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Current Affairs

  • Taught by Leading Journalists, Historians, and Authors
  • Focuses on Issues Behind Today&rsquos News
  • Provides a Stimulating Environment for Discussion

If you are interested in current events, these courses will allow you to gain an in-depth and more contextualized understanding of today’s critical issues. This includes historic background, when appropriate, as well as an analysis of the actors and stakeholders affecting outcomes. Join your contemporaries for lively discussion and intellectual stimulation. 

This semester, study in-person or from anywhere in the world from the safety and comfort of your home through online or remote instruction.

Countdown to November: Primaries, Policies, and Politics in Real Time

Register for this course on the NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. The course will follow real-time national, state, and...

2024 Spring
1 section

The Crisis of Security: Global Politics from the End of the Cold War to the Present

Register for this Fall 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. In 1991 the world witnessed the triumph...

2023 Fall
+ 1 more semester
2 sections

The Global Economy and Financial Markets: Making Sense of News Headlines

Register for this Summer 2023 course on the NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. Deciphering economic and financial...

2023 Fall
+ 1 more semester
2 sections

America in the World: Dilemmas for Democracy at Home and Abroad

Explore how studying other democracies can shed light on the troubled present—and possible future—of American politics and government.

2023 Fall
+ 1 more semester
2 sections

Espionage: Fact vs. Fiction

Taught by a veteran intelligence professional, this course separates myth from reality in the field of espionage.

2024 Spring
1 section

Global Health and Development

The world has made immense strides in improving health outcomes and increasing life-expectancy over the past century in large part due to...

2024 Spring
1 section

Politics and Leadership in a Changing Middle East

Register for this Spring 2024 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. This course will look at the historical and...

2023 Fall
+ 1 more semester
2 sections

International Development

Explore the main elements of country development—from economic, political, social, cultural, and environmental perspectives.

2023 Fall
1 section

International Relations

Gain an in-depth understanding of the post-Cold War world order and the Cold War’s impact on current geopolitical and economic landscapes.

2023 Fall
1 section

What to Watch for 2024: The Politics, the Issues, the Players

Register for this Fall 2023 course on the NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. As the 2024 election process begins, the...

2023 Fall
1 section

China and America: A Global Power Struggle

Explore the competition between the US and China, from trade tensions to Beijing's censorship of Hollywood films to the battle for tech dominance.

2023 Fall
1 section

Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction

This course will examine the economic challenges poor countries face and the strategies proposed to deal with them, beginning with an analysis...

2023 Fall
1 section

BRICS: The Rise of Geopolitical and Economic Influencers

Register for this Fall 2023 course on the NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. In 2001, an investment banker coined the...

2023 Fall
1 section

Background and History of Organized Crime

Register for this Summer 2023 course on the NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. This course will look at the organization...

The President, the Congress, the Courts, and The States: Conflict, Cooperation and 2024

Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. The 2022 political dynamic will set...

Voices of the Modern Middle East

Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. This course will use the lens of...

An Introduction to the Culture and Structure of the Islamic World

This course will look at Islam’s cultural diversity, touch on its history, and give an overview of Islam today by comparing its main schools.

Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Assistance

In order to achieve the key UN Sustainable Development goals of "No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, Clean...

From Frontline to Headline: The 'War About the War' in Afghanistan

Register for this Spring 2023 course on the NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website. Multiple frontlines beset contemporary...

Human Rights and Development

A rights-based approach to development has become increasingly central in explaining and addressing the underlying issues related to economic,...

Managing Risk and Uncertainty: Assessment, Frameworks, and Strategies

Operating in conditions of uncertainty can be disorienting and bewildering. A risk-informed approach can allow global leaders to make informed...

Critical Issues and Careers in Global Affairs

Apply for this Summer 2023 course here. Thinking about grad school? Considering an impactful career in the global arena? Spend two...