Program Overview

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International Relations, Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science with a major in international relations requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 40 s.h. of work for the major. At least 18 s.h. of coursework for the major must be taken at the University of Iowa. Students must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. They also must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core.

Requirements

• International Relations Core: 12 s.h.
  • POLI:1500 Introduction to International Relations
  • POLI:3512 International Conflict
  • POLI:3516 The Politics of International Economics
  • One of the following:
    • HIST:1101 The Modern World
    • HIST:1403 The West and the World: Modern
    • HIST:3155 The World Since 1945
• Methods Course: 3 s.h.
  • POLI:3000 Analyzing Political Data
• Senior Seminar Courses: 4 s.h.
  • POLI:4802 International Relations Senior Seminar Preparation
  • One of the following:
    • POLI:4800 Senior Seminar in International Relations
    • POLI:4801 Honors Senior Seminar in International Relations
• Statistics/Research/Experiential Courses: 6 s.h.
  • Students must take 6 s.h. in statistical methods, research processes, and experiential learning courses.
• Track Courses: 15-16 s.h.
  • Students choose one of five tracks: conflict and foreign policy, international business and economic relations, regional politics and relationships, transnational issues, or a self-defined track.

Tracks

Conflict and Foreign Policy Track

The conflict and foreign policy track requires the following coursework (minimum of 15 s.h.).

• POLI:1501 Introduction to American Foreign Policy
• 12 s.h. from the following, including courses from at least two departments (minimum 3 s.h. per department):
  • POLI:2417 Comparative Environmental Policy
  • POLI:3035 Careers in Political Science and International Relations
  • POLI:3405 Authoritarian Politics
  • POLI:3411 Democracy: Global Trends and Struggles
  • POLI:3420 Southeast Asia: Politics and Development
  • POLI:3422 Horn of Africa: Politics and Transnational Issues
  • POLI:3423 The Middle East: Policy and Diplomacy
  • POLI:3428 Statecraft, Diplomacy, and World Order
  • POLI:3450 Problems in Comparative Politics
  • POLI:3503 Politics of Terrorism
  • POLI:3505 Civil Wars
  • POLI:3506 Consequences of War
  • POLI:3509 International Courts: The Intersection of Law and Politics
  • POLI:3518 Water Wars: Conflict and Cooperation
  • POLI:3527 Civil War Research Lab
  • POLI:3530 Diplomacy Lab
  • POLI:3550 Problems of International Politics
  • POLI:3603 War and Film
  • HIST:2156/JSTU:2156 Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel
  • HIST:2420/GRMN:2720 Germany in the World
  • HIST:2465 Europe Since 1945
  • HIST:2684/ASIA:2684 Korean War: Local and Global History
  • HIST:2804 The Middle East Through Graphic Novels and Animated Film
  • HIST:2810 The Modern Middle East
  • HIST:3106 History Behind the Headlines
  • HIST:3108 History of Human Rights
  • HIST:3145 Europe and the United States in the Twentieth Century
  • HIST:3147 The Cold War
  • HIST:3155 The World Since 1945
  • HIST:3242 The United States in World Affairs
  • HIST:3494/RUSS:3494 The Russian Revolutions and Their Legacies
  • HIST:4478 Holocaust in History and Memory

International Business and Economic Relations Track

The international business and economic relations track requires the following coursework (minimum of 16 s.h.).

• Two of the following:
  • ECON:1100 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON:1200 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • SEES:2910 The Global Economy
• 8-9 s.h. from the following, including courses from at least two departments (minimum 3 s.h. per department):
  • POLI:2417 Comparative Environmental Policy
  • POLI:3035 Careers in Political Science and International Relations
  • POLI:3424 Global Development
  • POLI:3432 Agriculture Politics and Policy
  • POLI:3504 Globalization
  • ECON:3335 Money, Banking, and Financial Markets
  • ECON:3345 Global Economics and Business
  • ECON:3620 Economic Growth and Development
  • ECON:3625/URP:3135 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
  • ECON:4110 International Economics
  • ENTR:4460 Entrepreneurship and Global Trade
  • FIN:4240 International Finance
  • HIST:1115/SEES:1115 The History of Oil
  • HRTS:3904/IS:3904 Business, Labor, and Human Rights
  • MGMT:3450 International Business Environment
  • MKTG:4300 International Marketing
  • SEES:3090/GHS:3070 Hungry Planet: Global Geographies of Food
  • SEES:3780/GHS:3780/HIST:3240/POLI:3431 U.S. Energy Policy in Global Context
  • SEES:3800 Environmental Policy
  • URP:3350/ECON:3750/SEES:3940 Transportation Economics

Regional Politics and Relationships Track

The regional politics and relationships track requires the following coursework (minimum of 15 s.h.).

