JOSEF KORBEL SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Confronting great challenges
Today, our mission is more important than ever. We are taking on the great challenges of our time: making the global economy more equitable and inclusive, responding to new and emerging security threats, advancing human rights and social justice, combating climate change and promoting healthy democracy.
JOSEF KORBEL SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Fritz Mayer DEAN, JOSEF KORBEL SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Master’s programs ranked 14th in the world by Foreign Policy magazine
Interdisciplinary, customizable education. Accessible, world-class faculty and small class sizes
Located in vibrant Access to international Denver, Colorado’s businesses and capital city and gateway organizations to the Rocky Mountains
Economic Opportunity Around the world and here in the United States, providing economic opportunity for all is an increasingly daunting challenge. How can we create more just and equitable societies for everyone, including the world’s most vulnerable people? At Korbel, professors like Ilene Grabel, a member of the UN Expert Group on Financing for Development, are challenging conventional wisdom and preparing our students to make a difference in the lives of less-advantaged communities. That’s just what Korbel alumnus Gianni DiCioccio did when he took a position with the United Nations Development Program after earning his master’s degree in 2018. And here in Denver, students have opportunities to engage with professors like Rebecca Galemba on issues facing the immigrant community and Lapo Salucci on affordable housing.
DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: MA, GLOBAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS MA, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MA, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MPP, PUBLIC POLICY CERTIFICATE, GLOBAL BUSINESS & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Security As recent events in Afghanistan have forceably reminded us, security remains one of the most important topics of our time. That’s why Professor Deborah Avant and her colleagues at the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy address such issues as civil-military relations, the roles of non-state actors in controlling violence, and the status of women in war-torn societies. Korbel students are digging into security issues of great gravity — from weapons of mass destruction to the military’s use of autonomous systems to issues of human security such as human trafficking. When you join them, you will be part of a diverse and committed student body, learning from leaders in the field and engaging with top secuirty professionals on everything from counterterrorism and criminal investigation to counterintelligence and cybercrime. DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: MA, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY MA, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES CERTIFICATE, HOMELAND SECURITY CERTIFICATE, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Social Justice Around the world, social justice and human rights are more salient than ever, issues like the treatment of women and minorities, the status of refugees and immigrants, equal rights for LBGTQ+ persons, and humanitarian concerns in conflict areas. Associate Professor Marie Berry is empowering those fighting injustice by bringing toether women activists to strengthen their causes with research-backed strategies. Korbel alumna Dian Agustino is among that community of activists. She came to Korbel from Indonesia to learn effective ways to address her country’s most pressing human rights issues, specifically gender-based violence. During her time here, Agustino learned from other activists, working at a local immigration detention center and interning with an organization helping Palestinian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: MA, INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MA, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES CERTIFICATE, HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE CERTIFICATE, GLOBAL BUSINESS & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CERTIFICATE, GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS
Environmental Sustainability Climate change may be the most important long-term threat facing humanity with potentially profound implications for security, social justice, economic inequality and democratic governance. Professor Cullen Hendrix, a member of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, addresses the ways in which climate change interacts with conflict on a global scale. In collaboration with the Korbel School’s Pardee Center for International Futures, students have the opportunity to model future-focused scenarios that depict a world altered by climate change. Students in our new MA program in Global Environmental Sustainability can engage the unrivaled resources of the Denver area — the largest concentration of federal labs and agencies, environmental NGOs, and energy businesses in the country.
DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: MA, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MA, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MA, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MPP, PUBLIC POLICY CERTIFICATE, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND ADAPTATION
Democracy Effective democratic governance is crucial to solving all the other great challenges of our time, yet democracy is under unprecedented threat around the world. Misinformation and extreme partisanship, the rise of populist authoritarian leaders, and other democratic dysfunctions have led to a loss of trust that democracies can solve societal problems. Through our annual Denver Democracy Summit, the Korbel School is a global leader in convening the best minds on these issues. At Korbel, students can draw on virtually all of our research centers and institutes, including the state of democracy in the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe at the Institute for Comparative and Regional Studies; U.S. politics at the Center for American Politics and the Scrivner Institute of Public Policy; and the long-term prospects for democracy at the Pardee Center for International Futures.
DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: MPP, PUBLIC POLICY MA INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MA, INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CERTIFICATE, RELIGION AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CERTIFICATE, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CERTIFICATE, GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS
Discover Our Programs STEP 1
Visit korbel.du.edu to learn more about our programs and request additional information. STEP 2
Plan a virtual or in-person visit to the University of Denver campus for information sessions, class observations and more. STEP 3
Prepare your application materials, including two letters of recommendation, resume, transcripts and a personal statement. GRE scores are not required but will be considered, if you choose to submit them.
The Korbel admissions committee employs holistic review processes and looks to the total sum of an applicant’s profile. We look for candidates whose intellectual curiosity is supported by a strong academic record, relevant work experience, excellent letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose that shows a clear understanding of how programs at the Korbel School will help you reach your career goals. Help us to confront these great challenges. Apply today.
KORBEL.DU.EDU
Degrees and Certificates MASTER’S DEGREES GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY GLOBAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PUBLIC POLICY
CERTIFICATES OF SPECIALIZATION GLOBAL BUSINESS & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND ADAPTATION GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS HOMELAND SECURITY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RELIGION AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
JOSEF KORBEL SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
KORBEL.DU.EDU