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International Public Policy (MIPP)

waterloo

Are you passionate about international policy? Are you looking to pursue or enhance a career in international or global policy development? Our Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) at the Balsillie School of International Affairs gives you the ability to engage with leading scholars and policy practitioners in the field of global governance to follow your passion and turn it into a rewarding career.

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Program Highlights

  • One-year degree at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, one of Canada’s leading graduate schools for international studies.
  • Achieve essential transferrable skills such as qualitative and quantitative analysis and critical thinking.
  • Develop policy briefs in close collaboration with Global Affairs Canada and other federal government agencies.
  • Opportunity for United Nations six-month internship.
  • Prepare for a wide range of globally engaged careers in policy development, implementation and evaluation.
  • Specialize your degree: international environmental policy, international economic relations, human security or global migration.
  • Funding for full-time eligible students.

Program Details

Our Multi-Disciplined Teaching Approach

Good public policy is fundamental to a well-functioning society. There is a need the world over for bright individuals who want to create, evaluate, and implement public policy.

From climate change to international migration to financial stability, today’s most pressing challenges all have important global dimensions, and individuals with the knowledge and skills to grapple with these challenges are in increasingly high demand.

Students in the Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) degree at Laurier will learn the tools for policy analysis, writing effective policy briefs, communicating and team building, learn the functioning of national and international organizations and develop professional networks.

The degree is comprised of a multidisciplinary suite of courses – involving faculty members from both Laurier and the University of Waterloo – in political science, economics, global studies, environmental studies, geography and others. This ensures our students gain a comprehensive understanding of the various perspectives and interests that shape international public policy.

The Laurier MIPP degree at the Balsillie School stands out from similar programs because we are interdisciplinary and professionally focused.

Program Structure

The MIPP program is a one-year, full-time program, comprised of three consecutive terms. Our intake is once a year, every September. You will complete a total of twelve courses in the degree: the four required courses in the first term. These required courses ensure core competencies in public sector economics, policy analysis and research tools, and international relations and globalization.

During the second and third terms, you will choose courses to complete one of four thematic concentrations:

  • International Environmental Policy
  • International Economic Relations
  • Human Security
  • Global Migration

The program is an intense course-based degree, combining practical policy projects culminating in policy briefs, small group projects, presentations, and many opportunities to interact with faculty, senior graduate students, visiting scholars, experts and guest lecturers providing valuable insight on issues and on the practice of international public policy.

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"The MIPP is not only an academic program, but a community. I met so many talented students in my class, and my instructors were always engaging and willing to go above and beyond to meet the needs of their students. This invaluable network gave me a huge advantage in securing a position in the Policy Analyst Recruitment and Development program (PARDP)."

Andrew Horne (MIPP '21), policy analyst, Natural Resources Canada

Admissions

Take the first step in your graduate education and apply to one of our graduate programs. Follow our three-step admission process — we’ll walk you through how to apply and prepare for your first day as a graduate student.

  • Start: Fall (September)
  • Format: Full-time one-year
  • Application deadline: Jan. 22 (first consideration and international applicants), April 30 (domestic applicants).

Note: The application portal for our September 2025 intake is now open.

Your Next Steps

Tuition and Funding Apply Now Faculty Members

Questions? Contact Maureen Ferraro, MIPP program officer, at mferraro@wlu.ca or 548.889.5216.

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"I see the Balsillie School as a unique institution that provides students and scholars with the academic and experiential foundations to lead Canadian and international organizations in pursuing the most effective paths to global security and harmony."

Ann Fitz-Gerald, director, Balsillie School of International Affairs

Balsillie School of International Affairs

As a hub in a global network of scholars, practitioners and students, the Balsillie School of International Affairs aims to develop new solutions to humanity’s critical problems, improve global governance now and in the future, and enhance the quality of people’s lives around the world. Founded in 2007 by philanthropist Jim Balsillie, the Balsillie School is an equal collaboration with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

The Balsillie School is a proud affiliated member of APSIA.

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Tuition and Funding

All full-time domestic students receive an average funding package of $15,000 for the one-year program. For further information see Graduate Tuition and Funding.

The School of International Policy and Governance welcomes international students to the MIPP Degree. International students who have confirmed funding from a third-party, such as their employer or a scholarship program in their home country, will be considered for admission beginning in the 2024/25 admission year.

Learn more about admission requirements for international applicants.

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Careers

Our Laurier MIPP graduates have a diverse range of interests that they will pursue after graduation. Our expanding alumni network, now hundreds strong – can be found throughout the policy universe, from local food security networks and refugee settlements to municipal, provincial, and national policy branches (both in Canada and abroad) to UN agencies around the globe.

  • Senior Special Assistant, Office of the Prime Minister
  • Senior Social Policy Manager, Marine Stewardship Council
  • Senior Policy Officer, Department of National Defence
  • Policy Analyst, Space Systems Consulting Ltd.
  • Business Manager, British Columbia Wildlife Service
  • Senior Trade Policy Officer, Global Affairs Canada
  • Trade commissioner, Canadian Embassy, Bogota, Columbia
  • United Nations Development Program as part of the United Nations Associate in Canada’s Junior Professional Consultant Program, Nepal

One-On-One Appointments 

During the MIPP degree you are encouraged to schedule your own virtual or in-person one-on-one appointment with the Career Consultant. Here is a list of the topics that are available to you. 

  • Resumé and Cover Letter Critique
  • Job Search and Networking
  • LinkedIn Critique
  • Interview Skills
  • Mock Interview
  • Salary Negotiation
  • Career Consulting

To book an appointment:

  1. Access the Career Consultant's appointment calendar, by logging in to Navigator. 
  2. On the left hand side, select Career Centre, then click on Lazaridis School Graduate Students and MIPP Students Appointment Calendar. Please ensure you are meeting with Dorota Rams Skazinski as your career consultant. 
  3. Once you book the appointment, you will receive a confirmation email to your @mylaurier.ca email. All appointments will be automatically booked as virtual and Dorota will notify you with available in-person appointments as required. 

Faculty

Learn about the interests of our faculty members. If you are looking for more information about this program, have questions, or want to set up a meeting, contact a member of our team.

Alison Blay-Palmer
Professor
UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies

Paula Butler 
Instructor

Winnie Chan
Instructor

Jonathan Crush
Professor

Simon Dalby
Professor (Retired)

Timothy Donais
Associate Professor

Alistair Edgar
Associate Professor
Associate Dean, School of International Policy and Governance

Nick Garside
Instructor 

Patricia Goff
Associate Professor

Jeff Grischow
Associate Professor

Derek Hall
Associate Professor   

Jenna Hennebry
Professor

Ken Jackson
Associate Professor

Jurek Konieczny
Professor

Alex Latta
Associate Professor

Terrence Levesque
Professor

Colleen Loomis 
Associate Professor 
Co-Director, PhD in Global Governance
Director, Master of International Public Policy

Sara Matthews
Associate Professor

Audra Mitchell
Professor
Canada Research Chair in Global Political Ecology

Alison Mountz
Professor 
Co-Director, International Migration Research Centre

Amjad Rabi 
Instructor 

Kim Rygiel
Associate Professor 
Co-Director, International Migration Research Centre

Pierre Siklos
Professor

Debora VanNijnatten
Associate Professor

Margaret Walton-Roberts
Professor

Alan Whiteside
Professor (retired)

Randall Wigle
Professor Emeritus