Admission Procedures Admission Requirements Appeal of Graduate Admission

Transfer Residency Requirement Academic Policies Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) is a 36-semester-hour graduate program at the University of North Georgia (UNG).  It is designed to provide an advanced understanding of the international system along with a focus on the multiple facets of global security issues. The degree provides students the research and analytical skills to help them to advance in their profession or begin to explore a career in international affairs.

The MAIA program at UNG is an online program and all program instruction is delivered online. All courses necessary for the degree are offered on a two-year rotation basis.

For additional information, call 706-864-1628, or write to Master of Arts in International Affairs, Department of Political Science and International Affairs, Hansford Hall, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001. 

Graduate Studies’ Admission Procedures

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Application materials may be obtained from Graduate Studies, 706-864-1543, or from the UNG website www.ung.edu/graduate/maia. Applicants must pay a one-time, non-refundable application fee. Admission requirements are listed below. When all application materials have been received by Graduate Studies, notification will be sent to the applicant and a copy of all materials will be forwarded to the program. Upon review, notification will be mailed from the MAIA program to the applicant verifying acceptance or denial.

Students who are admitted, but do not enroll within one year of acceptance must reapply through Graduate Studies. Students who were previously enrolled but have not been in attendance within the last three terms must also reapply. All documents and materials submitted to fulfill the application requirements for entry to a program at UNG become the property of the university and will not be returned. These materials are kept for one year for incomplete application files and three years for completed and accepted, but not enrolled applicants.

MAIA Admission Requirements

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The following documents must be received prior to admission:

1. Graduate Studies Application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution and state a calculated grade point average.
4. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) – only if the GRE is to be used as a basis for admission and only those scores that are less than six years old will be considered.
5. Two UNG recommendation forms.
6. Six-hundred word personal statement describing the specific interest in the MAIA degree and any background in the field of international affairs.
7. If applying for in-state tuition, proof of lawful presence in the United States.

Regular Admission

To qualify for regular admission, individuals must:

1. Hold an earned baccalaureate from an accredited four-year institution with at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with UNG’s Graduate Studies admission procedures. OR
2. Hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited, four-year institution and have received at least 950 (verbal and quantitative sections combined) on the GRE taken before August 1, 2011, or at least 301 (verbal and quantitative sections combined) on the GRE taken on or after August 1, 2011.
3. Meet all other program admission requirements.
4. Meeting all admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Final admission is a competitive process that takes all aspects of a student’s record into account

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet the entrance criteria for the MAIA program may apply for provisional admission. The following documents must be received prior to consideration for provisional admission: 

1. Graduate Studies Application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution and state a calculated grade point average.
4. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) — only if the GRE is to be used as a basis for admission and only those scores that are less than six years old will be considered.
5. Two UNG recommendation forms.
6. Six-hundred word personal statement describing the specific interest in the MAIA degree and any background in the field of international affairs.
7. Letter stating the student is applying for provisional admission and outlining the reasons why the program should admit the student provisionally and the steps the student will take to ensure success in the program.
8. Meet all other admission requirements.

Admission may be granted pending a review of the student’s material by a committee of the MAIA faculty.

Students admitted provisionally may register for no more than six hours of graduate credit during their initial term while enrolled with this status. Students’ status will be reviewed to determine eligibility for regular admission following the completion of their first term. Students who achieve a B average in all classes completed will be given regular admission status in the MAIA program. Provisionally admitted students who earn a grade less than a B in any graduate level MAIA course taken during the provisional period will not be allowed to continue in the MAIA program. Students who have been removed because of a deficient grade may reapply for admission by submitting a letter of appeal to the MAIA program coordinator after a period of one year from the date the student was removed. Provisionally admitted students are not eligible for financial aid.

Non-Degree Admission

Individuals interested in taking graduate courses in international affairs, but who do not want to pursue a graduate degree, may apply for admission as a non-degree graduate student. Individuals must receive pre-approval from the MAIA program coordinator before enrolling in courses and may register for no more than a total of six hours of graduate credit.

The following documents must be received prior to admission:

1. Graduate Studies Application.
2. Non-refundable application fee.
3. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended with a minimum 2.75 (4.0 scale) overall cumulative grade point average calculated in accordance with Graduate Studies admission procedures. Official international transcripts must have a foreign course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES). Transcripts must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 2.75.
4. Two UNG recommendation forms.
5. Six-hundred word personal statement describing the specific interest in obtaining the MAIA degree and any background in the field of international affairs.
6. Meet all other admission requirements.
7. If applying for in-state tuition, proof of lawful presence in the United States.

Non-degree students wishing to apply for admission to the MAIA program must notify the program coordinator, submit a new application, and meet all program admission requirements. All elective credit to be applied toward a degree must be approved by the program coordinator. Non-degree admitted students who earn a grade less than a B in any graduate course taken while holding a non-degree status will not be allowed to continue in the MAIA program. Students who have been removed because of a deficient grade may not reapply for admission. Non-degree admitted students are not eligible for financial aid.

Transient Student Admission

MAIA program does not permit transient student enrollment.

International Applicants

Because of Homeland Security guidelines, an F1 visa cannot be issued for online programs. Individuals living and working in the United States whose visa status permits graduate enrollment may be considered for admission. Refer to the admission requirements in the front section of the Graduate Catalog.

