School of International Service

American University’s School of International Service (SIS) is a top-10 school of international affairs located in Washington, DC. Since our founding in 1957, we have answered President Dwight D. Eisenhower's call to prepare students of international affairs to "wage peace." We do so because we believe the world needs leaders who are ready to serve.

Thoughtful and aspirational, our students come to SIS with wide-ranging backgrounds and experience. They take advantage of Washington, DC’s wealth of resources and professional opportunities and gain access to our active international network of more than 20,000 alumni. As emerging leaders, our students graduate prepared to combine knowledge and practice and to serve the global community, wage peace, and build understanding in our world.

Our world-renowned faculty — leading political scientists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists, demographers, geographers, historians, and experts in international development, global health, communications, energy, and the environment — produce meaningful, transformational research. They impart their experience, knowledge, and skills to more than 3,000 graduate and undergraduate students annually and prepare students for global careers in government, nonprofits, and business around the world.

SIS features a comprehensive liberal arts program for undergraduates, professional education in international affairs for master’s students, and a multidisciplinary program for doctoral students. We offer a range of academic options to meet our students’ needs and interests: dual degrees, graduate certificates, online programs, executive degrees, a BA/MA, a three-year BA, practicum programs for career preparation, and extensive study-abroad opportunities.

SIS is housed in a 70,000 square-foot, LEED Gold-certified building, designed by renowned “green” architect William McDonough to reinforce the values inherent in the school’s mission. Its design, construction, and operation reflect our commitment to advancing ecological stewardship, fostering transparency and human dignity, and working for social justice.