International Relations Major

Goal 1: Students will gain a general knowledge of the field of International Relations, with exposure to the three core fields of the program, global politics, international economics, and modern history.

Outcome 1.1: Students will identify and demonstrate knowledge of contemporary scholarship in the areas they have studied.

Outcome 1.2: Students will identify and demonstrate knowledge of major historical and contemporary events in world affairs.

Goal 2: Students will be able to read and critically assess academic literature, orally articulate ideas, conduct research, and analyze data, appropriate to the undergraduate level.

Outcome 2.1: Students will apply relevant theoretical concepts to assess real world issues.

Outcome 2.2: Students will communicate an argument verbally to real world issues by analyzing or synthesizing relevant theories and concepts and/or analyzing and evaluating appropriate evidence.

Outcome 2.3: Students will ask their own research question and conduct well-organized, empirically-oriented, written analysis of it by identifying, analyzing and synthesizing relevant theories and concepts, and collecting, analyzing and evaluating appropriate evidence.

The traditional undergraduate programs includes a minimum of 120 credits distributed across three components: A General Education component divided into Signature Courses, Variable Courses, and an Integrative Learning requirement; a Major and Divisional component; and Free Electives. In addition to course requirements as specified in each area, students must complete one certified course in each of the following overlay areas¹:

1. Diversity, Globalization or Non-western Area Studies,
2. Ethics Intensive
3. Writing Intensive, and
4. Diversity

¹

Overlay requirements are part of the 120 credit requirements

General Education Signature Courses

See this page about Signature courses. 

General Education Variable Courses

See this page about Variable courses. Six to Nine courses

General Education Overlays

See this page about Overlays.

General Education Integrative Learning Component

See this page about Integrative Learning Component. Three courses:

International Relations majors must take three classes to satisfy the Integrated Learning Component of the GEP that stem from three groups or "types" of course, and students must take one class within each group. Students may petition the IR Program Director for approval to take two courses within one category, and a third course within another category. The three groups are:

1. Social Justice
2. Foreign Languages and Literature (Modern and Classical Languages)
3. Global Literacy

The Social Justice category includes:

Any class designated as Faith-Justice or additional GEP Overlay “Diversity” (beyond the GEP DGNW requirement). Students may petition the IR committee for non-Faith-Justice courses to count toward this requirement.

The Foreign Languages and Literature category includes:

All classes in Modern and Classical Languages numbered 202 or higher. Must be in addition to the courses used to fulfill the GEP Non-Native Language Requirement.  Or, study of a different (new) language beyond the GEP Non-Native Language Requirement may count towards this requirement.  See the IR Director for more information.

The Global Literacy category includes:

Global Literacy is broadly defined as a course that would enhance students’ ability to analyze pressing issues and phenomena in the contemporary global world. Students may petition the IR committee for non-Global Literacy courses to count toward this requirement. Courses include:

• GIS (Global Information Systems) courses: (INT 170)
• QAS (Quantitative Analytical Skills) courses: Any math (MAT) course (beyond the GEP Math “Beauty” requirement); Any computer science (CSC) course; Econometrics (ECN 410, requires ECN 101, ECN 102, MAT 118 or equivalent); Logic (PHL 220) or Symbolic Logic (PHL 240)
• Global Topics and Issues courses: ENG 202,ENG 226 ENG 261,ENG 309, ENG 311, ENG 312, ENG 315, ENG 317, ENG 325, ENG 407, ENG 409, ENG 415, ENG 468, REL 356, REL 358, REL 359, REL 360, SOC 316, SOC 340, SOC 349

Major Requirements

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.

Internships

The Washington Internship is described under Special Programs and allows students to work in Washington for a whole semester and earn course credits (POL 411/POL 412 Washington Internship). 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.  

¹

Nine Upper Division IR electives - must complete courses in each of the constituent departments: minimum 1 course in Economics, 2 courses in Political Science, and 2 courses in History.

Below are following notes/restrictions for this requirement:

• For classes of 2023 and beyond, IR majors may only count 2 study abroad courses towards their major requirements.
• IR majors who double-major in POL may not count more than 3 Upper Division POL courses towards either degree requirement.

²

International Relations Capstone Course (40X level course) (certified Writing Intensive).

• IR majors who double-major in Political Science must complete a second Senior Capstone Course to fulfill the Political Science major requirements. 
• The Capstone Courses do not count towards the Upper Division Course requirements for either major.