How to Prepare

Georgetown’s Dikran Izmirlian Program in Business and Global Affairs is open by application to rising sophomores from the McDonough School of Business and School of Foreign Service. Cohorts include approximately 20 students from each school. (Interested first-year students from the College of Arts & Sciences or the School of Nursing and Health Studies must first submit an internal transfer application to SFS or McDonough at the end of their first year to be eligible to apply to pursue the program.) 

Owing to the sequential nature of the Izmirlian Program coursework, there is only one application cycle for admission to the program. The selection committee includes faculty and advisors from McDonough and SFS who are affiliated with the Izmirlian Program. First-year students apply to pursue the Izmirlian Program in April and will be notified by June of their selection.

The first signature course offered in the spring of the first year is both an application and degree requirement, and the full program of study begins in the sophomore year. 

In addition to BGAF 1001 (Signature Course 1), it is recommended that the following course requirements be met before the beginning of the sophomore year:

• MATH 1350 (Calculus I) or equivalent
• ECON 1001 (Econ Principles Micro)
• ECON 1002 (Econ Principles Macro)
• Quantitative methods (OPIM 2101, OPIM 2102, ECON 2110, INAF 3200, MATH 104X, MATH 2140, or GOVT 2201)

In addition, courses that meet the Georgetown Core, school core, and language requirements round out the schedule. The set of recommended courses, including Signature Course 1, represents a solid first-year foundation in the McDonough School of Business or SFS whether or not selected to participate in the Izmirlian Program beginning in the sophomore year. 

The following are recommended course selections for the first-year fall and spring semesters to prepare for the BGA (unless course requirements are otherwise satisfied through advance credit, waiver, proficiency, or summer study):

Fall Course Selections

Spring Course Selections

Three international on-location experiences are associated with BGAF signature courses 3 and 4. The program will cover the direct travel and on-location expenses: travel – roundtrip and between locations; housing; meals; on-location local transportation; other on-location direct program-related expenses. Other individual/personal expenses might include, for example, securing and paying for visas; immunizations; international travel and health insurance; international communications; miscellaneous personal expenses; local travel to/from the airport. The Office of Global Education, along with the Office of Student Financial Services, “is prepared to provide you with the resources you need to make study abroad feasible and affordable.” The Office of Student Financial Services evaluates financial need to determine the level of any resources provided beyond coverage of the direct expenses.

The schedule of required signature courses (BGAF prefix) is predetermined, including international travel at certain times of the year. Students must be willing and able to meet the predetermined BGAF course schedule. 

How to Express Interest in the Program

1. Talk to your first-year advisor.
2. Select first-year courses intentionally to include the first BGA signature course* and other recommended first-year courses.
3. Attend information sessions in the fall of your first year.
4. Apply to the program in April of your first year.

*As part of the application, students must enroll in BGAF 1001 in the spring of their first year. Once accepted into the program, students formally begin their studies in the fall of their second year.