International Relations, BA

Degree Requirements

Students can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with this major

Major Requirements: 12 courses, 44-45 credits

Core Requirements (8 courses, 29 credits)

POLS-110	Introduction to American Politics	4
POLS-115	Evolution of the Global System	4
POLS-121	Research Methodology for International Relations	4
POLS-181	Intro to Comparative Politics	4
POLS-201	Data Analysis and Politics	4
POLS-261	Theory & Practice of International Relations	4
POLS-310	Global Political Economy	4
POLS-502	Senior Seminar for International Relations	1

Economics Requirement (1 course, 3-4 credits)

Choose one Economics course, preferably Macroeconomics.

Electives (3 courses, 12 credits)

Choose 3 of the following. Courses may not be taken to fulfill the Political Science major. No more than 1 internship course may be used to fulfill the major.

POLS-277	International Political Theory	4
POLS-307	Globalization of Gender Politics	4
POLS-308	International Security	4
POLS-309	Transitional Justice	4
POLS-H309	Transitional Justice	4
POLS-311	The Conflict in Israel/Palestine	4
POLS-359	Global Politics of Sport	4
POLS-363	American Foreign Policy	4
POLS-382	Crisis and Integration in Europe	4
POLS-383	African Politics	4
POLS-385
POLS-389	Politics of China	4
POLS-391	Canada: Multicultural Politics	4
POLS-393
POLS-404	International Political Marketing	4
POLS-411	Politics of North and Southeast Asia	4
POLS-463	International Legal Systems	4
POLS-469	International Human Rights	4

Experiential Courses

POLS-387	SL-Conflict & Development in Asia Service Abroad	4
POLS-505	Washington Seminar on National Security	4
POLS-509	United Nations Seminar	4

Internship Courses

POLS-521	Internship in Government	4
POLS-526	International Internship-London	8
POLS-527	International Internship-Brussels	8
POLS-533	International Internship-Edinburgh	8
POLS-534	Experiential Learning in Government	1

Residency Requirement Policy

In the College of Arts and Sciences, a two-course (8 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for completion of a minor and a four-course (16 credit) residency requirement must be satisfied for the completion of a major.

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's in Applied Politics or Global Public Policy

Degree Requirements

1. Students admitted to this dual degree program must meet all the requirements of the undergraduate Political Science (BA or BS) or International Relations (BA only) major offered by the department of Political Science & Legal Studies.
2. Students must also meet all requirements for the Master’s degree in Applied Politics (MAAP) or Global Public Policy (MAGPP).
3. Students will take two Political Science graduate courses during their senior year; one during the fall semester and one during the spring semester. The two graduate courses taken during the senior year will count toward BOTH the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Credit hours will be awarded based on the graduate course description.
4. The graduate courses taken during the senior year will be determined by the Political Science graduate program director.
5. Students are subject to the usual standards for academic standing, i.e., undergraduate standards for undergraduate courses and graduate standards for graduate courses.

Upon successful completion of all of the degree requirements, a student will receive a dual Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. The exact degree will be awarded based on the specific undergraduate program the student completes. A student may permanently exit the dual degree program and opt to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree if all the requirements for a Bachelor’s degree have been met. In this case, the graduate courses taken in the senior year will be counted as 4-credit courses applied toward the undergraduate degree requirements.

Honors

To complete requirements for honors in the major, a candidate must:

1. Graduate with a major GPA of 3.4
2. Graduate with an overall GPA of 3.0
3. Complete a major written assignment for two different 300- or 400-level POLS courses, and receive a grade of A- or better on both papers (Note: Courses must be taught by a full-time faculty member)
4. Present 1 of the 2 papers at the Political Science & Legal Studies Department Spring Student Research Conference
5. Fill out the Honors Completion Form with all the appropriate signatures and submit it to the honors coordinator
6. CAS Honors Program students only: In addition to presenting the work as described above, present work from the senior honors experience present at the Honors Symposium or the Honors Pecha Kucha

To become a candidate for honors in the major, a student must:

1. Have a major GPA or 3.4 or higher
2. Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
3. Have completed at least 8 credits in Political Science courses at Suffolk University
4. Apply to the honors coordinator by completing a Google form no later than April 1^st of junior year

International Relations Major Learning Goals and Objectives

Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.

Learning Goals	Learning Objectives
Students will know/understand...	Students will be able to...
Social science research skills and methods and how to analyze social and political issues	- Conduct research in the field of international relations - Perform data analysis - Critically evaluate international relations scholarship analytically - Clearly interpret and communicate, both in written and oral form, the results of the analysis
A broad knowledge base about world affairs, an understanding of the diversity of world politics, economies, and history, and how to effectively analyze global political, systems and structures	- Demonstrate appropriate use of international relations concepts and methods - Apply international relations literature, documents, and/or references - Appreciate and describe the importance of ethics in the field of international relations
How to be informed, engaged global citizens	- Connect classroom learning with the experience of working in government, politics or public affairs - Apply an interdisciplinary methodology to provide new insight into a global issue, process, trend, or policy
Specialized and advanced knowledge of international relations of a region or on an issue area within international politics	- Be able to use international relations theories to analyze world events and to evaluate the validity of these theoretical approaches - Be able to identify how states, non-states actors, interests, and/or institutions interact with each other at the international and state level
How to communicate in a second language	- Produce communication in a second language on a variety of topics
Career options available to students of international relations	- Be able to identify what requirements are necessary for careers in a wide variety of professions related to international relations