Political Science - International Relations Concentration (BA)

Students wishing to focus their studies in International Relations may opt for the International Relations (IR) Concentration within the Department of Politics and Policy. Students will receive a certificate upon completion of this program. The IR Concentration is open to Department of Politics and Policy majors only.

Program Requirements

The major requires eight (8) courses plus a capstone in International Relations, for a total of 36-40 credit hours.

Recommended Courses

ECON 100	Principles of Microeconomics	4
ECON 101	Principles of Macroeconomics	4
Plus one/or both
STAT 118	Introductory Statistics	4
STAT 239	Regression and Design of Experiments	4

Required Core Courses (16 credits)

All majors are required to take introductory courses in each of the four subfields of Political Science:

POLS 101	Introduction to American Politics	4
POLS 102	Introduction to International Politics	4
POLS 103	Introduction to Political Theory	4
POLS 104	Introduction to Comparative Politics	4

A student who has received a 4 or 5 on AP exams in American Government and/or Comparative Politics has fulfilled the introductory course requirement for POLS 101 and/or POLS 104, respectively. Transferred AP credits on either, or both, exam(s) may be counted toward a Political Science major.

IR Concentration Requirements (16 credits)

Students must also complete four (4) POLS electives; at least two (2) of these elective courses must focus on international politics, including the following:

POLS 220	International Organization and Law	4
POLS 223	Human Rights: The Basic Dilemmas	4
POLS 224	Human Security in Global World	4
POLS 242	Colonial & Postcolonial Politics of Africa	4
POLS 248	Terrorism	4
POLS 249/HIST 249	U.S. Foreign Policy: 1945–Present	4
POLS 250	Democratization in Latin America	4
POLS 315	U.S. Public Policy in a Capitalist World	4
POLS 356/WGSS 356	Feminist International Relations	4

The above list is not exhaustive and new course offerings will be added. Consult your advisor or a Department faculty member when selecting courses for your IR Concentration.

Capstone in International Relations (4–8 credits)

Capstone is required in the Political Science major, even if double-majoring. It is typically taken in the junior or senior year. Capstones do not count as an elective. The major is eight courses, plus Capstone.

The capstone in International Relations, could either be met with a 300-level IR course or an independent project, overseen by the Warburg Chair in International Relations. In the event that the Warburg Chair is not available, another professor in the Department of Politics and Policy may advise the project.