International Relations Major
International Relations is a degree program that offers the student a truly cross-disciplinary course of study. The major concentration emphasizes modern history, economics, and political science. The IR faculty encourages its majors to enhance the cross-disciplinary nature of their studies by completing a minor concentration in modern language, economics, history, political science, business, or one of the interdisciplinary and area studies programs that the University offers (Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Gender Studies, American Studies); by studying abroad; and/or by participating in the Washington and Philadelphia Internship Programs.
Students majoring in International Relations acquire valuable skills in communication and analysis, independent judgment, appreciation of different societies and cultures, and knowledge of world affairs and trends, all of which are critical in the increasingly global environment of today and tomorrow.
International Relations is a major rooted in the Jesuit tradition of liberal arts, especially suited to those whose orientation may be toward graduate or legal studies, government service, international business, communications, and education.
Goal 1: Key Concepts/Theories: Students will understand core concepts and/or theories within international relations.
Outcome 1: Students will identify, define, and/or explain the content, core concepts, and theories that guide international relations from an integrated, interdisciplinary perspective.
Goal 2: Write/Argue: Students will develop arguments based on evidence.
Outcome 2: Students will articulate verbally and/or in writing an argument which defines, explains, and/or analyzes the content, process, and/or outcomes relevant to international relations.
Goal 3: Analyze: Students will evaluate arguments using empirical evidence.
Outcome 3: Students will apply a variety of tools, methods, or perspectives to critically analyze and/or evaluate issues relevant to international relations.
Goal 4: World outside the classroom: Students will participate in experiential learning related to international relations.
Outcome 4: Students will demonstrate career preparation through experiential learning opportunities that are closely related to international relations or a related field through the development of interpersonal, analytical, and/or problem-solving skills.
Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements
Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements. See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Course Requirements | ||
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| World History Course Area | 3 | |
| Philosophy Requirements | ||
Either Level One or Level Two (but not both) -- must be Ethics designated. If approved, philosophy courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as Philosophy Level Two and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Philosophy Level One | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| Theology & Religious Studies Requirements | ||
If approved, Theology & Religious Studies courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as CCC Theology and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Theology | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Diversity & INT 151 Requirements | ||
A student's Diversity course may not count for any other CCC course area requirement or as their Mission Overlay course. If approved, Diversity courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive Overlay requirement. INT 151 may not count for any other CCC requirements. This course must be taken in the first two years | ||
| Diversity | 3 | |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Math & Natural Science Requirements | ||
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements. | ||
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Non-Native Language Requirement | 3-4 | |
A single Non-Native Language course may not count as an overlay course but a second language course fulfills a student's Mission Overlay requirement. | ||
| Literature Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Overlay Requirements | ||
| Writing-Intensive | 3 | |
If approved, Writing-Intensive courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, electives, or as any CCC course area requirement except for the first-year courses (World History and Rhetoric and Composition). | ||
| Mission-Overlay | 3 | |
Mission Overlay courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, elective courses, or any of the following CCC course areas: Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science. | ||
| Total Hours | 47-49 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| POL 115 | Intro to Global Politics (will count for CCC: Social Science) | 3 |
| Statistics (will count for CCC: Mathematics) | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Applied Statistics Plus | ||
| Foundational Courses: Three Additional Courses | ||
| ECN 101 | Introductory Economics Micro | 3 |
| ECN 102 | Introductory Economics Macro | 3 |
| POL 113 | Intro to Comparative Politics | 3 |
| A Second Non-Native Language Course | 3-4 | |
| Professional Development Requirement | ||
| POL 190 | Strategies for Success 5 | 1 |
| POL 290 | Career Prep Seminar 4 | 1 |
| Capstone Course (1 course): | 3 | |
| Capstone Course from: POL 403, POL 404, or POL 409. 1 | ||
| IR majors who double-major in POL must complete a second Senior Capstone Course to fulfill the POL major requirements. In addition, Capstone Courses do not count towards the Upper Division Course requirements for either major. | ||
| Experiential Learning (1 course): | 3 | |
| POL Internship Course (INT 191, INT 192, INT 193, POL 411, POL 412, POL 413, POL 414, POL 490, ANS 490) | ||
