Sign In / Sign Out
Navigation for Entire University
Thunderbird School of Global Management
Executive Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management
Learn more
Overview
At the Intersection of Global Business, International Affairs, and Global Policy
Today’s world needs future-ready global leaders and managers more than ever. The global economy is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic as the Fourth Industrial Revolution accelerates, reshaping how we create value, work, live – indeed who we are. In this new era of rapid change, transnational organizations demand entrepreneurial innovators who can create sustainable global futures across geographies, cultures, and sectors.
Thunderbird’s one-year Executive Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management provides a digital global mindset and a unique combination of 21st-century hard and soft skills. Students build expertise in leading systems and new enterprises, managing complexity, disruptive innovation, digital transformation, and collaborative problem-solving.
Learn While You Earn
Based in Washington, DC, the program is tailored for mid-career professionals in all sectors, offering specializations in global business or global public policy. Most classes meet every other Friday or Saturday. The flexible schedule allows participants to continue working while earning their degree. Students can choose to travel abroad by opting into Thunderbird’s immersive week-long global challenge labs and field seminars for executive cohorts.
Choose Between Two Areas of Focus
The global business concentration will equip graduates with fundamental competencies in business accounting, corporate finance, and marketing. The global policy track provides deep knowledge and leadership acumen in agile governance, multi-stakeholder systems, new metrics for change, and key economic tools and frameworks. Students can also create their own concentration by combining courses from more than one track.
Thunderbird graduates make a difference everywhere they go, and their careers can take them anywhere. Discover how an executive master’s degree from Thunderbird can advance your career and put you, your organization, and your community on a path to economic growth and sustainability.
Thunderbird Difference:
Global Mindset
Transdisciplinary Skillset
Cross-sectoral Approach
4th Industrial Revolution Leadership
At a Glance
1 Full Year;
Spring, Summer and Fall
Degree earned
Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management
Average work experience
16 years
Range of program scholarship: $6-20K
Located in Washington D.C.
Who should attend
Professionals who are interested in leadership positions within their existing organizations or interested in making a bold move in their careers by switching industries entirely.
Experienced professionals seeking careers in international management, sustainable development, global policy-making, where a multi-disciplinary focus on address global issues are held at a premium.
Globally-minded mid-career professionals in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors interested in taking their careers to the next level.
Diplomacy, public policy, and global business professionals who want to develop the interdisciplinary skill sets needed to address global challenges by managing disruption and working across sectors.
Student Testimonies
"If you're an American and you think you have all the answers, think again, join the Thunderbird Family and expand your global horizon...You are never too old, too experienced, or too busy to join the Thunderbird Family. I enrolled in the EMAGAM program 25 years after earning my MA in International Studies from a top tier program west of the Mississippi."
James E. '20 (USA)
"The professors are super helpful and worry about your learning process. They are open and request constructive feedback on how they can provide a better course experience. During the pandemic, the professors adapted the face-to-face class to online classes quite quickly and with high quality."
Luciana P. '20 (Brazil)
"This program is unique in equipping modern diplomats with 21st-century skill sets and policy tools that balance strategic thinking with agility, enhance global leadership competencies and system thinking capabilities and the capacity to develop multi-stakeholders’ partnerships by leveraging world networks in order to advance the common good."
Tarek B.Y. '20 (Tunisia)
Class 2020 Profile
Average Work Experience:
16 years
(from 5 to 25 years)
Gender:
62% Female
38% Male
Non-native U.S.
69%
Native U.S.
31%
Countries represented:
9
Average Age:
41 (from 33 to 57)
Admitted with Advance Degrees:
69%
Prior Degrees:
Bachelor of Science in Economics, Master of Economics in International Development, Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security Studies, Master of Arts in International Politics and Security, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Master of International Relations, Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Master in Economic Policy and Management, Master in Education, Information & Communications Technology, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Business Administration - International Business (MBA), Master in Public Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies, School of Diplomacy.
Employers:
Foreign Embassies, U.S. Intelligence Services, World Bank, Inter-American Institute for Economic Development, Global Environment Facility, Aldrin Family Foundation, Arizona Department of Economic Security, and others.
Current titles:
Senior Financial Analyst, Economic Counselor, Deputy Chief of Mission, Intelligence Programs Advisor, Senior Operations System Coordinator, Senior Private Sector Specialist, Acting Head of Mission, First Secretary- Trade and Investment, and others.
