International Relations Undergraduate Program
Welcome to the Undergraduate IR Program!
We live in an international age. We are more closely connected to other peoples,
cultures, and countries than ever before, and global events affect our daily
lives in countless ways. Modern
communications instantly deliver news from around the world; we consume goods
produced through global supply chains; millions of people continue to migrate
across national borders and across the globe, to seek economic opportunities or
to flee violence and chaos; carbon emissions in one country can affect the
climate in many others; ideas and ideals can spread like wildfire. This new and intense level of
interconnectedness presents American and global citizens with enormous
challenges and opportunities. Environmental degradation, poverty, the spread of disease, and many
forms of political violence result from global trends and require global
solutions. But globalization also
presents us with the opportunity to pursue unrivaled levels of economic
empowerment, cultural understanding, and human flourishing – if we can learn
how to manage it for the benefit of all.
The undergraduate major in International Relations helps
students develop the analytic, cultural, and linguistic skills needed to
understand contemporary international affairs, to function effectively in a
global environment, and to prepare for further academic or professional study
and international career opportunities. This multidisciplinary program provides
students with tools and approaches from social science disciplines – anthropology,
economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology – to explore
current issues and to conceptualize global citizenship.
In addition to our own dedicated faculty and
staff, our students learn from a team of more than 60 full time faculty who
teach on every manner of international issues and affairs, covering all major
world regions. Our students benefit from
a variety of additional learning experiences, including: study-abroad
opportunities in more than 60 countries through
Syracuse Abroad and a semester-long program in Washington DC; and participation
in our award-winning Model United Nations team, as well as many other club and conference
opportunities. Most importantly, we
offer a rigorous academic program that prepares our students for a variety of
careers in international development, human rights, security, diplomacy,
advocacy, consulting, and law.