Major Requirements

Requirements for the major include either 33 or 36 credits in international relations plus demonstrated proficiency in a contemporary spoken language other than English. Credits for internships in international relations, including internships abroad and IRP 471 - Global Internship  in Washington, D.C., may be counted toward the major upon prior approval by the International Relations Program.

To be Eligible to Declare the Undergraduate Major in International Relations

To be eligible to declare the undergraduate major in International Relations, students must achieve a grade of ‘B’ or better in at least one (1) of the three required introductory courses taken for the major at Syracuse University.

Of the 33 or 36 credits in the major, 24 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above. Eighteen (18) of these credits are devoted to two concentrations within the major: 3 courses/9 credits are taken in a geographic concentration in either Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, or the Middle East and North Africa, and 3 courses/9 credits are taken in a topic concentration in either Intercultural Communication (ICC), International Security and Diplomacy (ISD), International Law and Organizations (ILO), or International Political Economy (IPE).

The remaining 6 credits must include one upper-division elective on any international topic or geographic area and a 400-level capstone experience. This capstone is an in-depth research project which may be undertaken in a senior seminar, an independent study, or an honors project on an appropriately international theme, as approved by the International Relations Program.

In addition to the 33 or 36 credits required in courses in international relations, each student major must demonstrate proficiency in a contemporary spoken language other than English. This language should be spoken in the geographic area chosen for the student’s region concentration. Proficiency must be demonstrated by coursework to at least the level of Course IV (202) taught by the Syracuse University Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - http://lang.syr.edu or the equivalent. We strongly encourage students to continue language study to an advanced level of literacy and fluency. Students for whom English is a second language must complete ENL 211  and ENL 213 .

Graduation with a Bachelors of Arts degree in international relations requires an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher in 24 credits of upper-division courses for the major, including a grade of ‘C’ or better for work undertaken to fulfill the senior capstone requirement.

Additional Program Opportunities

International relations majors are expected to study abroad during their undergraduate program. Syracuse University Abroad (SU Abroad) offers a rich variety of courses that can be applied to the International Relations major requirements. Please see http://suabroad.syr.edu.

Participation in the Maxwell-in-Washington International Relations Semester, a 15-credit seminar and internship program, is recommended for all majors. For more information on this program, please contact the International Relations Programs office and see our webpage at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/IR_Maxwell_in_DC/

Co-curricular activities, such as the International Relations Learning Community, a residential program for students new to Syracuse University, as well as our International Relations Honor Society Sigma Iota Rho, Model United Nations Club and Team, International Relations Club, Conversations in IR speakers series, colloquia, and related activities, are available. Please see our webpage for more information. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ir/

The International Relations Program also offers minors in Global Political Economy and Global Security Studies. For more information, please see our “Affiliated Minors” webpage under “Academics” at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/IR_affiliated_minors/