International Relations - B.S.
The International Relations major offered by the Department of History and Political Science is designed for students interested in gaining an understanding of world politics and global affairs. Students will be introduced to important areas of study within the field of international relations including foreign policy analysis, global politics and governance, international political economy, and contemporary international policy issues. The department also offers a 21-credit hour International Relations minor.
Purpose
The International Relations major enables students to develop a theoretical and practical understanding of global politics and contemporary international affairs. International Relations majors will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skill for professional careers in government agencies, international organizations, domestic and international non-governmental organizations, and diplomacy. Students completing the major will also be prepared to pursue teaching, research and graduate studies in international relations, and global public policy. Students majoring in International Relations should consider complementing their preparation with another major or minor in Business, Communication Studies, Economics, History, Intercultural Studies, International and Community Development, Philosophy and Theology, TESOL, or Writing.
General Education
Students majoring in International Relations will complete the following General Education requirements and competencies with the listed courses. Where no course is specified, students are free to choose courses that meet the university requirements.
Communication Competency: COM-100 (division requirement)
Intercultural Competency: POL-232 (core requirement)
Math Requirement: MAT-112 or equivalent (pre-requisite for Research Methods)
Social Sciences: POL-100 (pre-requisite for some upper division POL and HST courses), ECO-213 (core requirement)
Overview
The International Relations major requires a core program of 33 credit hours, a 12 credit hour cognate, and demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language at the intermediate level. The core of the program consists of required courses focusing on International Relations concepts and skill formation. The cognate can be a group of courses from a second major or a minor. Otherwise, the cognate credit hours must be completed from major electives, selected by students for professional preparation or personal enrichment.
Language Proficiency
Proficiency in a non-native modern language at the intermediate level may be met by showing four years of high school foreign language with no grade below a “C,” satisfactorily passing a language examination rated for the intermediate level of proficiency, or taking two years of college foreign language.
Requirements (45 credits)
Common Core (15 credits)
Courses listed at the 100 or 200 level should be taken in the freshman/sophomore years. Courses 300 and above should be taken in the junior/senior years.
| POL-100 | American Government | 3 |
| POL-215 | Foundations of Political Science | 3 |
| ECO-213 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| POL-322 | Research Design and Methods in Political Science and Economics | 3 |
| POL-471 | Political Science/International Relations Capstone | 3 |
Lower-Division Courses (6 credits)
Upper-Division Courses (12 credits)
A minimum of 12 credit hours of upper-division courses (numbered 300 or higher) offered by the department, and selected from the following:
Cognate or Major Electives (12 credits)
Twelve credit hour cognate (group of courses from a second major or a minor) OR any courses listed below not previously taken. If the student does not have a second area of study, the major electives must be completed from the courses below.
Major Electives for International Relations Majors only:
Major Electives for all International Relations, Political Science and Political Science Pre-Law Majors, unless already part of required courses:
| ECO-270 | Comparative Economic Systems | 3 |
| ECO-315 | Urban Economics and Policy | 3 |
| ECO-340 | Globalization and Economic Development | 3 |
| ECO-365 | Public Administration and Finance | 3 |
| ECO-454 | International Economics | 3 |
| GEO-202 | Political and Cultural Geography | 3 |
| HST-300 | Western/American Intellectual and Social History | 3 |
| HST-301 | American Foreign Relations | 3 |
| HST-302 | American Political Parties | 3 |
| HST-400 | American Constitutional History | 3 |
| INR-332 | International Peace and Security | 3 |
| INR-375 | Foreign Policy Analysis | 3 |
| INR-432 | Global Governance | 3 |
| MAT-204 | Applied Statistics I | 3 |
| MAT-304 | Applied Statistics II | 3 |
| MAT-305 | Statistics for Social Sciences | 3 |
| POL-200 | State and Local Government and Politics | 3 |
| POL-220 | Issues in Political Science | 3 |
| POL-230 | World Politics | 3 |
| POL-232 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POL-350 | Political Science Practicum | 1 to 3 |
| POL-354 | Foreign Governments | 3 |
| POL-365 | Religion and Politics | 3 |
| POL-367 | Political Thought | 3 |
| POL-371 | International Studies | 3 |
| POL-399H | Honors College Thesis-Political Science | 3 |
| POL-401 | Political Science Travel Seminar | 3 |
| POL-475 | Independent Learning in Political Science | 1 to 3 |
Declaring and Maintaining an International Relations Major
In order to pursue International Relations as a first or second major, students need to consult with the coordinator of the Department of History and Political Science and then declare the major in the Residential Academic Services Office. Students majoring in International Relations should strive to maintain a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