• POLI:1400 Introduction to Comparative Politics
• 12 s.h. from the following, including courses from at least two departments (minimum 3 s.h. per department):
  • POLI:1401 Introduction to Russian Politics
  • POLI:1449 Introduction to European Politics
  • POLI:2415 Latin American Politics
  • POLI:2500 Politics of Natural Disasters
  • POLI:3035 Careers in Political Science and International Relations
  • POLI:3405 Authoritarian Politics
  • POLI:3408 Chinese Politics and Society
  • POLI:3420 Southeast Asia: Politics and Development
  • POLI:3422 Horn of Africa: Politics and Transnational Issues
  • POLI:3423 The Middle East: Policy and Diplomacy
  • POLI:3424 Global Development
  • POLI:3426 Outliers: Comparing Odd Countries
  • POLI:3428 Statecraft, Diplomacy, and World Order
  • POLI:3430 Environmental Politics and Indigeneity
  • POLI:3432 Agriculture Politics and Policy
  • POLI:3450 Problems in Comparative Politics
  • POLI:3527 Civil War Research Lab
  • POLI:3530 Diplomacy Lab
  • POLI:3550 Problems of International Politics
  • GWSS:3326/GHS:3327 The Politics of Progress: NGOs, Development, and Sexuality
  • HIST:1602/ASIA:1602 Civilizations of Asia: China from the 17th Century to the Present
  • HIST:1604/ASIA:1604 Civilizations of Asia: Japan
  • HIST:1606/ASIA:1606/RELS:1606 Civilizations of Asia: South Asia
  • HIST:1607/ASIA:1607 Civilizations of Asia: Korea
  • HIST:1609/ASIA:1609 India Now! Surveying the World's Largest Democracy
  • HIST:1708 Civilizations of Africa
  • HIST:2155/JSTU:2155 Global Jewish History
  • HIST:2156/JSTU:2156 Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel
  • HIST:2420/GRMN:2720 Germany in the World
  • HIST:2465 Europe Since 1945
  • HIST:2804 The Middle East Through Graphic Novels and Animated Film
  • HIST:3145 Europe and the United States in the Twentieth Century
  • HIST:3289/NAIS:3289 The Atlantic World c.
  • HIST:3427/GWSS:3427 Family, Gender, and Society in Early Modern Europe
  • HIST:3470 France From 1815 to Present
  • HIST:3501/LAS:3501 Rebel Island: A History of Cuba
  • HIST:3502/LAS:3502/NAIS:3502 History of Mexico
  • HIST:3515/LAS:3515 Introduction to Modern Latin America
  • HIST:3522/LATS:3522 Indigenous Women and Rural Unrest in Latin America
  • HIST:3652/ASIA:3652 Twentieth-Century China
  • HIST:3685/ASIA:3685 Modern Korean History
  • HIST:3760/AFAM:3760 The Making of Modern Africa
  • HIST:3810 History of the Modern Middle East
  • HIST:4433/FREN:4433 France Under Nazi Occupation,
  • HIST:4666/ASIA:4166 Topics in Asian History

Transnational Issues Track

The transnational issues track requires the following coursework (minimum of 15 s.h.).

