International Relations Certificate

Credits: 18, with minimum grades of C

The certificate in international relations is designed for students who are interested in international affairs and who are considering careers in this field (e.g., working for the U.S. government's foreign policy or intelligence agencies; foreign policy think tanks; international non-government organizations).

The international relations certificate requires a combined 3.0 GPA for all certificate coursework, which includes:

• Two core courses in international relations theory:
  INR 2001 Introduction to International Relations and
  INR 3603 Theories of International Relations
• At least three 3000-level courses in the main subfields of international relations, and
• At least one advanced subfield course (4000-level).

While successful completion of this 18-credit program will qualify students for the certificate, most graduate programs, foreign service organizations and private corporations will be looking for individuals with broader training. Therefore, students are encouraged to pursue related study in other political science fields and other departments. Students interested in U.S. foreign policy, for example, should consider taking courses in American government. Likewise, students interested in international trade or finance would do well to pursue coursework in economics.

In addition, students interested in the international relations of a particular geographical region would benefit from learning about the comparative domestic political systems and/or cultures of those regions and may find courses in comparative politics, geography, anthropology or foreign languages and literatures helpful. Many other opportunities for enrichment through interdisciplinary work are available on campus.

Additional information, including how to apply for the certificate, is available from international relations faculty and the Political Science department.​​