Walsh School of Foreign Service
The capital letters SFS in a sans-serif font in a sky blue color above a navy dividing bar, below which has Georgetown University spelled in all capitals, a swash serif font, and navy color.
TypePrivate
Established1919 (1919)[1]
FounderEdmund A. Walsh
Parent institution
Georgetown University
Religious affiliation
Roman Catholic (Jesuit)
Academic affiliations
APSIA
DeanJoel Hellman
Academic staff
134 (main campus)
Students2,273[1]
Undergraduates1,423[1]
Postgraduates850[1]
Location
Washington
,
D.C.
,
U.S.

38°54′32″N 77°4′25″W / 38.90889°N 77.07361°W / 38.90889; -77.07361
CampusUrban
Websitesfs.georgetown.edu

The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS) is the school of international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It grants degrees at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Founded in 1919, SFS is the oldest continuously operating school for international affairs in the United States,[2][3] predating the U.S. Foreign Service by six years, and many of its graduates pursue careers in U.S. foreign policy.[4] Despite its reputation for producing prominent American statesmen and diplomats, the school is not a diplomatic academy, and its graduates go on to have careers in a diverse range of sectors, including Wall Street.

The School of Foreign Service was established by Edmund A. Walsh with the goal of preparing Americans for various international professions in the wake of expanding U.S. involvement in world affairs after the First World War. Today, the school hosts a student body of approximately 2,250 from over 100 nations each year. It offers an undergraduate program based in the liberal arts, which leads to the Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree, as well as eight interdisciplinary graduate programs.[1]

History

The SFS is housed in the Intercultural Center on Georgetown's main campus.

With the help of Georgetown University president Fr. John B. Creeden, S.J., Fr. Walsh spearheaded the founding of the School of Foreign Service and its establishment was announced on November 25, 1919.[2][3] The school's use of the name “Foreign Service” preceded the formal establishment of the U.S. Foreign Service by six years. The school was envisioned by Fr. Walsh to prepare students for all major forms of foreign representation from commercial, financial, consular to diplomatic.[5]

In 1921, it graduated its first class of Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) undergraduate students.[6] The following year, the school began to offer the first international relations graduate program in the United States, the Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS).[7][8] In August 1932, the SFS was moved to the Healy Hall, a National Historic Landmark.[9]

In 1958, two years after the death of Fr. Walsh, the school was renamed after him[10] and moved to the Walsh Building in a ceremony dedicated by President Eisenhower in honor of Fr. Walsh.[11] Since 1982, the school has been housed in the Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Intercultural Center (ICC) on the main campus.[12][13]

In June 2023, the administrators announced the plan to rename the school in honor of the late Madeleine Albright, who served as a professor at SFS both before and after her tenure as U.S. secretary of state. It attracted criticism due to Albright's controversial legacy and the lack of consultation with the school's community members.[14][15][16]

Academics

Undergraduate program

The Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree is offered by the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. The degree is rooted in the liberal arts. Following completion of the core requirements, students declare one of the following interdisciplinary majors:

  • Culture and Politics (CULP)[17]
  • Global Business (GBUS)[18]
  • International Economics (IECO)[19]
  • International History (IHIS)[20]
  • International Political Economy (IPEC)[21]
  • International Politics (IPOL)[22]
  • Regional and Comparative Studies (RCST)[23]
  • Science, Technology, & International Affairs (STIA) [24]

There is also a joint degree — Bachelor of Science in Business and Global Affairs — offered in partnership with Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.[25]

Graduate program

Graduate students can pursue eight interdisciplinary graduate degrees in the school:[26]

  • Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) with concentrations in:
    • Global Business, Finance & Society (GBFS)
    • Global Politics & Security (GPS)
    • International Development (IDEV)
    • Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA)
  • Master of Arts in Security Studies (SSP)
  • Master of Global Human Development (GHD)
  • Master of Arts in Arab Studies (MAAS)
  • Master of Arts in Asian Studies (MASIA)
  • Master of Arts in German and European Studies (MAGES)
  • Master of Arts in Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies (MAERES)
  • Master of Arts in Latin American Studies (CLAS)

There are also two joint degrees offered in partnership with Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. The first is the Global Executive MBA, which is offered in collaboration with the ESADE Business School in Spain. and the INCAE Business School in Costa Rica. The second is the MA in International Business and Policy (MA-IBP). SFS is a member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), a group of public policy, public administration, and international affairs schools.

