INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

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The International Relations program is an interdisciplinary program designed for students preparing for graduate work or careers with an international focus, whether in government, business, the professions, such as law, teaching, journalism, or in other areas, such as private foundations or international organizations.

All majors take a group of courses in government and economics in common. In addition to these courses, students in the international relations major take elective courses with a particular thematic or geographic focus. The Chair of the International Relations Committee will advise students on substitute and transfer courses.

Major Requirements

The major in international relations requires at least ten courses distributed as follows:

  1. Core Requirement of five required courses:
    • Government 60. Introduction to Comparative Government
    • Government 70. Introduction to International Politics
    • Government 149. Foreign Relations of the United States
    • Economics 101. Intermediate Microeconomics
    • Economics 140. The World Economy
  2. Electives Requirement: fouradditional international relations courses with a particular thematic (strategic studies or international economics) or regional (e.g., Latin America) focus. These courses should be beyond the introductory level and may be selected from any relevant discipline in consultation with a faculty advisor.
  3. Course with Regional Focus:an upper level course with a regional focus. Students who have chosen a regional focus for their electives must take a course outside that region. This course is to be selected in consultation with the chair of the International Relations committee.
  4. 4. Foreign Language Competency
    All students must show proficiency in a (one) modern foreign language by completing a minimum of four semester courses at the college level, or the equivalent. These courses may be used to fulfill general education requirements; they may not be counted as electives for the international relations major.
    5. Study Abroad
    All majors, including dual majors, must spend at least one semester in study abroad in a program including foreign language study. Other foreign experiences may be substituted with the approval of the Chair of the International Relations Committee. No more than two courses per semester taken in study abroad (not more than four altogether) may be counted to meet requirements for the international relations major.

Notes:

  • Students majoring in international relations are required to write a senior thesis on an international topic.
  • Students normally take at least six courses, including the core, at CMC
  • Since many international economics courses have Economics 102. Intermediate Macroeconomics as a prerequisite, majors are encouraged to complete this course.

Special Options for Majors

Dual Majors

Students majoring in international relations often wish to combine their major with another field of study such as economics or history. The international relations requirements for a dual major consist of a minimum of eight courses:

  1. Core Requirement of five required courses:
    • Government 60. Introduction to Comparative Government
    • Government 70. Introduction to International Politics
    • Government 149. Foreign Relations of the United States
    • Economics 101. Intermediate Microeconomics
    • Economics 140. The World Economy
  2. Electives Requirement: at least three elective courses chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor and approved by the Chair of the International Relations Committee.
  3. Other Requirements: dual majors also must meet the study abroad, language competency, and senior thesis requirements that apply to full majors

Please note the restrictions on honors in the major for students with a dual major under "Honors in International Relations" below. For further information on dual majors and the requirements for the other field of study of the dual major, please check the appropriate sections of this catalog.

Note: Dual majors in economics and international relations must take at least four elective courses and use Economics 101 for the economics portion of the dual major.

Honors in International Relations

Majors in international relations interested in receiving honors in the major may participate in the honors program conducted by the Government Department. To be eligible for honors in international relations, students must:

  • Complete a two-semester thesis in international relations with a grade of "B+" (10.00) or better;
  • Satisfactorily participate in the mandatory two-semester, non-credit Honors Seminar conducted by the Department of Government; and
  • Attain a grade point average of 10.50 or better in the major at time of graduation.

Students with a dual major in international relations who wish to be considered for honors in international relations will only receive honors if they:

  • have completed all requirements for a full major in international relations and are granted honors, or
  • qualify and receive honors in both fields of their dual major. See "Honors in the Major" for details.

For further information on the honors program, see Professor Appel or Professor Blitz, Chair of the Government department.

Courses at the Other Claremont Colleges and Other Institutions

Normally, students take the core courses for the major at CMC; courses at other institutions may be taken as electives, subject to the approval of the International Relations Committee.

The Faculty

The major is administered by the International Relations Committee, in cooperation with the Government Department. In 2003-2004 members of the committee are: Professors: Arndt, Ascher, Camp, Haley (chair), C.J. Lee, Warner, and Willett; Associate Professors: Humes, and Rosenbaum; Assistant Professors: Appel, Kapur, and Velazco.

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