Welcome to the Undergraduate IR Program!

The B.A. in International Relations entails a rigorous – yet highly flexible – course of study, drawing on courses from across all of the social science departments, and with ample opportunity for study abroad, internships, participation in faculty-led research projects, and membership on the Model United Nations team, among many other possibilities.

Requirements for the major include either 33 total credit hours, plus demonstrated proficiency in a modern second language. The major requires 3 required introductory courses, 3 advanced courses in a specific geographic region, 3 advanced courses in specific a topic concentration, a research methods course, and a senior seminar in which students complete an original capstone research project.

For a complete list of major requirements, please visit the online Course Catalog.

For students who declared the major prior to the Fall 2015 semester, please review prior program requirements in the archived online Course Catalog or speak with an academic advisor.

International Relations Minors

The International Relations Program offers two minors, Global Political Economy and Global Security Studies, that are open to students from across the College of Arts and Sciences and all other Schools in the University.

The GPE and GSS minors enrich a student’s major course of study by providing additional opportunities to study global affairs and the dynamics of international economic, political, and military systems.

Our current minors are drawn from across the University, and include students from the Newhouse School, Whitman School of Management, Falk College, and the College of Arts & Sciences, in addition to almost every program within the Maxwell School.