Master of Arts - Asia Pacific Policy Studies (MAPPS)

We recently held two on-line information sessions about the MAPPS program. The second session in available in archived form.

Information session details

The MAPPS program...

• prepares you for careers in policy-analysis and policy-making in the Asia Pacific.
• can be completed in 12, 18, or 24 months at competitive tuition rates.
• includes an internship (or thesis) as a keystone requirement. MAPPS students have been on practica placements (PDF) with Canadian and foreign government institutions, private firms, and non-profit organizations.
• gives you access to the resources of the University of British Columbia, a leading institution with a particular strength in research on Asia.
• is taught by dedicated faculty to small classes, offering a "boutique" graduate school experience.
• allows you to customize your courses to fit your specific interests.
• enables you to combine your interest in Asia Pacific policy with dual professional degrees in law (JD/MAPPS), business (MBA/MAPPS) and planning (MAP/MAPPS).
• offers you the opportunity to focus on topics ranging from international relations and Asia's place in the world, to human security and human rights, international development and many more.
• has had great success in placing graduates in policy-analysis careers in Canada and Asia.
• is taught on the beautiful UBC campus in Vancouver, a city that is not only consistently rated as highly livable, but is North America's Asia Pacific city.

Message from the IAR Director:

The MAPPS program introduces students to the intellectual life of the Institute of Asian Research (IAR) as part of their graduate training.  Guided by the theme of "Policy Relevance Informed by Local Knowledge", the IAR strives to create, disseminate, and apply knowledge about Asia to build understanding and shape policy options beyond the university. Developments in Asia constantly underline the importance of combining policy analysis with local knowledge that has historical, linguistic, and cultural dimensions. While information is boundless and now easily available in many areas, the MAPPS program aims to model the transfer of analytical social science skills to a wide array of policy challenges in the Asia Pacific region. At the same time, the program encourages students to identify policy-challenges and to build their graduate program on a search for solutions in Canada and the Asia Pacific region. In conjunction with the IAR's Research Centres, thematic Research Programs, lectures and seminars, the MAPPS program aims to encourage a generation of new leaders in Asian and trans-Pacific affairs.