International Relations—Old Requirements

See current major requirements

These requirements are not available to students in the Class of 2021 and later. Only students in earlier classes may follow these requirements.

    1. Overview of the Major in International Relations
    2. Requirements for the Major in International Relations
    3. Checklist for Requirements for the Major
    4. How To Declare a Major
    5. Overlap Policy
    6. Course Recommendations for Four Years
    7. Honors Program
    8. The Richard and Nancy Fenno Summer Fellowships
    9. The Washington Semester and Undergraduate Political Science Research Fund
    10. Undergraduate Prizes

Overview of the Major in International Relations

The major in International Relations introduces students to the complex and fascinating world of politics beyond the United States and provides them with essential tools for understanding and analyzing it. In an increasingly interdependent world of nations and international organizations, such understanding is important for a variety of internationally oriented careers, inside and outside the United States, as well as for its own sake as part of a liberal arts education. Rather than constructing a major that offers vague introductions to many different aspects of world affairs, this major draws fully on the Political Science Department's analytical tradition of undergraduate education. Students will gain great breadth in their understanding of world affairs, but with analytical rigor and depth.

The core of the major consists of four courses that introduce the concepts and theories of the subfields of international relations (relations between nations) and comparative politics (political processes and policymaking within nations). Students in the International Relations major also develop essential knowledge of cultures and contexts of politics outside the United States through a semester of Study Abroad (fall, spring, or summer) and through taking at least two courses taught in a language other than English. These basic theoretical and cultural tools are supplemented and applied with additional substantive courses in International Relations, Political Science, and related disciplines. Included in these additional courses is selection of a track focusing on one of the three important substantive areas of Global Security, Political Economy and Development, or Governance of Nations.

Students who are interested in the International Relations major may consult with any of the undergraduate advisors in the Department of Political Science.

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Requirements for the Major in International Relations

The major in International Relations requires that students successfully complete at least twelve courses, achieving a minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 in these courses. To fulfill the requirements of the major, students must also complete two college-level courses taught in a foreign language and participate in a program of Study Abroad. None of the twelve courses or the two language courses may be taken on a satisfactory/fail basis. At least nine of these twelve courses must be in International Relations or Political Science. No more than four introductory courses may be included in the twelve courses for the International Relations Major.

As described below (see also the IR Major Checklist), the twelve courses must include the four required core courses, five courses in the specialized tracks (at least three of which come from a single track), and three elective courses. The specialized tracks are: Global Security, Political Economy and Development, and Governance of Nations. International Relations majors must also take at least two college-level courses taught in a foreign language. All International Relations majors must also participate in a program of Study Abroad (in either the fall, spring, or summer).

Core Requirements (four courses)

All students must take four courses as specified below. Courses that appear in both categories can satisfy one or the other core requirement, but not both.

Comparative Politics Core

Students must take at least two courses from those listed below. PSC/IR 101 is strongly recommended as one of these two courses.

International Relations Core

Students must take at least two courses from those listed below. PSC/IR 106 is strongly recommended as one of these two courses.

Specialized Tracks (five courses, three of which must be from a single track)

Courses in International Relations fall into specialized tracks. Students must choose five courses from these tracks, at least three of which must come from one selected track. At least two of the three courses in the selected track must be in International Relations or Political Science. Courses applied to the Comparative Politics or International Relations core requirements cannot count toward the track requirements.

Electives (three courses)

Students must select three other courses, which may be drawn from any of the courses in the three tracks, as well as from any other courses offered in International Relations, Political Science, Economics, or History. One elective course may be satisfied by earning a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement exam in American or Comparative Government.

Study Abroad

Students must spend a semester (fall, spring, or summer) in an organized program of Study Abroad. We encourage students to consider European Political Internships supervised by the University of Rochester, but students may also pursue other programs, including programs that do not involve internships. Students may count as many as three courses taken abroad in International Relations, Political Science, Economics, or History toward the specialized tracks requirement, provided that a Department advisor confirms in writing that the courses fit into one of the tracks and specifies which track(s) each course falls into. One or more additional courses, up to a total of four altogether, may be approved by an advisor as electives toward the major; these may be courses comparable to any of those in the three tracks, as well as any other courses offered in International Relations, Political Science, Economics, or History.

Internships count for one course toward the major, even if students receive more than four credits in the internship toward their degree requirements. Business Internships supervised by the University of Rochester will also be approved for this major on a case-by-case basis, whenever the internship will enhance the student's understanding of international politics or international economics.