Additionally, exceptional undergraduate SFS students can apply for the accelerated bachelor’s/master’s dual-degree program, which allows enrollment in one of the graduate programs (e.g. BSFS/MSFS, BSFS/MASIA, etc.) during the final undergraduate year and completion of both degrees in approximately five years.[27][28]

Certificates

Georgetown offers a number of undergraduate certificate programs: African studies, Arab studies, Asian studies, Australian & New Zealand studies, German and European studies, international business diplomacy, international development, Muslim-Christian understanding, Jewish civilization, justice & peace studies, Latin American studies, medieval studies, Russian & East European studies, social & political thought, and women's and gender studies.

Reputation and rankings

Georgetown's programs in international relations have consistently ranked among the best in the world in surveys of the field's academics that have been published biennially since 2005 by Foreign Policy.[29] In 2014 and in 2018 Foreign Policy ranked Georgetown's master's programs first in the world and its bachelor's programs fourth.[30] In a separate survey of makers of American foreign-policy from 2011, Georgetown ranked second overall in the quality of preparation for a career in the U.S. government, regardless of degree earned.[31]

Student Life

There are a vast array of clubs and student organizations at Georgetown University that students from the School of Foreign Service join. The elected representative organization of the SFS is the SFS Academic Council, also known as the SFSAC. The SFSAC advocates for the SFS student body and works with the Dean's Office to address student concerns, spearhead new initiatives, and coordinate events. In addition to elected representatives, the SFSAC has several committees, including Community Service and Outreach, Special Events, Professional Development, General Membership, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and Communications.

Campuses

The School of Foreign Service main campus, which is part of the main campus of Georgetown University, is located in the Georgetown neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. In 2005, it opened another campus, the School of Foreign Service in Qatar (also known as SFS-Q or GU-Q), in Qatar Foundation's Education City in Doha, Qatar. Many SFS undergraduates spend a minimum of one semester or a summer abroad, choosing from direct matriculation programs around the globe as well as programs of other universities and those run by Georgetown, including SFS-Q and Villa Le Balze.

In 2023, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the School of Foreign Service planned to partner with the Indonesian government to open a satellite campus in Jakarta, Indonesia.[32][33]

List of deans

Deans
No. Name Years Notes Ref.
1 Edmund A. Walsh SJ 1919–1921 [34]
2 Roy S. MacElwee 1921–1923 [34]
3 W. F. Notz 1923–1935 [34]
4 Thomas H. Healy 1935–1943 [34]
5 Edmund A. Walsh SJ 1945–1950 Acting dean [34]
6 Frank L. Fadner SJ 1950–1958 Acting dean [34]
7 John F. Parr 1958–1962 [34]
8 William E. Moran, Jr. 1962–1966 [34]
9 Joseph S. Sebes SJ 1966–1968 [35]
10 Jesse Mann 1968–1970 [35]
11 Peter F. Krogh 1970–1995 [35]
12 Robert Gallucci 1995–2009 [35]
13 Carol Lancaster 2010–2013 [36]
- James Reardon-Anderson 2013–2015 Interim dean [37]
14 Joel Hellman 2015–present [38]

