Academics Earning your master's degree

Yes. From its inception more than sixty years ago, the Patterson School has provided only graduate education. Our Ph.D. program was dropped in the 1960s to concentrate on professional training for master's degree students only. We believe this exclusive focus is a signature strength. Undergraduates and doctoral students have vastly different needs from masters candidates intent on professional careers. In our opinion, the equality of status among all our students fosters a better learning environment. In many programs, Ph.D. students garner the lion's share of faculty attention and financial resources. Not here.

The Patterson School's original benefactor recognized this important connection over a century ago, believing that America needed a strong cadre of professionals trained to advance U.S. interests in both areas. His prescience has been underscored by unbounded globalization, the economic/trade questions that seem to underpin almost every diplomatic issue, and the success of our graduates. All Patterson students, regardless of their individual concentrations, receive a general exposure to international commerce via guest lecturers and corporate site visits.

No. While the majority of students graduate after 18 months, increasingly we have students who take two years – most typically to permit additional language training and/or to extend a particularly valuable overseas internship. You should review such plans with your academic advisor. In any case, all the needed coursework for the master's degree can be completed in three semesters.

It depends on the needs of the student. Some students complete a year in the Patterson School first and then start law or business school. After the second year of law school, having taken three or more international law classes, some students will take MA comprehensive exams and complete their Patterson degrees. Other possibilities are:

1. Going to law school first, coming to the Patterson School the second year (most students decide not to do this because it breaks solidarity with their law school class), 
2. Finishing any of the three degrees first. 

If you choose to start law or business school first, you must keep us informed about your intentions and perform well. There is no one correct answer. The Modern Language MA and Global Health certificate are normally pursued simultaneously with Patterson School coursework.

You should probably go elsewhere. Our professional program has been carefully crafted to prepare students for non-academic careers in international affairs. Those employers do not typically seek, or require, applicants holding a Ph.D. for their positions. While we believe our program is exceptional, a Ph.D. in a core academic discipline – political science, economics, history – may be more marketable than one in diplomacy. If, however, your desire is to work first professionally and later continue your studies, our program may still be an excellent fit. Many Patterson School graduates have later obtained doctoral degrees and some, despite the above admonition, proceed directly upon graduation to Ph.D. programs.

Our programs of study are flexible and can be tailored closely to match a student's individual interests and career ambitions. Many Patterson students complement core coursework with classes from not only standard arts and sciences disciplines, but also the law school, business school, public health school, and agricultural school. Kentucky is one of only seven American universities that maintain on a single campus these, plus a medical and pharmacy school. Indeed, as environmental and health challenges have risen in international affairs, this diversity of class offerings will become ever more vital. 

The cost of education at a public institution can be decidedly lower than at a private one. University of Kentucky tuition is one-fourth that of some of our key competitors (see cost of attendance comparison below). This makes our program an option for a wider range of students and can also enable our graduates to more easily pursue careers in public service or the non-profit sector.

Finally, in addition to academic benefits, the University of Kentucky provides a wide range of cultural activities, athletic facilities, and spectator sports.

Doesn't everyone! Some knowledge of undergraduate level economics and statistics is preferred, but admitted students can remedy shortcomings in both areas via special classes at UK. For those who need supplementary econ work, an intensive two-week class (not for credit) is available for new students before August orientation. Students are required to take Diplomacy 777: Research Questions in IR during their first fall semester, if they have not already done extensive methodology coursework.

We expect students to be proficient in a second language upon graduation, but not for admission. Further work on language skills can be done at the University of Kentucky, in summer language programs, or by taking advantage of study abroad options (like the State Department's Critical Language Scholarship Program). Current UK language offerings include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. 

For more advanced training or exotic languages, Patterson School students often head to Middlebury's Language Schools, the University of Wisconsin's Summer Language Institutes, and Indiana University's SWSEEL, or to universities in China and the Middle East.