International Relations
Field of Study for the PhD: International Relations
International relations is the study of conflict and cooperation between states; international governance and institutions; the political behavior of transnational actors; the reciprocal influence of international and domestic politics; and competition for authority within anarchical societies.
International Relations at Rochester
At Rochester, students acquire advanced technical tools of theoretical and empirical analysis to a wide range of substantive problems. PhD students receive broad exposure to major debates in international relations in a yearlong sequence, and then plunge deeply into specialized topics in research seminars that are designed to produce early drafts of professional papers. Instead of a comprehensive exam, students prepare an analytical essay about a literature of particular interest, which serves as an opportunity to explore a potential dissertation topic. Students are encouraged to present their research frequently in workshops, to work closely with their advisors and a range of related faculty, and to produce collaborative research. Training in IR exploits students’ analytical and statistical tools to study and pursue research at the highest level. For the major field, a student must choose four courses from the advanced graduate seminars in international relations and pass them with an average GPA of 3.5 and no grade lower than a B-; for the minor field, a student must choose three courses, passing each course with a grade of B- or better.
Electives
- PSCI 479: War and the Nation State
- PSCI 551: State Building and Conflict
- PSCI 566: International Relations Field Seminar I
- PSCI 568: International Organization
- PSCI 572: International Relations Field Seminar II
- PSCI 573: Territory and Group Conflict
- PSCI 577: Theories of Conflict
- PSCI 579: Politics of International Finance