Notable alumni

A black and white flier with a photo of a young male student and text above saying A Realistic Approach to Student Government and below saying Bill Clinton, candidate, President of the Student Council.
Bill Clinton, class of 1968, ran for student council president his senior year.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Georgetown Key Facts". Georgetown University.
  2. 1 2 "Georgetown University". Forbes. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Oren, Ido (December 14, 2020). "Schools of international affairs in the United States: a historical sketch". Cambridge Review of International Affairs. 36 (3): 328–351. doi:10.1080/09557571.2020.1855630. ISSN 0955-7571. S2CID 230562181.
  4. ↑ Lim, Alex (January 23, 2010). "Foreign Affairs". The Straits Times. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  5. ↑ "A Legacy of Service". Georgetown University. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  6. ↑ "The first class of undergraduates is granted degrees". SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Master of Science in Foreign Service / Master of Public Policy (MSFS/MPP)". Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  8. ↑ "First master's degrees are granted". SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  9. ↑ "The School of Foreign Service moves to Healy Hall". SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ McNamara, Patrick (2005). A Catholic Cold War: Edmund A. Walsh, S.J., and the Politics of American Anticommunism. New York: Fordham University Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-8232-2459-7. Archived from the original on September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ "President Eisenhower dedicates the Walsh Building in honor of Father Walsh". SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Contact". SFS - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Intercultural Center Becomes New Home for MSFS". MSFS. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  14. ↑ Arlis, Angelena Bougiamas, Ninabella (July 12, 2023). "Faculty concerns stall plans to rename SFS after Madeleine Albright, spark debate". The Georgetown Voice. Retrieved July 19, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Goodman, Alana (June 16, 2023). "Georgetown Faculty Object to Renaming Foreign Affairs School After Madeleine Albright". Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  16. ↑ Soloman, Lukas (June 25, 2023). "Georgetown honouring Madeleine Albright endangers Arabs". The New Arab. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Culture and Politics Major - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University". November 1, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Global Business Major | Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  19. ↑ "International Economics | Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service". Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  20. ↑ "International History | Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service | Georgetown University". Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  21. ↑ "International Political Economy | Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service". Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  22. ↑ "International Politics Major - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University". October 27, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Regional and Comparative Studies | Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service". Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Science, Technology and International Affairs Major - School of Foreign Service - Georgetown University". October 24, 2015.
  25. ↑ "B.S. in Business and Global Affairs". bga.georgetown.edu. December 31, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Graduate Programs". sfs.georgetown.edu.
  27. ↑ "Majors, Certificates/Minors and Accelerated Degree programs". 2022-2023 Undergraduate Bulletin. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Degree Options". Georgetown University - Master of Science in Foreign Service. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations | Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP)". Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  30. ↑ "The Best International Relations Schools in the World" – via Foreign Policy.
  31. ↑ "Pipeline to the Beltway?" – via Foreign Policy.
  32. ↑ "Georgetown to Open Campus in Indonesia". November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  33. ↑ House, The White (November 12, 2023). "Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials Previewing the Bilateral Engagement of President Biden and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia". The White House. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Curran 2010a, p. 404, Appendix I: Deans of the School of Foreign Service, 1919–66
  35. 1 2 3 4 Curran 2010b, p. 297, Appendix I: Deans of the School of Foreign Service, 1962–2010
  36. ↑ Schudel, Matt (November 1, 2014). "Carol J. Lancaster, dean of Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, dies at 72". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  37. ↑ "World Bank Global Crisis Expert to Become Next SFS Dean". Georgetown University. April 14, 2015. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  38. ↑ "World Bank Global Crisis Expert to Become Next SFS Dean". Georgetown University. April 14, 2015. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Goei, Dexter". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Prominent Alumni – School of Foreign Service". sfs.georgetown.edu. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  41. ↑ Courtney Stadd

Sources

  • Curran, Robert Emmett (2010a). A History of Georgetown University: The Quest for Excellence, 1889–1964. Vol. 2. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1-58901-689-7.
  • Curran, Robert Emmett (2010b). A History of Georgetown University: The Rise to Prominence, 1964–1989. Vol. 3. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1-58901-690-3.
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