The International Relations Academy is an intensive 1-week pre-college program held on Georgetown University's campus in Washington, D.C. Led by Georgetown faculty including Professor Anthony Arend and Catherine Lotrionte, this academy immerses high school students in the theory and practice of international relations through interactive lectures, simulations, and collaborative exercises.
Topics covered:
- The structure and evolution of the international system
- Instruments of foreign policy and diplomacy
- Intelligence and national security
- Ethics in international affairs
- Public and private international law
- Terrorism and counterterrorism
- Nuclear weapons and arms control
- Environmental policy and global governance
- Global health and international institutions
Students gain hands-on experience analyzing current global events and developing policy recommendations, with direct access to D.C.'s vibrant international affairs community. The published historical 2026 choices were June 21–27 and July 19–25; students chose one one-week session. Exact 2027 sessions have not been verified.
Historical 2026 program fees: $3,095 commuter / $3,725 residential tuition and meals; not verified 2027 prices.
Financial aid: General official guidance describes limited competitive need-based tuition-only scholarships for admitted students. It gives a yearless March 2 academy cutoff and last-week-of-March decision plan, while also saying Summer 2027 applications are planned for late December 2026. An exact 2027 aid cutoff has not been verified; tuition-only aid does not establish coverage of all attendance costs.
Cycle check, November 4, 2026: The program page still lists 2026 sessions and prices. Its Summer 2027 planning notice says to check back November 16 for offerings and applications, without printing the year in that notice. An exact June 2027 start is not supported. The application guidance gives January 31 early-bird and May 15 final cutoffs without years. Those dates and the costs/aid page’s March 2 scholarship cutoff are not assigned to 2027. Late December 2026 is an announced scholarship-opening plan, not a verified day.
Published application requirements include grades 8–12 in the preceding academic year, at least a 2.0 GPA, a 300–500-word personal statement and a school-official reviewer form. International academy applicants are welcome and TOEFL is not required, but relevant English and insurance requirements apply. These are the currently published general requirements; updated 2027 sessions, fees and detailed application/aid dates remain unverified.