International Relations Major

1. Government Core (2 courses)

These courses should be taken in the first or second year:

• GOVT060 CM - Introduction to Comparative Government
• GOVT070 CM - Introduction to International Politics

2. Foreign Policy (1 course)

This course should be taken in the first or second year.

One course in foreign policy selected from:

• GOVT125 CM - The President and U.S. Foreign Policy (Washington Program course)
• GOVT145E CM - Security Studies
• GOVT149 CM - Foreign Relations of the United States
• GOVT150 CM - U.S. National Security Policy
• an alternative foreign relations course with approval of the International Relations Committee

3. Economics Core (1 course)

One course selected from:

• ECON101 CM - Intermediate Microeconomics
• ECON102 CM - Intermediate Macroeconomics

4. World Economy (1 course)

One world economy course selected from:

• ECON140 CM - The World Economy
• ECON141 CM - International Economics
• GOVT139 CM - Development, Power, and Globalization
• GOVT143C CM - International Political Economy of Money and Finance
• an alternative international economics or international political economy course with approval of the International Relations Committee

5. Electives Requirement (5 courses)

These courses should be beyond the introductory level and may be selected from any relevant discipline in consultation with a faculty advisor and with the approval of the International Relations Committee.

• 4 additional international relations courses with a particular thematic (e.g. strategic studies, international public health, or international development) or regional (e.g. Latin America, East Asia) focus
• 1 additional international relations course outside the thematic or regional focus

6. Foreign Language Competency

All students must show proficiency in a modern language other than English by completing a minimum of 4 semester courses at the college level, or the equivalent. Language courses may be used to fulfill general education requirements in foreign language (3^rd semester) and in foreign literature (equivalent to the 4^th semester of a European language); they may not be counted as electives for the international relations major.

7. Study Abroad

All majors, including dual majors, must spend at least 1 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. Students receiving education benefits through the Veterans Administration are not required to study abroad if the VA benefits would not apply.

No more than 2 courses per semester taken in study abroad (not more than 4 altogether) may be counted to meet requirements for the international relations major.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Policy Addendum

International Relations majors in the class of 2022 are granted an exemption from the normal study abroad requirement, but are strongly urged to find semester-long study abroad opportunities if possible. If semester-long study abroad opportunities are not feasible, international relations majors are urged to apply for a summer experience or internship abroad through the Soll Center for Student Opportunity. International Relations majors in the classes of 2021 and 2023 who have not studied abroad may appeal to the International Relations program director for an exemption from the study abroad requirement.

See COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Policies  for more information.

Notes:

• The general education requirements GOVT 020 CM  and ECON 050 CM  are prerequisites to all subsequent government and economics courses, so should be taken in the first year.
• Students normally take at least 6 courses, including the required core courses, at CMC.

Dual Major

A dual major in international relations requires at least 8 courses, distributed as follows:

Honors in International Relations

To receive honors in International Relations, a student must:

• Have attained at least a 10.5 GPA in the major by graduation,
• Attend a specified number of thesis preparation seminars in the fall and spring semesters,
• Complete a 2-semester, 2-credit international relations thesis,
• Defend the thesis and attend a specified number of thesis defenses,
• Earn no less than a A- on the thesis.

Learning Goals

The learning goals of the international relations program are:

1. To understand theories of international relations, comparative politics, and other fields relevant to other nations and international interactions, and use them to analyze significant international problems.
2. To communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Student Learning Outcomes

The student learning outcomes of the international relations program are:

1. Students will be able to demonstrate thorough knowledge of major theories related to other nations and international interactions.
2. Students will be able to develop a hypothesis from one or more of these theories and be able to substantiate their arguments with logic, normative insights, and quantitative evidence when appropriate.
3. Students will be able to express themselves effectively orally and in writing.

The faculty of the program has set up assessment methods.