The Study Abroad requirement may be waived for students who have resided for at least two years in a non-English speaking country and who, while abroad, have taken formal education courses at the high school level or above taught in a foreign language.

Language Requirement

Students must complete, with a satisfactory letter grade, at least two courses at the college level taught in a modern foreign language. These may touch on any topic and be at any difficulty level, including introductory language courses. (However, if two introductory courses are taken, they must be in the same language.) Courses used to fulfill the College's requirement for a Cluster in the Humanities may be used for this purpose. Appropriate transfer courses may be used, subject to approval. Advanced Placement courses and exams may not be used to satisfy this requirement.

This requirement, like the Study Abroad requirement, may be waived for students who have resided for at least two years in a non-English speaking country and who, while abroad, have taken formal education courses at the high school level or above taught in a foreign language.

Writing Requirement

International Relations majors fulfill the writing requirement by taking two courses for the major that are designated as writing intensive. These courses may include PSC 202W (which could count as one of the three electives) or any course for the major that carries a "W" designation. Ordinarily, "W" courses require students to write a term paper of 10-15 pages (about 3,500 words), with the term paper involving research that goes beyond the regular class material. Faculty are encouraged to have students submit a draft of a portion of the term paper before they turn in the final product. No more than one of these courses may be used to satisfy the writing requirement in a second or third major.

Additional Guidelines on Courses in the Major

AP and IB Credit. Students will be granted 4 credits in the major if they receive a grade of 4 or 5 on any AP exam in Government or History, a grade of 5, 6, or 7 on the Higher Level IB exam in Global Politics, or a grade of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level IB exam in History. Students who take more than one exam are not eligible for additional credit in the major. This course will be classified as one of the three elective courses and will be considered a transfer course and an introductory course.

Transfer Courses. Except in extraordinary circumstances, no more than four courses in the major may be transferred from other schools, no more than three of which may be transferred from another university or college in the United States. Transfer courses may not be used to satisfy Core requirements or upper-level-writing requirements. However, they may be used to satisfy any of the five specialized track courses or three electives. The Director of Undergraduate Studies or another International Relations advisor will determine whether courses taken elsewhere are track or elective courses. While abroad, students are urged to take courses related to the politics and international relations of the country or region in which they are studying. Credit is not granted for online courses.

Substituting Courses after Declaring a Major. The course plan approved by an undergraduate advisor must meet the requirements for the major. Students who substitute courses after declaring a major are responsible for ensuring that substitutions satisfy requirements. If in doubt about substitutions, students should check with one of the Department's undergraduate advisors.

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How To Declare a Major

Pick up a blue Approval Form for Concentrations and Minors, available in the Center for Academic Support at Lattimore Hall 312 or in the Department of Political Science office at Harkness Hall 333.

Collect information at this website regarding requirements for the major.

Complete Part A of the Approval Form, following the information about requirements. List the relevant courses you have already taken, are currently taking, or plan to take before you graduate. You are not committed to following this course plan exactly, but you must fulfill the relevant requirements if you wish to graduate with a major in International Relations. If you ultimately substitute courses for those listed on your Approval Form, you may wish to check with an undergraduate advisor in the Political Science Department to confirm that the substitutions are acceptable.

In deciding which courses to take, you may wish to examine the course descriptions. You may also wish to consult with an undergraduate advisor in the Political Science Department for advice about courses best suited to your particular intellectual interests and career goals. If you would like advice, list only those courses you have taken, are taking, or know for certain you wish to take.

Once you have completed Part A of the Approval Form as best you can, take it to an undergraduate advisor in the Political Science Department during his or her office hours. Your advisor will check the form, answer any questions you may have, and sign it. If you plan to double major, request that "permission to double major" be written and initialed by the advisor on the Approval Form.

Submit the completed and signed Approval Form to the Center for Academic Support at Lattimore Hall 312. The Center will send one copy to the Department of Political Science.

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Overlap Policy

Students are reminded that they are subject to the College's "overlap policy" with respect to double majors and a major and minor. The policy applies to all students in the College:

Major: No more than three courses overlapping between any two majors.

Minor: No more than two courses overlapping between a minor and either a major or another minor.

If a cross-listed course (such as PSC/ECO 288) is listed under two majors, it counts toward the overlap limit even if it is listed under the Political Science number in one case and a cross-listed number in the other case.

