MASTER’S DEGREE OF ADVOCACY IN THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT: GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (GWU, WASHINGTON DC)

This programme aims to teach students not only how to engage in the U.S. states, but also how to advocate in a global environment, George Washington University's newly launched Lobbying Master's programme seems to be just what aspiring world influencers need to succeed.

The Lobbying Master's programme is a new degree program offered by GW's Graduate School of Political Management to help prepare students for jobs in global governance, policy work and the like. It's a 39-credit Advocacy in the Global Environment degree offered both on campus and online that is projected to be the ideal education for any proactive individual whose goal is to understand how to lobby for associations, corporations and organizations.

What's perhaps most unique about this degree program in particular is the fact that it includes a weeklong study abroad in international cities that are highly influential in today's economy. Graduates will also be given the opportunity to learn how to "lobby before legislatures of foreign countries, create advocacy plans for multinational corporations, non-profits and NGOs and advise clients on regulatory and policy changes for a foreign country or region.

The Master’s of Advocacy in the Global Environment offers innovative experiential learning opportunities for professionals involved in all aspects of global politics and advocacy, including lobbying, strategic public relations, campaigning, and coalition building.

The programme provides a hands-on education – not simply a theoretical exploration of advocacy around the globe. Beyond being taught by experts in the global advocacy field, the unique Global Perspective Residencies will give participants first-hand ‘in-region’ experiences. Students will get a real sense of how governments are persuaded and will have the ability to network with top political, governmental, media and business leaders.

This dynamic graduate program prepares students to succeed in the growing profession of global advocacy – whether they work for multi-national corporations, international non-profits, individual governments or quasi-international government entities.

The programme  is designed for both working professionals and full-time students and is also  offered in a fully online format. The degree can be completed in as little as one year; however, the usual student takes two classes per semester, and finishes in two years. 12 course hours are dedicated to immersion in four regions around the globe – North America (Washington, DC), Europe (Brussels), Middle East and Africa (Istanbul), Asia (Hong Kong) and Latin America (Sao Paulo)

Focus Areas

The program is designed to meet specific career goals. Students can focus on either global advocacy or international public relations.

Global Advocacy: For those who want to become advocate or lobbyist for a multi-national corporation, international business association, non-profit with global interests, regional or specific nation-state government, or a quasi-international organization.

Programme Content

1. Fundamentals of Global Political Management : This course serves as an introduction to the theory, practice, and development of global political management. It covers global political developments from 1945 to the present. This includes the impact on governance in regions and in nation states given the use of modern democratic management principles and strategies, including, but not limited to, campaign strategy, issues development to impact election outcomes, impacting public opinion in regions and countries, beginning elements of building coalitions, and the global development political management as a field and as a profession. It will also include an examination of the role of political managers in nation states and their insights from practical experience .
2. Political Data & Analysis: This course looks at the use of quantitative information and its applications in global politics and advocacy. Topics include research design, statistical association and causal reasoning, types of variables, hypothesis testing and confidence, introduction to regression analysis and fundamental understanding of analysis of ‘big data.’ The focus centers on how to be an informed user of quantitative data for advocacy management and policymaking questions .
3. Applied Political Communications: Successful communications is essential to successful advocacy around the globe. This course looks at the basic political communications model, including such topics as communications strategy; political research (targeted audiences, polling and candidate research); message discipline, and social media. Topics covered  include elements of communications relevant to global politics: Internet usage (websites, social networking, and mobile technologies), press releases, issue briefs, direct mail letters, fact sheets, talking points, congressional and international legislative testimony, public addresses, television and radio commercials and social media. The class looks at the connection between strategic focus and each communications effort. The course also uses global case studies.
4. Principled Political Leadership: Principled Political Leadership looks at the theory and practice of leadership in a global environment. Students develop a self-assessment of their leadership skills and discover their potential. Classes also speak to and engage students in communications practices for exercising political leadership within a personal ethical system. The traits and attributes of global leaders are examined so they can be used as a reference point.
5. Global Advocacy: Strategies, Tools, and Tactics: Global Advocacy examines the current state of global advocacy and analysis of strategic models. It also includes an empirical understanding of which advocacy tools are best used for specific tasks and how they can be applied around the globe. The course also enables students to discover through research and individual work what specific lobbying tools and techniques maximize success in regions and countries.
6. Cultural Aspects of Global Engagement: Successful advocacy requires focus on the need and ability to understand multicultural communities and to appreciate the diverse institutions, customs, and practices, no matter what nation or nationality the student comes from. As a result of this course, students will be prepared for effective and ethical public engagement on behalf of contemporary global organizations communicating issues and commitments to diverse audiences and multicultural messages to the general market. From a base of cultural understanding, students will study effective engagement strategies and techniques. Global case studies with multi-cultural viewpoints will be included.
7. Comparative Political Management Environments: Students will examine the multitude of governance systems (executive, legislative, and judicial branches where appropriate) and the realm of influencers around the globe and the environmental systems legislators, administrators, bureaucracies’ and stakeholder’s work within. It will enable the student to have an appreciation and understanding of parliamentary systems and non-democratic forms of government. The focus of this course will be to give students a fundamental understanding of the operating rules, customs, and processes by which laws are enacted and regulations written in countries around the globe. Students will be expected to master the rules and procedures of at least one government, understand basic negotiation, and draw comparisons and contrasts between nations or regions.
8. Global Perspective Residencies: Students will be required to take four sections from each of the geographies being offered in order to have a global understanding and to receive their Master’s degree in Advocacy in the Global Environment. Four global perspective residences will initially be offered, each of which will have already been successfully taught as electives in GSPM’s Political Management programme.The initial Global Perspective courses will be:

• Engaging Asia (Hong Kong in collaboration with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology),
• Engaging the Greater Middle East and Africa (Istanbul in collaboration with Koc University),
• Engaging Europe (Brussels, Belgium),
• Engaging the United Kingdom (London),
• Engaging Latin America (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Engaging North America (Washington, DC.)

Students will attend preparatory classes prior to arriving for an intensive weeklong program from dusk until dawn, meeting with business executives, public affairs experts, political leaders, NGO executives, media representatives, and professors at GW’s partner schools. Students will learn first-hand how to positively engage local society and impact regional and national governments and other institutions. They will also have the opportunity to network with some of the world’s most influential leaders and with their student peers at GW’s partner schools.