International Relations

As part of the International Relations Major, students are required to choose a Concentration AND a Specialization. Most students do not do so after their Sophomore year, and you can do so through this webform​. Below is a brief summary of your choices, though you can find more information and lists of classes for all concentrations and specializations at the links below. An honors degree option is available. All POSC courses taken for the International Relations major require a minimum grade of C- or better. Students must also receive a C- or better in 30 of the 42 required credit hours and have a cumulative average of 2.0 in the 42 required hours.

Developme​nt & Political Economy (BA)

This concentration examines how politics and economics affect each other on a global scale and starts with courses on international political economy. A major theme is the problem of economic and political development. Other topics include: the environment; human rights; inequality; and the role of international organizations. ​

Diplomacy and Global Order Concentration (BA)

This concentration studies world politics from a global point of view. Starting with diplomacy, the concentration encourages you to explore the workings of international law and organization, human rights organizations, the environment, terrorist and insurgent groups.​

U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security Concentration (BA)

This concentration starts by examining how U.S. domestic politics influences foreign policy. It considers major issues like: national security; migration; terrorism; ethics; environmental policy; and human rights. It also includes regional concerns in the Middle East, East Asia and elsewhere.​​

Societies and Beliefs Concentration (BA)

This concentration examines the interplay of ideas, cultures and politics around the globe. It starts by looking at different political ideologies, each offering a different answer to the question of what political life should try to accomplish. It then encourages you to explore the answers to this question that have been proposed in different cultural zones, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Tensions within cultures—based on race, gender, ethnicity and other divides—are another theme of this concentration.​