Whether for private companies or public policy design, effective risk analysis requires expertise in the critical factors now driving global change, including technology, climate, politics, regulatory uncertainty, migration, pandemics, and extremism.
Based at the SAIS Europe campus in Bologna, Italy, students in the Master of Arts in Global Risk (MAGR) program develop sophisticated risk management and analysis skills through a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach. The 13-month, full-time, cohort-based MAGR combines intellectual tools from economics, finance, political science, history, and international relations to create qualified professionals who understand the drivers of instability that characterizes the past decade in world affairs.
The MAGR degree provides students with the skills, concepts, and analytical techniques required to understand and manage global risk factors in public policy and private-sector decision-making. Graduates are currently employed in the private sector in finance, manufacturing, energy, and consulting roles, and working for multilateral and governments.
International Recognition of Accreditation
The Johns Hopkins University (“JHU”) operates programs in multiple approved locations in the United States, and a few programs in approved locations outside of the United States. Among the programs located outside of the United States is the Bologna campus of JHU’s United States-based School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). The Bologna campus was established in 1955 as part of JHU and as an extension of SAIS. It is usually referred to as “SAIS Europe.” All degrees awarded by any of The Johns Hopkins University Schools (including SAIS) are Johns Hopkins University degrees. No distinction is made between degrees offered in the United States or outside of the USA.
As a U.S.-based and accredited institution, JHU cannot guarantee approval of degrees for employment or other purposes by entities or governments outside of the United States. However, the university will work with students to provide relevant documentation in order to facilitate approval processes.
Degree Requirements
Campus: Bologna, Italy
Credits: 50
Duration: 13 months, Full-time
Course delivery: In-person
In order to graduate, students must fulfill all degree requirements and earn a cumulative GPA of 2.67 or above.
Curriculum
The MAGR builds on the school’s strengths in multi-disciplinary analysis by introducing students to a broad array of concepts and tools from finance, social sciences and international relations.
Renowned for their interdisciplinary scholarship and innovative work in the field of risk, Johns Hopkins SAIS faculty teach thematic courses to complement the program's more traditional training in quantitative methods.
| Term | Courses | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | (10 credits) | August- Mid-September |
| Microeconomic Risk and International Trade | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Math Review for Risk Assessment | ||
| Fall | (18 credits) | September-January |
| Macroeconomic Risk and International Finance | ||
| Risk in International Economics and Politics | ||
| Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (half-course) | ||
| Elective | ||
| Elective | ||
| Spring | (16 credits) | February-May |
| Strategic Foresight for Political Risk Analysis: Working with Scenarios | ||
| Quantitative Methods for Risk Assessment | ||
| Elective | ||
| Elective | ||
| Capstone | (6 credits) | 8-12 weeks |
| Focused summer internship or an original 10,000-word research paper |
The first summer term begins with an intensive six-week program, with the first two weeks being offered remotely and the last four weeks held on campus in the classrooms. Courses include Microeconomic Risk and International Trade, Introduction to Statistics and a Math Review for Risk Assessment.
During the fall term, students further develop their understanding of economics and also begin to focus on issues related to political and economic risk. They explore the methodological problems associated with the analysis of risk and uncertainty and the different approaches to managing risk. They examine how established democratic societies can rapidly become politically unstable and subsequently assess the implications. They then begin to develop quantitative approaches to risk assessment. Students also take a two-credit course in corporate finance which examines the fundamentals of asset evaluation and investment analysis. In addition, they select two elective courses giving them the opportunity to study an area of specific interest to them and also engage with student in other degree programs at SAIS Europe.
The spring semester provides the opportunity for students to develop the main tools for geopolitical risk analysis through scenario planning. Moreover, candidates deepen their knowledge of the principal sources of risk at the national and international levels. Students are also introduced to the main techniques for quantitative risk analysis employed in the financial industry. In addition, they take two additional elective courses chosen from the broad array offered in the Spring at SAIS Europe.
Capstone
In the second summer term, students work on their capstone project (off-campus). They may choose between an 8-12 week, focused summer internship or an original 10,000-word research paper under the supervision of a Johns Hopkins SAIS faculty member. The capstone must be completed during their second summer term.
Electives
Students in the MA in Global Risk degree program can select elective courses from among the numerous courses offered at SAIS Europe annually, where courses are available on such topics as European Integration, EU Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy Analysis, Economic Development in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, Renewable Energy, Energy and Climate Change, Constitutional Development, Political Leadership in the Middle East, Asian Economic Development, East Asian Security, and many more.