Graduate institute specializing in international affairs, languages, and global security in Monterey, California.
MIIS offers master's degree programs and certificates in international affairs, language services, policy, and security studies. Core programs include Translation and Interpretation, Conference Interpretation, International Policy and Development, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies, Environmental Policy and Management, and Global Governance. Language instruction in Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish is integrated into most degree programs. The institute pioneered conference interpretation training in the United States and remains the only U.S. school with a UN Memorandum of Understanding for training UN language officials.
The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) is a leading research center with locations in Monterey, Washington D.C., Middlebury Vermont, and Vienna. Additional centers include the Center for the Blue Economy, Center on Terrorism Extremism and Counterterrorism (CTEC), and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Research Program. These centers conduct original research on global security, sustainability, and development issues.
Located in Monterey, California, the urban campus features the historic Barnet J. Segal Building (former Carnegie Library), the 200-seat Irvine Auditorium designed after the UN General Assembly, and the William Tell Coleman Library. Students benefit from proximity to the Pacific coast, local restaurants, and cultural institutions. The institute emphasizes experiential learning through internships, field work, and global partnerships.
In August 2025, Middlebury College announced that MIIS will cease operation of its residential graduate programs in June 2027 due to budgetary constraints and declining enrollment. The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies will continue operating under Middlebury College. Some online programs and self-sustaining research centers will remain. In May 2026, Soka University of America announced discussions to purchase the MIIS campus and certain academic programs.