Requirements
International Relations is an interdisciplinary major administered by the Government Department. It consists of ten or more semester courses. At least eight must be at the 200 level or above. Three Government courses must be at the 300 level or above, at least one of which must be a 400-level Government seminar taken in the junior or senior year. Courses must be taken from the departments of Government, History, and Economics. Seven of the courses must be in government and three from related social science fields. Of these three, one must be in Economics, and one must be in History. The third course must be taken outside the department from the approved list of courses below (or with the permission of the department.) At least seven courses (eight for honors) must be taken at Connecticut College. Individual Studies (491, 492) or Honors Theses (497, 498) can also be taken in addition to these requirements. NOTE: Student taking an Individual Study will complete at least eleven course in the major for graduation. Students writing an Honors Thesis will complete twelve courses in the major for graduation.
Students are encouraged to develop a particular focus in the major, such as foreign policy analysis, international political economy, the developing world, environmental politics, security studies, international relations theory, human rights, politics or international politics of a region, ethnic conflict, terrorism, or other approved topic.
The IRL major requires proficiency in a modern foreign language beyond the College requirement. For five of the languages taught at the College -- French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish -- the IRL major requires at least one course beyond their standard two-semester intermediate level. Relevant courses are identified in the next paragraph. Students taking Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic must complete the 200-level intermediate series. To become and remain fluent in the language, as well as to be competitive for certain graduate programs, students are encouraged to take language courses through the senior year.
Students taking French, German or Russian need a 300-level course that requires course 202. For Italian, any course that requires 202 would satisfy the requirement. Students studying Spanish must take a course at the 200 level or above.
In addition to the College language requirement, majors must take at least one course in a modern foreign language beyond the intermediate level. Students taking Arabic, Chinese, or Japanese must complete the intermediate level series. To become and remain fluent in the language, as well as to be competitive for certain graduate programs, students are encouraged to take language courses through the senior year.
Students are also encouraged to study abroad, especially if language immersion is involved. To gain practical experience and to make professional contacts, students are encouraged to do an internship with a governmental or non-governmental organization concerned with international affairs.
In planning a schedule of courses, check the Catalog for prerequisites to courses. For example, almost all of the Economics courses listed below require both Economics 111 and 112. Courses listed here suggest the types of courses that fit the requirements. In consultation with your adviser, some substitutions are permitted. For instance, if taken in Germany, a course in German foreign policy taught by a politics department could meet the foreign policy requirement.
The required Government courses are Government 113 and six others, of which at least three shall be at the 300-level or above, selected as follows:
Required Courses
<i>One course in Foreign Policy:</i>
<i>One course in International Politics: </i>
<i>One course in Comparative Politics:</i>
<i>Two other 200-, 300-, or 400-level Government course in the International Politics, Foreign Policy, or Comparative fields noted above. GOV 316, National Security vs. Personal Freedom, can also satisfy this requirement.</i>
<i>A Government seminar taken at Connecticut College during the junior or senior year: A 400-level Government International Politics, Foreign Policy, or Comparative Politics seminar. </i>
Appropriate 400-level courses include:
Three additional, non-Government courses selected as follows:
One additional course selected from the following:
<i>One course in Economics selected from:</i>
<i>One course in History selected from:</i>
Advisers: T. Borer, J. Dawson, A. Hybel, D. Patton, W. Rose, C. Sayej, J. Tian