book chapters, and is co-author and editor of three books. He previously served as senior research manager for sociocultural analysis at United States Southern Command’s Joint Intelligence Operations Center South.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY:
AS VIBRANT AND RELEVANT AS THE CITY IT CALLS HOME
TOP 50 R1
MIAMI’S ONLY CARNEGIE PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
#46 AMONG PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES (U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Colleges rankings)
CONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG AMERICA’S “MOST INNOVATIVE”
THE FASTEST-RISING PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN THE U.S. IN THE PAST DECADE
CONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY IN SOCIAL MOBILITY (according to U.S. News & World Report) R1
PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES (according to U.S. News & World Report)
(U.S. News & World Report’s university rankings from 2015 to 2025) #1
UNIVERSITY IN FLORIDA The Wall Street Journal 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S.
ALUMNI
TOP 10
#1 300K+ TOP 10
AMONG PUBLIC R1 UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH EXPENDITURE GROWTH (2012 to 2022)
CONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG THE BEST VALUE PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES (according to multiple national rankings)
