Online Master's & Phd Programs in International Studies & Governance

Geneva Graduate School of Governance:
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the Geneva Graduate School of Governance (GGSG) is a bilingual English and French institution of higher education offering online and on-campus graduate education programs in specialist areas including governance studies, international development and social sciences, in addition to intensive training periods. The main language of instruction is English. International and national students are offered a choice of both online graduate certificates & master's degree programs in specialist fields, as well as intensive training periods. A certificate programme involves a year of study while a master’s degree has a two-year duration, but their course contents are very similar.

Online Graduate Education Programs:

A Certificate programme involves a year of study while a Master’s degree has a two-year duration. Their course contents have much in common, but the number of courses for a Certificate degree is half (and total class hours are some 60% of) that for a Master degree.

* Online Graduate Certificate Programs (1 Year):

Fields of Specialization:

* International Governance, Trade and Development
* Risk & Disaster Management
* Labour Management & Migration
* Conflict Management and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
* Management of Energy & Natural Resources

Teaching and study are spread over one year (On-line coursework is equivalent to 40 weeks of day or evening classes). In order to earn the 60 ECTS credits allotted, Certificate students shall be required to take nine “core” courses, and six “specialized” courses in two of the areas of concentration offered, for a total in-class time of 480 hours (or equivalent sustained on-line effort).

Upon completion of the syllabus and final exams, students must successfully take part in (a) the school’s yearly joint integrated exercise (late June), and (b) a media-training exercise.

* Online Master's (MA) Degree Programs (2 Years):

Fields of Specialization:

* International Governance, Trade and Development
* Risk & Disaster Management
* Labour Management & Migration
* Conflict Management and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
* Management of Energy & Natural Resources

Teaching and study are spread over two years, on-line coursework is equivalent to 40 weeks of day or evening on-campus classes. In order to earn the 120 ECTS credits allotted, Master students shall be required to take eighteen “core” courses, and six “specialized” courses in any one of the areas of concentration offered, for a total in-class time of 750 hours (or equivalent sustained on-line effort).

In addition, students must successfully complete (1) a research assignment giving rise to the defence of a 50-page Master’s thesis on a subject related to the chosen area of concentration, (2) a joint integrated policy exercise in late June of the programme’s second year, and (3) an optional internship period upon completion of the degree programme (subject to availability).

- Online Ph.D Programs (Start in September & January Each Year): 
Specialist areas include political science, sociology, economics, law and management which cover such substantive fields as international relations and diplomacy, geopolitics and geo-economics, security studies, governance and public policy, societal trends, and development studies.

They feature permanent, individualized guidance by two faculty advisers, supplemented by a written course on (general and operational) methodology. Beyond written documents supplied by faculty, formal classroom teaching is limited to annual seminars in the Geneva area. The student / adviser interaction takes place regularly through email and web meetings, or through face-to-face interviews in Geneva by appointment with faculty advisers. This means that permanent residence in Geneva is not required of students.

Doctoral programmes are designed to last from two to five years. Two-year Ph.D’s are reserved for students who have already done a fair amount of work on their research subject, either at another institution or in a professional capacity. Public defence of a 300-350 page-long thesis before an international committee of prominent scholars specializing in the researched topic completes the cycle. Publication of the thesis is the norm whenever the committee awards it the highest distinction. Dissertations use either English or French. Written material supplied by the Graduate School is in English.

Ph.D’s enjoy a premium on the international executive job market. Doctoral degrees at GGSG do not involve a requirement for permanent residence in Geneva. Most exchanges between Ph.D. candidates and faculty advisers take place via e-mail. Yet, face-to-face interviews and seminars in the Geneva area are part and parcel of the doctoral curriculum, and mean that you will have to travel to and from Geneva on at least 5 occasions over the 2 to 5 years of study that a doctoral degree involves – unless a student exchange agreement exists between GGSG and another higher education institution (in which case those seminars are held on that institution’s premises).

Additionally:

* Intensive Training Periods:   We offer external or exchange students four-week periods of intensive study, optionally followed by internships in Geneva or elsewhere. This is offered year-round.