General
The graduate faculty administers two degree programs in the international relations area: 1) the M.A. in International Relations; and 2) the Ph.D. in Political Science with a Concentration in International Relations. To obtain either of these degrees, candidates must successfully complete designated introductory and advanced coursework in the core of International Relations Theory (IRT), and in one or more of the major subfields: International Security (IS), International Political Economy (IPE), Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA), and International Organization (IO).
Field Committee
R. DiMuccio (Area Chair, IRT, IO), T. McCoy (IPE, IR of Latin Am.) L. Brown (IPE), E. Henderson (IS)
Contributing Faculty
S. Sanderson (Dept. Chair ), K Legg, R. Johnson, R. Nolan (FPA) J. Spanier (Emeritus)
Program Descriptions
The M.A. Program
The M.A. in International Relations is intended primarily as a terminal degree for those students intending to seek employment in some realm of foreign relations or for those already working in foreign affairs who desire mid-career re-training. The M.A. in International Relations is a generalized degree, although the program is flexible enough (with 15 credits of unspecified electives) for students with specific interests in certain issues or geographical areas to tailor their programs to meet such needs.
The M.A. in International Relations is a 36-hour, non-thesis degree. To obtain this degree, students must successfully complete the following:
ï6-credit Political Science core sequence
-POS 6736 (Conduct of Inquiry for M.A. students)
-STA 6126 (Statistical Methods in Social Research)
ï15-credits of International Relations graduate courses as follows:
-INR 6607 (Survey of International Relations Theory)
-INR 6208 (Advanced Seminar in International Relations)
-At least two (2) of the following survey seminars:
INR 6039 (Survey of International Political Economy)
INR 6335 (Survey of International Security)
INR 6305 (Survey of U.S. Foreign Policy)
INR 6507 (Survey of International Organization)
-At least one (1) of the following proseminars:
INR 6088 (Proseminar on International Security)
INR 6XXX (Proseminar on Politics of the European Union/IO)*
INR 6XXX (Proseminar on the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy)*
INR 6XXX (Inter-American Relations)*
ï15 credits of Departmental or extra-Departmental electives.
ïM.A. comprehensive examination.
Clarifications:
ïM.A. students should select the minimum of 1 (one) advanced proseminar from among the 2 (two) subfields that they have covered in their survey coursework.
ïM.A. students should take the Advanced Seminar in International Relations during their last semester of matriculation.
ïM.A. students should sit for the comprehensive examination during their last semester of matriculation.
The Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations is designed primarily to train those interested in scholarly careers, though many individuals with such degrees also pursue work in more applied fields. Like the M.A., the Ph.D. is a generalized degree that gives students with specific interests in certain issues or geographical areas enough flexibility to tailor their programs to meet these needs. To obtain the Ph.D. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations, students must successfully complete the following:
ïPolitical Science core sequence
-POS 6736 (Conduct of Inquiry for Ph.D. Students)
-POT 6XXX (Political Theory)*
-POS 6XXX (Data Analysis for Ph.D. Students)*
-POS 6XXX (Scope and Epistemology)*
ïA Major Field in International Relations that includes the following (12 hours):
-INR 6607 (Survey of International Relations Theory)
-INR 6208 (Advanced Seminar in International Relations)
-At least two (2) of the following survey seminars:
INR 6039 (Survey of International Political Economy)
INR 6335 (Survey of International Security)
INR 6305 (Survey of U.S. Foreign Policy)
INR 6507 (Survey of International Organization)
-At least one (1) of the following proseminars:
INR 6088 (Proseminar on International Security)
INR 6XXX (Proseminar on the Politics of the European Union/IO)*
INR 6XXX (Proseminar on U.S. Foreign Policy)*
INR 6XXX (Interamerican Relations)*
-A Ph.D. comprehensive examination in International Relations
ïA Minor examination field in another area of Political Science
ïA Minor non-examination field in another area of Political Science
ïElectives in Political Science and related fields to achieve hour requirement (90 hours)
ïA completed doctoral dissertation in International Relations
Students wishing to do minor field work in International Relations may complete one of the following in addition to the Departmental requirements as listed above:
ïMinor examination field in International Relations (9 hours):
-INR 6607 (Theories of International Relations)
-Two of the following:
INR 6039 (Survey of International Political Economy)
INR 6335 (Survey of International Security)
INR 6305 (Survey of U.S. Foreign Policy)
INR 6507 (Survey of International Organization)
-A minor field comprehensive examination in International Relations
ïMinor NON-examination field in International Relations (6 hours):
-INR 6607 (International Relations Theory)
-One of the following:
INR 6039 (Survey of International Political Economy)
INR 6335 (Survey of International Security)
INR 6305 (Survey of U.S. Foreign Policy)
INR 6507 (Survey of International Organization)
Clarifications:
ïPh.D. students should select their minimum of 1 (one) advanced seminar from among the 2 (two) areas they have covered in their introductory seminar coursework.
ïPh.D. students pursuing a major field in International Relations should take the Advanced Seminar in International Relations AFTER they have successfully taken the International Relations comprehensive examination.
Status of the International Relations Curriculum
The international relations curriculum is currently undergoing revision. In the meantime, certain courses will be offered as Advanced Topics seminars (POS 6933, as indicated by "*" above), when necessary. As of the time of writing, many of the experimental courses listed above have been granted approval and official course numbers; these will be reflected in the graduate 1997-98 graduate catalogue. For up-to-date information and orientation on the status of the curriculum, , please consult the Area Chairperson.
International Relations Homepage
Detailed information about the international
relations program, including course syllabi and web pages, faculty
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