| OR any Service Learning course (with SLR attribute) | ||
| OR completion of three Minternship courses (1 credit each) POL 390, POL 391, or POL 392 | ||
| Upper Division Courses (9 courses): 2, 3 | 27 | |
| Majors will select a total of 9 courses from the list of approved IR courses (see below). In completing this requirement, students must take (1) at least one upper division IR course in Economics, (2) at least two upper division IR courses in History, and (3) at least two upper division IR courses in Political Science. Course descriptions can be found in the relative Departmental listings of the catalog. | ||
| Economics | ||
| International Trade | ||
| International Macroeconomics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Asian Economies | ||
| Women & Econ Dev in South Asia | ||
| Chinese Economics | ||
| History | ||
| Historical Intro to Latin Am | ||
| Latin American-U.S. Migration | ||
| Historical Intro to Asian Civs | ||
| History of Modern Africa | ||
| Latin America and the U.S. | ||
| History of Modern Mexico | ||
| War & Peace in Imperial Russia | ||
| Russia & USSR, 1881-1991 | ||
| Stalinism in the USSR | ||
| African Ethnicities | ||
| Exchng & Conq in Mod E. Asia | ||
| Gndr, Ideolgy & Rev in E. Asia | ||
| Modern China | ||
| Japan Since 1600 | ||
| Modern South Asia | ||
| History of Islam in Asia | ||
| Contemporary China | ||
| India & Pak: Colony to Nation | ||
| Reform and Reaction in the US | ||
| US in the World since WWI | ||
| Political Science | ||
| Politics, Ideology, & Film | ||
| Latin American Politics | ||
| Asian Democ at the Crossroads | ||
| Understanding Putin's Russia | ||
| The EU and European Politics | ||
| Contemp Cuban Pol & Society | ||
| Asian Dictators | ||
| Political Geography | ||
| Haunted by the Past | ||
| Global Political Economy | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| IR of East Asia: War and Peace | ||
| Ethics inInternational Affairs | ||
| Sex & Power around the World | ||
| Total Hours | 53-55 | |
- 1
The Department strongly recommends that all students take the appropriate introductory and upper division courses prior to enrolling in a Capstone.
- 2
IR majors who double-major in POL may not count more than 3 Upper Division courses towards either degree requirement.
- 3
IR majors may only count 2 study abroad courses towards their degree requirements.
- 4
P/NP requirement for all classes 2024 and beyond
- 5
P/NP requirement for all classes 2026 and beyond.
Free Electives
Graduation requires 120 credits. Any credits necessary to reach that number outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives.
Internships
The Washington Internship is described under Special Programs and allows students to work in Washington for a whole semester and earn course credits. The Global Smarts Internship is described under the Political Science Program (as POL 490). The Philadelphia-Area Internship Program is described under the Political Science Program (as POL 491) and History Program (as HIS 491). IR students can take both HIS 491 and POL 491. However, only one of the two courses will be counted towards the IR course requirements.
University Honors Requirements
To receive University Honors credit, an Honors Program student who is a International Relations major must have a 3.5 GPA; complete the Honors curriculum of 8 specified courses; and must undertake two consecutive semesters of research/study in the form of a senior thesis with a faculty mentor, OR engage in honors-level work in two IR courses/capstone during their senior year. These two courses may be counted toward the student's total upper division IR courses/capstone, and one semester of the thesis can replace the Capstone Course requirement. Specific requirements for the Honors thesis may be found under the Honors Program.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| POL 115 or POL 113 |
Intro to Global Politics or Intro to Comparative Politics |
3 |
| World History | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level One or Theology | 3 | |
| Non-Native Language | 3 | |
| ECN 101 | Introductory Economics Micro | 3 |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| POL 190 | Strategies for Success | 1 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| POL 113 or POL 115 |
Intro to Comparative Politics or Intro to Global Politics |
3 |
| Philosophy Level One or Theology | 3 | |
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| Second Non-Native Language (Mission Overlay) | 3-4 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| ECN 101 or ECN 102 |
Introductory Economics Micro or Introductory Economics Macro |
3 |
| IR Major Elective #1 | 3 | |
| MAT 118 or MAT 148 |
Introduction to Statistics (or Complementary Analytical Skills) or Applied Statistics Plus |
3 |
| PHL Level Two or Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| POL 290 | Career Prep Seminar | 1 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Complementary Analytical Skills or MAT 118 or 148 | ||
| Philosophy Level Two or Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Major Electives | 6 | |
| Natural Science or Free Elective | 3-4 | |
| Experiential Learning or Free Elective | 3 | |
| Diversity or Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Major Electives | 6 | |
| Natural Science or Free Elective | 3-4 | |
| Experiential Learning or Free Elective | 3 | |
| Diversity or Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| IR Capstone (WI Overlay) or IR Major Elective | 3 | |
| Major Elective | 3 | |
| Fine & Performing Arts, Design & Creativity or Literature | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Fine & Performing Arts, Design & Creativity or Literature | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6-9 | |
| Hours | 9-12 | |
| Total Hours | 114-120 | |