Program Curriculum
Course Outline
- Start date: January 2021
- Total Credits 30
- Core Requirements: 21
- Electives: 9 credits (choose one of two tracks)
- Weekend Schedule: Every other Friday and Saturday
- Tracks: Global Business, Global Public Policy
- Coursework:
- Spring Semester
- Global Leadership: Creating Solutions for the 21st Century (one-week immersion course)
- States and Markets in a Global Economy: The Fourth Industrial Revolution in a Global Economy
- Global Affairs Theory: Complexity and the Art of Problem-Solving
- International Organizations: The Craft of Global Networks in Global Affairs
- States and Markets in a Global Economy: The Fourth Industrial Revolution in a Global Economy
- Metrics Bootcamp: The Language of Business, Government, and Civil Society
- Summer
- Selected Track Course A:
- Global Accounting, or
- Global Public Policy
- Selected Track Course B:
- Financial Management for Global Value Creation, or
- Strategic Planning for Public Sector Leaders: Collaborative Governance
- Fall semester
- Selected Track Course C
- Global Marketing, or
- Leadership in Public Organizations: Agile Governance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
- Global Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business
- International Finance and Trade
- Advanced Perspectives on Global Leadership and Strategy: EMAGAM Capstone
EMAGAM Academic Calendar 2021
| January | 11-16 | 29-30 |
| February | 12-13 | 26-27 |
| March | 12-13 | -- |
| April | 9-10 | 23-24 |
| May | 7-8 | 21-22 |
| June | 11-12 | 25-26 |
| July | 9-10 | -- |
| August | -- | -- |
| September | 10-11 | 17-18 |
| October | 8-9 | 22-23 |
| November | 5-6 | 19-20 |
| December | 6-10 | -- |
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Financial Assistance
There are many different options available to help you finance your graduate education at Thunderbird. More than 96% of Thunderbird students receive financial assistance through loans, scholarships or other awards. Arizona State University’s Financial Aid team works with you hand-in-hand to find the financing solutions for your unique situation.
Scholarships
Apply for a Thunderbird Alumni Scholarship using the Scholarship Form in the application, you will receive this from your recruiter program manager. On average, applicants receive $12K for the entire year, (3) terms, it takes to complete the Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management. The award is based on merit, financial need, GPA and international experience.
Application Deadlines
Spring (January start)
| April 25 | Priority deadline |
| June 7 | First-round deadline |
| July 26 | Second-round deadline |
| October 4 | Third-round and international student deadline |
| November 29 | Final deadline |
Application Requirements
- Undergraduate degree from an accredited university degree program
- Official transcripts from all previously attended undergraduate and graduate institutions sent to ASU Graduate Admissions
- Competitive TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo scores (if you did not graduate from an English-speaking university in a native English-speaking country)
- International experience
- Submission of the online application, including:
- Resume documenting your professional and academic history
- Admissions interview with one Thunderbird School of Global Management faculty member for shortlisted candidates
- No GMAT/GRE required
Global leadership potential
Our Admissions team will consider both your professional and personal experience when assessing your fit for the program. On average, our students have five years of professional experience before entering the program; however, each candidate’s global leadership potential—and his or her ability to bring global experience and cultural insight into the classroom—is of utmost importance to our Admissions team. We seek to fill our program with globally-minded students whose professional or personal experiences will add value to the diverse cultural and social Thunderbird experience.
International students
The application process for international students is the same as for domestic students, with the exception of submitting proof of English proficiency (for students whose native language is not English). After admission, you will also be required to obtain a U.S. visa, which includes submitting a graduate financial guarantee. All international transcripts must be submitted in their original language accompanied by an official English translation. Translations must be literal, complete versions of the originals and must be translated by a university, government official, or official translation service. You may not complete your own translation. Photocopies and notarized transcripts are not acceptable.
English proficiency requirements
Applicants are required to meet certain English proficiency standards for acceptance (You must have a Duolingo score of 120 or higher for admission to Thunderbird). If your English proficiency scores are below acceptance standards, you may be required to take pre-degree English instruction to ensure you meet the level of English proficiency needed to succeed in your graduate studies.
Our Campus in DC
1800 I Street, NW Washington, DC 20006
Our downtown Washington, D.C. presence at Arizona State University's Barrett & O'Connor building on 18th and I (eye) Streets offer a convenient location for working professionals who need flexible degree programs. Located across the street from the Farragut West Metro stop (orange, grey, blue) and two blocks from the Farragut North Metro stop (red), our DC campus is just four blocks from the White House and sit at the center of the world's global policy center. A cross-cultural city in every sense, Washington is home to the U.S. federal government, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and a host of other multi-national organizations, think tanks, associations, and non-profit organizations.
The Barrett & O'Connor Washington Center features state-of-the-art facilities including The Decision Theater, connect classrooms, study group rooms with video-conferencing, meeting facilities, and more. In addition to Thunderbird, the Center also houses the McCain Institute, Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology, the Center on the Future of War, the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes; and various other ASU initiatives.
A world-renowned faculty of academics & practitioners
This one-year program allows students to earn a master's from the world's top global leadership and management school in an accelerated format with world-renowned academics and practitioners with in-depth experience across fields and industries.
Prof. Anne-Marie Slaughter, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Practice & former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Dept.
International Organization: The Craft of Global Networks in Global Affairs: Understanding the basic principles of network theory as applied to the design, development, and management of networks involving business, NGOs, and government.
Prof. Landry Signé, Ph.D.
Professor & Senior Director for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Globalization 4.0 Center
Agile Governance, Emerging Technologies, and Strategic Multistakeholder Collaboration during the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Globalization 4.0: A systematic account of the study of leadership, agility, and decision-making processes in public and private organizations, including the role of business and disruptive innovations.
Prof. Ann Florini, Ph.D.
Clinical Professor & former Senior Fellow at Brookings
Globalization 4.0: Global Affairs in the 21st Century: An overview of the major trends of the 21st century providing insights into what it means to live in an era of growing complexity, what we know about how such complex systems behave, and how to manage under conditions of great uncertainty.
Prof. Mark Esposito, Ph.D.
Clinical Professor of Global Shifts & author of The AI Republic
The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Understanding how the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be the new overarching narrative of how labor, planetary challenges and ethical boundaries will redefine our society indelibly.