Appeal of Graduate Admission

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A candidate whose application is denied has the right to appeal the decision. Appeals must be made in written form to the Master of Arts in International Affairs, Department of Political Science and International Affairs, 82 College Circle, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001. The letter should clearly state the grounds for appeal. A student whose appeal is accepted will be admitted provisionally and must meet the criteria for provisional students. Provisional students are not eligible for financial aid. Applicants may not appeal for regular admission status. 

Transfer Residency Requirement

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To be awarded a Master of Arts in International Affairs, students must earn a minimum of 30 semester credit hours applicable to the degree in residence, unless UNG has an official transfer of graduate credits agreement for international affairs in place with another institution. In addition, no more than six semester credit hours of transfer credit may be applied toward meeting UNG’s MAIA degree requirements. All course requirements, including transfer credits, must be completed within a six-year period. The MAIA program coordinator and the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters must approve all transfer credit. Transfer credit will not be given for any course in which a grade of less than a B was earned.

MAIA Academic Policies

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Incomplete Grades

No student carrying two incomplete grades may enroll in additional course work without the written consent of the International Affairs program coordinator. An incomplete must be finished by the beginning of the second term after which the incomplete was awarded. There are three terms within the course of the academic year; fall, spring, and summer. An incomplete which is not finished by the beginning of the second term will automatically become an F. No degree will be conferred on a student who has an unresolved incomplete grade remaining on his/her transcript.

Repeated Courses

No student enrolled in the MAIA program nor a non-degree student taking MAIA courses may repeat courses for credit or in an attempt to improve a grade. 

Academic Standing Policy

Graduate MAIA students whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

1. Probation – A student will be placed on probation for any of the following reasons:
   a. Student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0.
   
   No student may be a candidate for the degree while on probation due to a grade point average below a 3.0. Probation will be removed when the student’s grade point average reaches 3.0 or greater. In cases where the student is placed on probation, probation will be removed when the student’s overall grade point average is 3.0 or greater. Students on probation will have three consecutive terms to raise their overall grade point average above a 3.0 or be dismissed from the program. The consecutive terms will begin the first term the student enrolls in classes after having been placed on probation.
    
2. Suspension – A student will be placed on suspension for any of the following reasons:
   a. Student earns more than two grades of C.
   b. Student earns a grade below a C.
   c. Student has already served three consecutive terms on academic probation.
   
   The period of suspension will consist of one semester (Fall, Spring) or summer session.
   No student may enroll in graduate courses at UNG while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will be not recognized for transfer credit.

A student who has been placed on suspension based on the standards articulated in the graduate catalog may seek reinstatement to the MAIA program. The reinstatement process is outlined below:

1. All students seeking reinstatement must submit a new application to Graduate Studies and will file a reinstatement request letter. A signed, hard copy of this letter must be sent to the MAIA advisor for the MAIA program. The letter should address the following:

• Explanation of reasons why the student was placed on suspension due to grades earned in the program.
• Overview of what the student will do in the future to correct the problems that caused the suspension.

2. Once the formal letter has been received by the MAIA advisor, a meeting will be held of MAIA faculty who have had the student in class to make a recommendation on reinstatement to the MAIA program coordinator and the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters.
3. MAIA program coordinator will make a recommendation and forward it to the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters for a decision.
4. The student will be informed of the decision via electronic and hard copy letters. If the student is reinstated, included with the decision letter will be a list of recommendations from the MAIA faculty about how the student can successfully complete the requirements for the MAIA program.
5. Students who are reinstated in the MAIA program will return on probation and will have to meet the requirements of that status. In addition, all courses taken by the student must be approved by the MAIA graduate advisor.

Academic and Professional Integrity Policy

At the end of each term, the program faculty or MAIA program coordinator may intervene to establish a plan of action for any student in the program whose competency is in question for reasons including unprofessional, disruptive, or unethical behavior in the classroom or applied setting. The plan will be signed by the student and the MAIA program coordinator with copies forwarded to the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters. 

Academic Integrity

The University of North Georgia recognizes honesty and integrity as being necessary to the academic functioning of the university. UNG graduate students are expected to uphold the university regulations addressed in the Student Code of Conduct, Article 3, Rule 2.

Professional Integrity

The Master of Arts in International Affairs program adheres to the university’s definition of professional integrity as described in the Academics section of the Graduate Catalog.

Policy on Plagiarism

The MAIA program faculty will use a combination of methods to detect plagiarism including www.turnitin.com and Google searches. Penalties for plagiarism will be determined by the course instructor and submitted to the Dean of Students via the Academic Misconduct Report.  Procedures for filing an Academic Misconduct Report are outlined on the UNG website, Dean of Students, Student Code of Conduct, Article 4 - Procedures.

MAIA Degree Requirements

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Graduation requirements for the Master of Arts in International Affairs include:

1. Completion of 36 semester credit hours (18 hours of foundational courses, six hours of capstone, and 12 hours of specialization courses).
2. Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 with no more than two courses with a grade of C.
3. Completion of at least 30 semester credit hours of graduate degree requirements in residence with no more than six semester credit hours of transfer credit.
4. Completion of all degree-related course requirements, including transfer credit, within a six-year period.