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Course Recommendations for Four Years

First year

We strongly recommend that students interested in International Relations take two courses in the field in their first year: IR/PSC 101 (Introduction to Comparative Politics) and IR/PSC 106 (Introduction to International Relations). These two courses fulfill part of the Core Requirements for the major in International Relations. Students might also look for other courses, including 100-level courses that count toward one of the Specialized Tracks and 200-level courses open to first-year students. Although it does not count for the major, first-year students might also choose a version of WRT 105 that emphasizes politics, government, or international issues.

The Political Science Department offers a number of courses that International Relations students might find interesting and useful. These courses introduce other aspects of political science through an exploration of American politics (PSC 103 and 105), positive political theory (PSC 107), political philosophy (PSC 104), and political economy (PSC 108). Students may count such courses as Electives toward the International Relations major.

We also recommend that students begin or continue courses in a foreign language. Not only will this help meet major requirements, but it will also allow students to consider opportunities for Study Abroad that require proficiency in a language other than English.

Sophomore Year

Most students formally declare a major in the sophomore year, and this is an excellent opportunity to map out, with the advice of an undergraduate advisor in the department, the course plan that meets particular intellectual interests and career goals. In the sophomore year, students should sample from courses in the Specialized Tracks to discover their interests. They should also complete the Core Requirements by taking a second course in both comparative politics and international relations. As well, students may begin to consider whether or not plans for the junior and senior years will affect their course plans for their International Relations major. For example, in thinking about Study Abroad, students may wish to choose, for the sophomore year, courses that satisfy Core Requirements, in the expectation that some courses taken while abroad will be counted toward Specialized Tracks and as Electives in the major.

Many students may wish to continue language study in their sophomore year. In the second semester, students should make plans for Study Abroad.

Junior Year

This is the year in which most students choose to spend a semester (or a year) abroad. Remember that courses taken abroad may, with the written approval of an advisor, count toward the International Relations major. We recommend that you seek advice about particular coursework before going abroad. During their junior year, students should also take a number of Specialized Track and Elective courses.

Senior Year

Ideally, the senior year is not characterized by last-minute panic about completing degree requirements. Rather, the senior year should be as much a beginning as an end--a time to engage in concrete preparations for your work or study beyond graduation, as you enjoy your last year of undergraduate study. Be warned, however: spring semester senior year is typically too late to begin these preparations. For example, applications to graduate school require carefully conceived and well-written statements of purpose. Successful applicants are not the students who submit first drafts or statements that have undergone no review by an outside person. Graduate schools and prospective employers alike usually require letters of recommendation. Students need to consider carefully who to approach for these letters; moreover, neither professors nor past employers can be expected to produce really substantive letters of support on very short notice.

Senior year should be the time in which students best use the resources available to them to take a variety of practical measures that open doors to opportunities beyond graduation. This should be done with an open mind about possibilities and a clear understanding that, for example, some opportunities may not materialize, some that look attractive in the abstract may be less attractive as concrete offers, and new opportunities may emerge in the process of pursuing options. Students are encouraged to talk to their professors, attend workshops organized by the department and the Undergraduate Political Science Council, and make good use, as early as possible, of the variety of resources provided by the Career Center.

Thinking about Graduate Studies?

We encourage students who think they may wish to pursue graduate studies in International Relations, Political Science, History, Economics, Anthropology, or another field to consult an undergraduate advisor or other professor in the relevant department about their plans. The beginning of the junior year is not too early to seek advice, and the senior year is usually late. We can offer students both general advice and specific information about graduate programs across the country. We can also help students better gauge their prospects for acceptance into graduate programs, opportunities for financial aid, and career prospects beyond graduate studies.

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Honors Program

The honors program provides a capstone experience during a student’s senior year. Students have an opportunity to conduct original social science research in a small collaborative setting. “Original research” means that students will propose an original hypothesis and evaluate it, as opposed to standard political science courses in which students’ written assignments summarize existing arguments. Most theses contain a statistical analysis component, although this is not required. (For example, a thesis could be primarily qualitative or theoretical.)

