Bachelor of Arts in International and Public Affairs - Policy and Governance

The concentration in International and Public Affairs equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to be engaged global citizens. This concentration offers three tracks: Development, Policy & Governance, and Security. All students take a common core of five classes, beginning with a choice of thematic gateway lecture courses (ideally taken during freshman or sophomore year), and then building through a required junior seminar and a required senior seminar (eligible students may choose to write an honor's thesis to satisfy the senior seminar requirement). All students choose one of three tracks of substantive specialization: Development, in which students explore issues of human development in local and global contexts, and across both the developing world and advanced industrial settings, Security, which allows students to explore issues of security in both local and global contexts, and Policy and Governance, in which students explore the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policies to resolve societal challenges, as well as the governing structures that yield those policies.

All International and Public Affairs concentrators choose a track of specialization: Development, Policy & Governance, or Security. Students in each track are required to take a track foundational course (which lays out broad themes and questions for the track), and then select five track electives. In the spirit of the Open Curriculum, students will enjoy great latitude in the selection of these five electives, and if they so choose, can focus on a particular country, region, or issue area (i.e. social justice, humanitarianism, nuclear proliferation, and economic development.) At the same time, for each track, advisors across the concentration's advising system can provide students with a variety of suggested curricula to foster the systematic accumulation of knowledge.

The Policy & Governance Track is concerned with the design and generation of policies to address societal problems (whether at the local, national, or international levels), the implementation of those policies, and the assessment of the effectiveness of those policies once they are in place.

International applicants, like all applicants to Brown, are expected to complete secondary school. Brown's first-year students will have completed 12 to 13 years of primary and secondary schooling. Similar to applications from students within the United States, we evaluate applications from students outside the United States with their context and opportunities in mind.
English language proficiency must be achieved before you are admitted. Brown does not offer courses in English as a Second Language for its undergraduates and does not offer provisional acceptances to students who are deficient in English.
A minimum score of 105 on the TOEFL internet-based exam, a minimum score of 8.0 on the IELTS
minimum score of 130 on the Duolingo