Professor Lyuba Zarsky of the Fisher MBA and International Environmental Policy programs works with a student.
Since its founding in 1955, the Monterey Institute has stayed closely attuned to the ever-changing demands on our graduates as they move into their chosen fields. Our faculty are often practicing professionals who are constantly evaluating the programs in order to match curriculum offerings with the needs of the market and our graduating students. As Tupac Shakur put it, “you either evolve or you disappear.”
One change announced this fall is that the International Policy Studies (IPS) degree has been renamed International Policy and Development (IPD) and has joined forces with Public Administration (MPA) under the umbrella program of Development Practice and Policy (DPP). The IPD degree prepares graduates for meaningful careers in development policy—in international and multilateral organizations, in governments, in business and nonprofits, and at the local level, in rich and poor countries alike. “Because the IPD degree is part of the larger DPP program at MIIS, our students will also have a keen understanding of problems of policy implementation and management at the grassroots level,” says Jeffrey Dayton-Johnson, program chair for the IPD program and interim dean of the Graduate School of International Policy and Management.
Jeff adds that “the evolution of the IPS degree into the IPD is the latest step in the ongoing adaptation of our degree offerings as the job market and the larger world evolve—just like the creation of new degrees like Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies in decades past. It’s critically important that our IPS alumni know that they will always be part of the family, and that we will continue to rely on them for the orientation and support that they give to our students and recent graduates.”
The theme of evolution continues in the MBA realm; the Masters in Business Administration or MBA program at MIIS is now known as the Fisher MBA in Global Impact Management, and offers an accelerated 12-month program as well as the traditional 20-month program. Students can specialize in new tracks such as resilient business management, social enterprise and finance and corporate risk management and compliance. As with the IPD program, the reconfiguration of the MBA program is designed to meet the changing needs of students interested in advancing their careers in the field.
All of which is not to neglect the new International Trade & Economic Diplomacy degree launching next fall. As it always has, MIIS continues to evolve!