Residency

The MA in Global Risk (online) program includes two required residencies at the Johns Hopkins SAIS campus in Washington DC, giving you the opportunity to connect with your peers and other members of the Johns Hopkins SAIS community.

These rich learning experiences allow you to apply your knowledge while meeting with leaders in the industry. The first week-long experience provides time for you to begin conceptualizing and conducting research for your capstone project.

During these intensive workshops, you will learn a vast amount of information and gain invaluable hands-on experience in the broader field of risk. You will also have the opportunity to become better acquainted with your cohort and build your professional network through conversations with guest speakers and Johns Hopkins SAIS faculty.

Residency experiences include:

• Group work: Opportunities to problem solve with your cohort
• Seminars: Tips from leaders in the field
• Guest speakers: Practitioners sharing their expertise
• Independent work: Dedicated time to hone your individual skills

In the second residency, you will present your capstone project to your cohort and participate in the commencement ceremony with the entire Johns Hopkins SAIS graduating class.

The in-person residencies are a required component of the program’s curriculum and attendance is mandatory to complete the program.

For any questions or concerns regarding the in-person residencies, please contact an admissions counselor at saisonline@jhu.edu or call +1 888-513-5303.

Capstone Project

The capstone experience is the culminating project of your MA in Global Risk (online) degree, bringing together the theoretical concepts, tools, and frameworks from social and economic sciences. You will complete the capstone project in small groups based on your region and topic of interest.

During the first residency you will develop a forecast model. Between this residency and the second you will update your forecast periodically, focusing on the process of developing and revising the forecast and reflecting on why it was correct or incorrect. During the second residency in Washington DC, you’ll present self and group assessments of your forecast.

What to Expect at the Residencies

Group Work

Group work will include a mix of all-group lectures and Q&A sessions. Cohorts will be divided into different groups each day and will work on a specific task given by that day’s instructor or practitioner. Through group work, you’ll learn from one another on how to create concise and to-the-point presentations, and how to edit each other’s memos.

You will work on an assignment with your group, which can include working on a scenario (through scenario planning), making a prediction on a country’s political risk (using the tools of political risk analysis), figuring out the main vulnerabilities in a company’s global supply chain, or giving a preliminary presentation on the group’s capstone project.

The goal of group work is to (1) be able to work under time pressure; (2) enhance your skills working in different teams, with team members with different levels of experience; (3) improve your research, writing, and presentation skills; and (4) work on delivering a product of the highest quality and professional standards.

Seminars

The topics of your residency will vary based on the state of the global economy and international affairs. In general, you can expect to spend one day focused on political risk, one day focused on security risk, one day focused on financial risk, and one day focused on broader economic and supply chain risks.

The purpose of the seminar is to bring in a guest speaker who is a leading authority in their field (whether that is in political risk or international security). In the morning, the guest speaker will share their expertise. You will also have a task to complete in the afternoon.

Guest Speakers

Each day of the residency will feature a guest speaker from a different area in the broad field of geopolitical/economic/financial/security risk. The purpose of having speakers is to give you exposure to different experts in the field. Practitioners directly share their field expertise with you in the morning and then assist you in the afternoon with your task (which will vary based on the expertise of the speaker). Our speakers will also provide you with feedback and professional advice.

For any questions regarding the in-person residencies, please contact an admissions counselor at saisonline@jhu.edu or call +1 888-513-5303.

Independent Work

During the residency, you will have a chance to hone your research, writing, and presentation skills. On the first day, a JHU librarian will be available to discuss best practices for research in order to give you a better understanding of the vast resources available to you as a Johns Hopkins SAIS student. The program director will give tips for accessible writing, as will the other guest speakers. All tasks completed during the residency will have a written and an oral presentation element. All assignments will be graded, and you’ll receive additional feedback from the instructor and course facilitator.

Assignments can range from a short memo for a policy maker, to a note to a client on what to expect from an upcoming event, to an op-ed for a leading newspaper.

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During their residencies, students will be able to experience everything that Washington DC and the Johns Hopkins SAIS campus has to offer, including free visits to museums and zoos in the city and our world-class campus events.