OLD Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

Welcome to SFS

The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service is the centerpiece of Georgetown University's commitment to educate students for careers in the international arena.

Today, almost a century after its founding, I am proud to lead a school that is at the forefront of international affairs education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

We believe that SFS is the premier school of international affairs in the world. We're glad that you are interested in learning more about our programs, and we hope this brief tour will encourage you to join us.

Carol Lancaster
Dean

... because you want a world-class education!

We were the first university in the United States to develop a liberal arts undergraduate program focused on international affairs and approached from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Our undergrads follow a broad, interdisciplinary core curriculum in their first two years before narrowing their area of focus. We offer seven unique majors as well as the possibility of self-designed majors. Every major is distinguished by an international focus.

We also offer opportunities for graduate study. Our six world-class master's degree programs help train tomorrow's leaders to meet and master the challenges as well as seize the opportunities of a complex and changing international environment. Each program embraces an interdisciplinary approach to international issues. Students work directly with the foremost experts in the field, drawn from Georgetown's exceptional faculty and the Washington professional community.

No other university so fully integrates international perspectives into its undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Other schools may teach international affairs. We live it.

... because you want great teachers, who make time for you!

The school's faculty is a community of scholars and practitioners widely considered to be among the finest of its kind in the world.

It includes distinguished experts in each of the key disciplines necessary for the study of international affairs -- history, government, economics, and languages -- as well as in the specialized knowledge necessary for a deep understanding of the world's major regions.

Benefitting from our location in Washington,DC, the SFS faculty also includes renowned U.S. and international professionals who bring to the classroom a lifetime of experience. They come from many sectors: from the U.S. government (the National Security Council as well as the departments of State, Defense, Commerce, and Treasury); from international financial institutions (the IMF and the World Bank); and from law, banking, technology, and business.

... because SFS and Washington, D.C. are an unbeatable combination!

The political culture and cosmopolitan population of Washington, D.C., and the dynamic economy of the metropolitan area touch students' lives in many ways.

Our students benefit from the many cultural riches of Washington, be it the opportunity to do research at the Library of Congress or the ability to visit the city's many museums, theaters, and historical sites.

World leaders regularly visit Washington, and they frequently stop by campus as well.Students get to meet and question political and economic leaders, ranging from the president of South Africa to the founder of Microsoft.

Washington also provides innumerable opportunities for internships. SFS students regularly serve as interns at a broad range of organizations -- on Capitol Hill, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in embassies, or with technology firms.

Such an environment significantly enhances the blend of theory and practice that lies at the foundation of the School of Foreign Service curriculum.

... because our graduates are tomorrow's leaders

More than 15,000 alumni of the School of Foreign Service continue to make a difference in leadership positions across the globe.

The vast majority of our graduates are placed with jobs within a few months of graduating, and the work they do is as diverse as our student body. Our alumni are entrepreneurs, attorneys, ambassadors, professors, military officers, business executives, and even heads of state.