International Relations

Major and Minor

Faculty and professional interests

Duane Oldfield, chair (on-site Director, Buenos Aires program, Fall 2009)
Globalization, social movements, religion and politics
Andrew Civettini (on leave Fall 2009)
American politics, political behavior, political psychology
Sue Hulett, interim chair, Fall 2009
International relations, American foreign policy, religion and politics
Karen Kampwirth
Comparative politics, Latin America, gender and politics
Robert Seibert
Comparative politics, Middle East, Southeast Asia
Lane Sunderland
Constitutional law, political philosophy, American political thought

International Relations is a major offered through the Department of Political Science and International Relations. The department faculty members are committed to providing a program that fosters an understanding of international political, diplomatic, socio-cultural, and military behavior. Topics include the study of war, peace and revolutions; international governmental and non-governmental organizations; human rights and ideologies; and democratization and globalization.

Students interested in international relations should include in their programs introductory courses in economics, history, anthropology and sociology, and political science, and should complete the intermediate courses in one modern language. Students are encouraged to participate in a study program abroad. While courses taken abroad may substitute for certain program requirements, care should be taken to fulfill most requirements before studying abroad.

In our department, we have cultivated a faculty of diverse methodologies and philosophical views. Our goal is to present intelligent perspectives on international relations that result in students reaching their own conclusions regarding questions of diplomacy, power politics, international law and ethics, transnationalism, military strategy, feminism, behavioralism, and ideal models of international political and economic development.

Our mission includes global civic education in the sense of discovering what our government and global communities "ought to be"; analysis of problems in the many sub-fields represented in the department [see course listings under Political Science]; improvement of reasoning, writing, and statistical skills; and inclusion of race, gender, class, and third world issues in most of the courses offered in the department.

The departmental curriculum contributes to the College's Key Competency Requirements as follows:

• Writing Key Competency - PS 227, 245, 314, 315, 317, 326, 333, 342, 362, and 363 serve as writing-intensive courses for majors
• Speaking Key Competency - PS 306, 312, 315, 317, 362, and 363 serve as speaking-intensive courses for majors
• Information Literacy and Informed Use of Technology - Specialized information literacy and technology skills are introduced in PS 230 (The Study of Politics) and further developed in both 200 and 300-level courses. Majors in International Relations gain exposure to these competencies in all upper-level seminars, especially in PS 317 (Advanced International Relations).

Political Science Course Descriptions
Requirements for the Major and Minor