International Relations, BA

36 credit hours

The Bachelor of Arts in international relations is of value in many fields. Many graduates work in government, enter the military or work in fields such as intelligence, counter-terrorism, homeland security, diplomacy, and defense policy-making. Private and non-profit sectors, corporate risk analysis, international trade and development, and many other fields provide opportunities for those with a strong knowledge of international relations. By crafting your degree program to build skills in a variety of areas, you have the opportunity to make your resume' distinctive, creating an excellent foundation for future success. The IR major is designed to maximize your options, allowing you to double or even triple major, add minors, and pursue certificates.

Requirements

Major Coursework

12 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

IR 10000Introduction to International Relations

3

IR 35000International Relations Theory

3

PS 20000Methods for Political Science

3

PS 30000Comparative Analysis

3

Philosophical Foundations Coursework

3 credit hours of coursework from the following options: 

PHRL 30000The Natural Law

3

PHRL 30200Political Philosophy

3

PHRL 30400Philosophy of Law

3

Culminating Experience Coursework

3 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

IR 40100Intelligence, Military, and National Policy

3

PS 47500Political Literacy

3

Diplomacy Coursework

3 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

IR 30000Diplomatic Affairs: Peace and Conflict Resolution

3

IR 31000Governing Europe

3

IR 35100American Foreign Policy

3

IR 36000Origins of War: How the World Stumbles into War

3

Security and Sustainability Coursework

3 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

IR 32000Transpacific Relations

3

IR 32100Issues in Asia-Pacific Security

3

IR 35200Politics and Culture

3

IR 36000Origins of War: How the World Stumbles into War

3

IR 36200Seapower: History and Application

3

IR 36900Creating Contemporary China

3

IR 38000Geopolitics, Grand Strategy, and War

3

Elective Coursework

12 credit hours of coursework from IR (International Relations) or PS (Political Science) coursework at or above the 20000-level, including special topics courses, or from the coursework options listed below. At least 6 credit hours of the 12 credit hours must be in IR courses:

CHI 20100Intermediate Mandarin I

3

CHI 20200Intermediate Mandarin II

3

ECON 23020Principles of Microeconomics

3

ECON 23030Principles of Macroeconomics

3

ECON 33031International Economics

3

FRE 20100Intermediate French I

3

FRE 20200Intermediate French II

3

GEO 10100World Regional Geography

3

GEO 10300Human Geography

3

GEO 20000Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

3

GEO 20700World Economic Geography

3

GEO 30000Advanced Topics in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

3

HIST 11700US History: American Military History through World War II

3

HIST 11701US History: American Military History since 1941

3

HIST 24400The Nazi State

3

HIST 26000Modern Middle East History

3

HIST 26300History of Latin America

3

HIST 26400History of Asia

3

HIST 34300The Soviet Union and European Communism

3

IR 38100Ideology and International Relations

3

MGMT 38900Game Theory

3

MGMT 46010International Risk and Politics

3

PHRL 20800Christianity and Politics

3

PHRL 30000The Natural Law

3

PHRL 30200Political Philosophy

3

PHRL 30400Philosophy of Law

3

PHRL 31601Islam and the West

3

PHRL 31602Religions of India

3

PHRL 31603Religions of China

3

SPA 20100Intermediate Spanish I

3

SPA 20200Intermediate Spanish II

3

SPA 31000Hispanic Cultures I

3

SPA 41000Hispanic Cultures II

3

Some substitutions, especially for study abroad courses and relevant course from programs represented in the Elective Coursework list, may be possible with the permission of the department head.

IR majors should fulfill their GE-Math requirement by taking MTH 14100 Basic Statistics.

No duplication of coursework is permitted within the program.