• 15 s.h. from the following, including courses from at least three departments (minimum 3 s.h. per department):
  • POLI:2417 Comparative Environmental Policy
  • POLI:2500 Politics of Natural Disasters
  • POLI:3035 Careers in Political Science and International Relations
  • POLI:3411 Democracy: Global Trends and Struggles
  • POLI:3422 Horn of Africa: Politics and Transnational Issues
  • POLI:3424 Global Development
  • POLI:3428 Statecraft, Diplomacy, and World Order
  • POLI:3430 Environmental Politics and Indigeneity
  • POLI:3432 Agriculture Politics and Policy
  • POLI:3450 Problems in Comparative Politics
  • POLI:3509 International Courts: The Intersection of Law and Politics
  • POLI:3527 Civil War Research Lab
  • POLI:3530 Diplomacy Lab
  • POLI:3550 Problems of International Politics
  • ANTH:1046/GWSS:1046/SEES:1046/SJUS:1046 Environmental Politics in India
  • ANTH:2151/GWSS:2151/IS:2151 Global Migration in the Contemporary World
  • CRIM:3415 Global Criminology
  • ECON:3625/URP:3135 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
  • ECON:3760 Health Economics
  • GHS:2674/GWSS:2674/RELS:2674 Food, Body, and Belief: A Global Perspective
  • GHS:3030/CPH:3240 Global Health Today
  • GHS:3036 Ethics, Policy, and Global Health
  • GHS:3037 Technology to Improve Global Health
  • GHS:3050/ASP:3135/SSW:3135 Global Aging
  • GHS:3110/ANTH:3110/CBH:4200/NAIS:3110 Colonialism and Indigenous Health Equity
  • GHS:3120 Global Maternal and Child Health
  • GHS:3150/CBH:3150/JMC:3150 Media and Health
  • GHS:3230 Health Experience of Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees
  • GHS:3325 Global Epidemics
  • GHS:3500/CPH:3500 Global Public Health
  • GHS:3560 Global Garbage and Global Health
  • GHS:3720 Contemporary Issues in Global Health
  • GHS:3850/HHP:3850 Promoting Health Globally
  • GHS:4003 Case Studies in Global Health Inequities
  • GWSS:2190/ANTH:2190/IS:2190 Love Rules: Law and the Family Across Cultures
  • GWSS:2650/GHS:2650 Global Reproduction
  • GWSS:3010/GHS:3015 Transnational Sexualities
  • GWSS:3118/ANTH:3118/COMM:3118 Politics of Reproduction
  • GWSS:3157/HIST:3157 Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights
  • GWSS:3350/ANTH:3125/IS:3350 Transnational Feminism
  • HIST:1115/SEES:1115 The History of Oil
  • HIST:3108 History of Human Rights
  • HIST:3128 Topics in Global Environmental History
  • HIST:3131/SEES:3131 Unnatural Disasters: A Global History
  • HIST:3171 Slavery in World History
  • HIST:3427/GWSS:3427 Family, Gender, and Society in Early Modern Europe
  • HIST:3508/GHS:3508/LAS:3508 Disease and Health in Latin American History
  • HIST:3755/GHS:3555/IS:3555 Understanding Health and Disease in Africa
  • HRTS:3905/IS:3905 Topics in Human Rights
  • HRTS:3906 Global Crises and Human Rights
  • HRTS:3910/IS:3910 Approaches to Advocacy: From Theory to Practice
  • IS:3116/JMC:3116 Media and Global Cultures
  • IS:4131/COMM:4131 Globalization and Culture
  • SEES:1020 The Global Environment
  • SEES:1070 Contemporary Environmental Issues
  • SEES:1090 Globalization and Geographic Diversity
  • SEES:2110/GHS:2110 Eight Billion and Counting: Introduction to Population Dynamics
  • SEES:3090/GHS:3070 Hungry Planet: Global Geographies of Food
  • SEES:3110/GHS:3111 Geography of Health
  • SEES:3300/GHS:3300 Envisioning Future Worlds: Sustainable Development and Its Alternatives
  • SEES:3331 Human Dimensions of Climate
  • SEES:3780/GHS:3780/HIST:3240/POLI:3431 U.S. Energy Policy in Global Context
  • SEES:3800 Environmental Policy
  • SEES:4770/AFAM:4770/GHS:4770 Environmental Justice
  • URP:3350/ECON:3750/SEES:3940 Transportation Economics

Self-Defined Track

Students may create their own track with permission from the director of undergraduate studies. A self-defined track may not duplicate an existing track or another academic program of study at the University of Iowa. It must consist of at least 15 s.h. of coursework, which must include 3 s.h. of credit earned in courses from three different departments (9 s.h. total).

Honors in the Major

Students majoring in international relations have the opportunity to graduate with honors in the major. Departmental honors students must maintain a UI grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.33 and a major GPA of at least 3.50. In addition to maintaining the minimum GPA requirements and minimum major requirements, honors students must complete a final honors thesis, POLI:4801 Honors Senior Seminar in International Relations.

Career Advancement

A major in international relations is an excellent choice for any student considering a career in either the public or private sector, including the diplomatic service, intelligence organizations, multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, think tanks, public health agencies, the media, and numerous other professions. The international relations major also prepares students to pursue postbaccalaureate degrees such as a JD, MA, or PhD.

GE CLAS Core

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core requirements provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge and a focused practice of transferable skills necessary for a lifetime of learning.

