Master of Arts in International Relations

The Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) program is a one-year Master’s degree leveraging ACM's strategic location in Southern France. The program builds on the historic academic tradition of the Institute for American Universities (IAU), ACM's study abroad institute, as one of the first American institutions abroad to prepare students for careers as diplomats in the Foreign Service or in international business. French was the language of diplomacy at the founding of the Institute for American Universities in the late 1950’s when the Cold War was at the forefront of the international political landscape. The founders of IAU had this in mind when they constructed a curriculum based in Political Science and International Relations. The Humanities and Social Sciences have always played an important role at IAU and will naturally serve as the intellectual backbone of the MAIR.

As a founding member of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU), IAU, and by extension, ACM, is part of a network of prestigious American institutions of higher learning dedicated to promoting American-style education abroad. Thanks to these connections, ACM shares resources and expertise with premiere academic institutions such as American University of Beirut, American University of Cairo, American University of Paris, and Central European University.

Candidates for the MAIR can choose to specialize in one of the following tracks:

• Mediterranean Studies
• European Studies
• Environmental Policy
• Conflict Analysis and Resolution
• Diplomacy

Field Studies & Research

A defining characteristic of ACM programs is the synthesis of academic and experiential learning. MAIR candidates will have the chance to conduct field study and short-term research in Brussels, Strasbourg, Geneva, Paris, Madrid, Rabat and Istanbul. With ACM’s network of international scholars, intellectuals, and politicians, students will observe international organizations such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the World Trade Organization, NATO, and various consulates and embassies in North Africa and Turkey.

Internships

At the end of the spring semester, ACM will help students secure internships in various government and non-government organizations or international businesses in the region or elsewhere. The ACM local contact network includes places such as the US Consulate General in Marseille, City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, l’Office du Tourisme, Maritime Organizations in Marseille, the International Red Cross, crisis relief agencies for immigrants, and many others. Although ACM guides and supports students in this process, each student is responsible for applying and interviewing for internships. Students will receive four credits for their internship, submitting regular reports to their advisors with a final report in July.

Language and Culture

All students admitted into the program will be required to take French language and culture courses in the Fall and Spring semesters of the program. If admitted students are Francophone speakers with high proficiency, they will fulfill the language requirement in either Arabic or Spanish.

Degree Requirements

The MAIR is a thirty-six credit hour, one-year program consisting of required three-credit core courses (15 units), several different electives according to students' chosen tracks (9 units), an intersession traveling seminar (4 units), an internship during the second semester (4 units), and finally a Master’s Thesis (4 units) submitted at the completion of the program. A Master’s Thesis prospective will be submitted in the second semester for approval by the student’s advisor. Students will continue to work on the thesis paper with their advisor and submit no later than July 1st for successful completion of the program. The advisor will help determine the student’s particular track of study depending on the thesis’ area of focus.

The American College of the Mediterranean

The American College of the Mediterranean (ACM) is a U.S. college in Aix-en-Provence, France. ACM is a leader in international education and provides an American-style education with a global focus. ACM strives to provide excellence in international education, inspire intercultural awareness, and prepare students for success in a global community through the study of European and Mediterranean history, languages, cultures, and contemporary issues. It does so through a unique combination of courses, internships, curricula, that combine to create American-style undergraduate and graduate degree programs in an international and cross-cultural setting.

ACM’s Distinctions include:

• An American-style institution of higher learning with the U.S. and French non-profit status
• Originally chartered as an institution of higher education by the Regents of the State University of New York, as the Institute for American Universities with a rich history dating back to 1957
• Recognized as an institution of higher learning by the French Ministry as a Private institution of Higher Education (French wording) and the Rectorat of Aix-Marseille University.
• Founding member of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU), providing students with study abroad opportunities at various locations primarily in Europe and North Africa

Location

ACM’s campus is in the south of France, in the charming and vibrant city of Aix-en-Provence. Aix is…

• A university town with over 40,000 college students
• A legal and academic hub, home to the south of France’s appellate court
• The birthplace of post-impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, whose subject was often the majestic mountain Sainte-Victoire
• Known for its many fountains and café-lined Cours Mirabeau
• 25 minutes from the Marseille-Provence Airport
• 15 minutes to the Aix TGV bullet-trains station

Programs

ACM offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that are site-specific in nature, with a focus on the arts, business, humanities, and social sciences.

ACM BY THE NUMBERS

• 12:1 student-teacher ratio
• 10 students is the average class size
• 45% of faculty are full-time
• 95% of ACM faculty have a PhD or the terminal degree in their field

With ACM, you have the opportunity to take part in the following:

An American-style Degree In France

The American College of the Mediterranean (ACM) provides the American-style education with which you are familiar in the charming and vibrant city of Aix-en-Provence, a university town with over 40,000 college students. With several majors and minors to choose from, including the option to self-design a field of study and a core curriculum that is specific to the Mediterranean region, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture and learn in a high-impact, experiential way.

Course Instruction in English

All courses are taught in English, apart from language courses in French, Spanish, or Arabic at all levels. Opportunities to improve especially your French skills outside of the classroom are also available, including living with a host family, ACM’s language partner program, and course field studies.

Cost-conscious

As a non-profit institution of higher education, ACM focuses on keeping its costs affordable. While scholarships and grants are available for eligible students, our goal is to keep costs low from the start.

The Option To Transfer

If you are not able to begin your undergraduate degree with ACM, you have the opportunity to complete it with us. ACM welcomes transfer students to apply to our Bachelor of Arts program who have completed at least one semester of college and maintained a minimum GPA of 2.5.

International Work Experience

ACM’s robust internship network will allow you to gain international work experience while completing your degree and will introduce you to important international contacts. Learn more about internship opportunities and see where ACM has placed previous student interns by visiting the internship webpage.

Marketable Skills

With your degree from ACM, your enhanced skills and unique experiences will increase development in crucial international and intercultural competencies. ACM alumni are already seeing these benefits play out after graduation, as many have gone on to rigorous graduate schools, including Columbia University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, while others have leveraged their ACM degree and landed high-level jobs with such establishments as the United Nations World Food Programme and the Washington State Legislature.