A career in international relations allows you to shape global policy and build a better world. With the skills you learn, you can make an impact in diverse areas like coordinating humanitarian aid during natural disasters, managing cross-cultural partnerships with businesses and government agencies or analyzing trends as an intelligence analyst. A degree in IR will also teach you critical thinking, clear communication and a comprehensive understanding of world politics-qualities that translate well into countless careers.
International relations is the study of interactions among nation states, international organizations, and other non-state entities. It encompasses political theory, comparative politics, world history, and foreign policy. The field is interdisciplinary and intersects with fields such as law, geography, sociology, and economics.
Many students pursue a career in the Foreign Service, which requires passing the highly selective Foreign Service exam and extensive work experience before being eligible to be hired. But opportunities are arising in other federal departments as well as the private sector, including at the local and regional levels, where a degree in IR is increasingly valuable.
Traditionally, scholars have focused on subjects such as interstate war, deterrence, cooperation, alliances and the balance of power. More recently, scholars have begun to examine other issues, such as global governance, security and development. A variety of theoretical approaches are used to analyze international relations, including realism, liberalism, neo-liberalism, Marxism and structuralism. Some approaches emphasize the importance of cultural influences and the role of ideas in shaping international behavior, while others promote a more utilitarian view of state power.