During the fall, honors students will enroll in PSC/IR 389W (4 credits), taught by the Honors Coordinator, in which they will develop a topic and learn research design techniques. Students will receive feedback from the Honors Coordinator, from peers in the class, and from an additional faculty member who will serve as the main advisor. Contingent on satisfactory performance in the fall, students will write the bulk of the thesis in the spring, enrolling in PSC/IR 393W (4 credits). They will meet periodically with the Honors Coordinator and classmates, and regularly with their thesis advisor, who will assign their spring grade. The end result is a written thesis that will be due on April 15 and will be graded by the advisor and by a second member of the department faculty at the end of the senior year. Students who complete a satisfactory thesis and have a major GPA of at least 3.5 (calculated by averaging the grades of all courses that are listed or cross-listed as PSC or IR as well as any other courses used to satisfy the requirements of the major) will graduate with honors, and exceptional theses may merit high or highest honors.

Admission to the honors program will be based on invitations issued by the Department of Political Science by March 1 of a student’s junior year, or by petition from students with excellent academic records who were overlooked in the invitation process. Invitations will be restricted to juniors majoring in Political Science or International Relations who have demonstrated outstanding levels of achievement in their academic work, as demonstrated by the rigor of their course schedules and their GPAs. Students who are not invited may petition for admission to the honors program. The deadline for a student petition is March 15. The Department will respond to the petition within two weeks, before the fall registration period begins.

In addition to receiving an invitation or having a petition approved, students must have completed the following minimum requirements before the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year, with a grade of B or better:

1. At least two courses in tools of political analysis (PSC 107, PSC 200, PSC 202W, PSC 205, PSC 281, or PSC 288). Prospective honors students are strongly encouraged to have completed at least one statistics course no later than spring of their junior year. In lieu of PSC 200, students may substitute one of the following introductory statistics courses: ECO 230, STT 211, STT 212, STT 213, or STT 214.

2. An upper-level writing course, designated with a W.

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The Richard and Nancy Fenno Summer Fellowships

The Richard and Nancy Fenno Summer Fellowships are designed to support and encourage Rochester undergraduates to engage in activities that will stimulate their personal and intellectual growth and which will make them even more valuable members of the university community upon their return to campus. Specifically, a summer stipend of $2,500 will be offered for students engaging in activities broadly related to politics and policy. Such activities could include working in any of the government branches in Washington, D.C., in state or local governments, or, in some cases, in analogous international positions. Applications for Summer 2016 are due by March 31. 

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The Washington Semester and Undergraduate Political Science Research Fund

The Department has money available to assist undergraduate students with research projects of various sorts. This money could be used for those particularly interested in studying Congress, for students in the honors program, or for students engaged in other research projects. In all cases, the money would go directly to support the research itself; money is not available to provide a stipend to students. The maximum grant is currently $500, though, in exceptional cases, a second application will be considered. Application should be made in a letter to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

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Undergraduate Prizes

The four prestigious undergraduate prizes described below are awarded annually and presented at the spring Political Science and International Relations commencement ceremony. A committee of faculty members in the Department of Political Science, appointed by the department chair, selects the winners.

James D. McGill Memorial Prize

The James D. McGill Memorial Prize was established in 1942 by former students and friends of Professor McGill, who came to the university in 1927 and was the first professor to head our department, a position he took up in 1934. In establishing the prize, Professor McGill's students and friends noted that "he saw his students as future participants in a living and dynamic democracy, and he prepared them for this service." The prize is awarded to the undergraduate student who is deemed to have shown the greatest interest and demonstrated the highest achievement in the field of political science or international relations. The name of the winner is recorded on a plaque displayed in Harkness Hall.

Jay F. Birdsall Memorial Prize

The Jay F. Birdsall Memorial Prize was established in 1967 by friends and relatives to honor the memory of Jay F. Birdsall III, Class of 1967, who graduated with high honors in political science, earning the respect of all for both his academic excellence and the involvement in public service that he showed as an intern in state government in Albany. The prize is awarded to a graduating senior in political science or international relations who has demonstrated an interest in--and a commitment to--practical politics. The name of the winner is recorded on a plaque displayed in Harkness Hall.

Helen S. Jones Award

The Helen S. Jones Award is given annually to a student who demonstrates significant achievement in the areas of sociology, international relations, and/or political science.

Laurin Taylor Frisina '06 Ventura Award

The Laurin Taylor Frisina '06 Ventura Award, established in 2014 in memory of Laurin Taylor Frisina, is given to "the graduating senior who, as a Political Science research assistant or in other research activities, best represents creativity and collaboration in pursuit of knowledge."

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