Communication and Literacy

• Understanding Cultural Perspectives: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Interpretation of Literature: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Rhetoric: a minimum of 4 s.h.
• World Languages Pathways: required credit varies (see "World Languages Pathways" in this section of the catalog)

Sustainability

Students complete this requirement by choosing an approved GE CLAS Core course that integrates Sustainability (with no additional semester hours) with a course from the Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences category or the Culture, Society, and the Arts category.

Natural, Quantitative, and Social Sciences

• Natural Sciences: a minimum of 7 s.h.; must include one lab
• Quantitative or Formal Reasoning: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Social Sciences: a minimum of 3 s.h.

Culture, Society, and the Arts

• Historical Perspectives: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• International and Global Issues: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts: a minimum of 3 s.h.
• Values and Society: a minimum of 3 s.h.

Four-Year Graduation Plan

The following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete by certain semesters in order to stay on the university's Four-Year Graduation Plan. Courses in the major are those required to complete the major; they may be offered by departments other than the major department.

• Before the third semester begins: POLI:1500 Introduction to International Relations.
• Before the fifth semester begins: all core courses and the methods course.
• Before the seventh semester begins: at least one of the statistics/research/experiential courses, at least 12 s.h. in the track, and at least 90 s.h. earned toward the degree.
• Before the eighth semester begins: all core courses, the methods course, the remaining statistics/research/experiential course, and all track requirements.
• During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining coursework in the major, all remaining GE CLAS Core courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate.

Sample Plans of Study

Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.

Conflict and Foreign Policy Track

Plan of Study Grid (Manual) Academic Career

• First Year
  • Fall: POLI:1500 Introduction to International Relations, ENGL:1200 or RHET:1030, GE CLAS Core: World Languages First Level Proficiency or elective course, CSI:1600, Elective course
  • Spring: HIST:3155 or HIST:1101 or HIST:1403, ENGL:1200 or RHET:1030, GE CLAS Core: Understanding Cultural Perspectives, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Second Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course
• Second Year
  • Fall: POLI:1501 Introduction to American Foreign Policy, GE CLAS Core: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Third Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course
  • Spring: POLI:3000 Analyzing Political Data, POLI:3512 International Conflict, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Fourth Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course
• Third Year
  • Fall: POLI:3516 The Politics of International Economics, Major: statistics/research/experiential course, GE CLAS Core: Historical Perspectives, GE CLAS Core: Values and Society, Elective course
  • Spring: Major: conflict and foreign policy track course, Major: statistics/research/experiential course, GE CLAS Core: Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts, Elective course
• Fourth Year
  • Fall: POLI:4802 International Relations Senior Seminar Preparation, Major: conflict and foreign policy track course, Major: conflict and foreign policy track course, GE CLAS Core: Natural Sciences without Lab, Elective course
  • Spring: POLI:4800 or POLI:4801, Major: conflict and foreign policy track course, GE CLAS Core: Natural Sciences with Lab, Elective course

Transnational Issues Track

Plan of Study Grid (Manual) Academic Career

• First Year
  • Fall: POLI:1500 Introduction to International Relations, RHET:1030 or ENGL:1200, GE CLAS Core: Understanding Cultural Perspectives, GE CLAS Core: World Languages First Level Proficiency or elective course
  • Spring: ENGL:1200 or RHET:1030, GE CLAS Core: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Second Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course, Elective course
• Second Year
  • Fall: HIST:1403 or HIST:1101 or HIST:3155, Major: transnational issues track course, GE CLAS Core: Natural Sciences with Lab, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Third Level Proficiency or elective course
  • Spring: POLI:3000 Analyzing Political Data, POLI:3512 International Conflict, GE CLAS Core: World Languages Fourth Level Proficiency or elective course, Elective course
• Third Year
  • Fall: Major: transnational issues track course, Major: statistics/research/experiential course, GE CLAS Core: Values and Society, GE CLAS Core: Social Sciences, Elective course
  • Spring: Major: transnational issues track course, Major: transnational issues track course, GE CLAS Core: Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts, Elective course
• Fourth Year
  • Fall: POLI:3516 The Politics of International Economics, POLI:4802 International Relations Senior Seminar Preparation, Major: transnational issues track course, GE CLAS Core: Historical Perspectives, GE CLAS Core: Natural Sciences without Lab, Elective course
  • Spring: POLI:4801 or POLI:4800, Major: statistics/research/experiential course, Elective course, Elective course, Elective course