Major: Bachelor of Arts

Major

International Relations opens in a new tab

Program Minimum Units

75 Units

University Minimum Units

180 Units

Interests

Government, Politics & Current Events, International Relations, Human Rights, Studying the Past, Sustainability

Academic Areas

Social Sciences, Economic Development, Law

Overview

The Program in International Relations (IR) offers an interdisciplinary undergraduate major, minor, and honors program, allowing students to explore how global, regional, and domestic factors influence relations between actors in the modern state system. IR majors pursue a course of study in world politics that includes classes in political science, economics, history, environmental policy, languages, and other fields. IR majors may focus on various issues, including international security, international trade and finance, political and economic development, human rights and humanitarian policy, democratization, climate change, global health, and other countries’ and world regions’ politics, history, and cultures. All IR majors must spend at least one quarter studying abroad and achieve high proficiency (through second-year college level) in a foreign language. The IR major prepares students for government, non-government, and private sector careers and admission into graduate programs, including law, international policy, business, political science, economics, and journalism.

Requirements

Core Program Requirements

Degree Requirements Overview

Required Courses

5 units in each of the 6 categories below for a total of 30 units.

Complete all of the following requirements:

International Politics

and

Comparative Governance

and

American Foreign Policy

Complete at least 1 of the following courses:

INTNLREL 110C

America and the World Economy

Presidents and Foreign Policy in Modern History

5 Units

INTNLREL 174

Diplomacy on the Ground: Case Studies in the Challenges of Representing Your Country

5 Units

INTNLREL 110C or POLISCI 110C can count for the WIM requirement.

INTNLREL 110D, POLISCI 110D, or AMSTUD 110D can count for the WIM requirement.

and

Introductory Economics

and

China's Political Economy

4 Units

URBANST 173

The Urban Economy

4 Units

Equivalent courses may only be taken once for credit.

and

Skills Class

Depth in Discipline

Pathway Courses

Students must take a minimum of 40 units of specialization/pathway courses. A minimum of 20 units must be from the student’s primary pathway and a minimum of 15 units from the secondary pathway.

If you complete the minimum 35 primary and secondary pathway units, the remaining five units can be selected from any IR course (pre-approved or petitioned).

Primary and secondary pathways/specializations are not declared on Axess or printed on the diploma or transcript.

Equivalent courses may only be taken for credit once.

The eleven pathways are:

Africa
Comparative International Governance
East and South Asia
Economic Development/World Economy
Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources
Europe (East and West) & Russia
International History and Culture
International Security
Latin America and Iberian Studies
Middle East and Central Asia
Social Development/Human Well-Being

Engaging Southern Cities: Thinking urbanization, development, and public culture from Cape Town

3 Units

POLISCI 46N

Contemporary African Politics

3 Units

The UN in Action

4 Units

SOC 175

China's Political Economy

4 Units

Understanding China's Rise

4 Units

3 Units

3-5 Units

The Cultural Politics of Food and Eating: Technology, History, and Justice

4 Units

Electives

INTNLREL 140C must be taken for 5 units to count for WIM credit.

INTNLREL 200B is open to IR Honors Students only.

Capstone

Capstone Requirement

Complete any of the following requirements:

Capstone Paper

Capstone Policy Practicum

The Practicum offers students hands-on experience in policy-making by having them work in small teams to develop an analysis or recommendation for a client organization. The practicum seminar (5 units) is typically offered in the autumn and winter quarters. Enrollment is limited, and students must submit their applications in advance. Priority will be given to senior students.

Complete all of the following course(s):

INTNLREL 192

Capstone Policy Practicum

5 Units

Capstone Project

Students will craft their own creative project that could derive from prior coursework, overseas studies, internship, etc. Projects can take a variety of forms such as a collection of op-ed pieces, a podcast, a photo essay, a short documentary film, an educational website, an online exhibit, or a creative writing piece. Students will take a project design course (3 units) that offers skills workshops and peer feedback, followed by an independent course (2 units) to complete their individual projects.

Complete all of the following course(s):

INTNLREL 193A

Capstone Project: Part 1

3 Units

INTNLREL 193B

Capstone Project: Part 2

2 Units

IR Honors Thesis

The IR Honors program offers qualified students the opportunity to conduct a major independent research project under faculty guidance. Honors application must be made by March of the junior year. All honors students must complete INTNREL 200A/B/C, which starts from the spring of the junior year, as well as INTNREL 198 (Senior Thesis) with their thesis advisors. For details about the program, including examples of past thesis topics, consult the IR Honors Program webpage opens in a new tab.

IR Honors students take INTNLREL 198 in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters of their senior year.

IR Honors students may count up to 5 units of IR Honors coursework as capstone units toward their minimum required 75 total major units.

Complete all of the following course(s):

INTNLREL 200A

International Relations Honors Field Research

3 Units

INTNLREL 200B

International Relations Honors Seminar

3 Units

INTNLREL 200C

IR Honors Thesis Writing

1 Units

INTNLREL 198

Senior Thesis

1-10 Units

Interdisciplinary Honors

Like departmental honors programs, interdisciplinary honors programs generally require an application, a minimum GPA, and some selected classes, as well as the thesis or capstone project. Most application deadlines are during the winter quarter of junior year, but may range from sophomore spring to senior fall. You may check each program opens in a new tab for further details. For IR major capstone credit, prior approval is needed for projects in all interdisciplinary honors programs except the Center for International Security and Cooperation opens in a new tab and the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law opens in a new tab. Students may count up to 5 units of IR capstone pre/approved interdisciplinary honors coursework towards their minimum required 75 total IR major units as long as the interdisciplinary honors program permits double counting their units towards the student's major.

Complete any of the following program(s):

DDRL-IHN

Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (IHN)

INSST-IHN

International Security Studies (IHN)

ARTS-IHN

Honors in the Arts (IHN)

CSRE-IHN

Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (IHN)

ED-IHN

Education (IHN)

ETHSO-IHN

Ethics in Society (IHN)

FGSS-IHN

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (IHN)

STS-IHN

Science, Technology, and Society (IHN)

Honors

Optional

Students may choose to pursue department honors by completing a program of special advanced work, such as an honors thesis, in addition to their major requirements.

Honors

Honors (optional)

The International Relations Honors Program offers qualified IR students the opportunity to conduct a significant independent research project under faculty guidance. You may choose a faculty thesis advisor from throughout the university. The program will equip you with the professional “tools” to conduct independent research, analyze the findings, and write a final research thesis. Successfully completing an IR Honors thesis project requires a high degree of initiative, dedication, and a significant investment of time and energy.

The program is interdisciplinary and enables you to undertake various research projects. Previous students have written theses on international political economy, international security, regional integration, human rights, domestic issues in foreign countries, international education, and regional issues. (This list is by no means exhaustive.)

Prerequisites:

A declared International Relations major with a minimum 3.5 overall grade point average
Successful experience writing a research paper
An Honors Thesis proposal
A thesis advisor
IR Program approval

Advisor(s):

Your thesis advisor must be a Stanford Academic Council faculty member. (The IR Office can confirm Academic Council status.)
Your thesis advisor is responsible for assigning your grade for INTNLREL 198 (see below).

Requirements:

In spring quarter of your junior year, you will take the INTNLREL 200A: IR Honors Field Research course, which is mandatory for all IR Honors students (3 units).
In autumn quarter of your senior year, you will enroll in INTNLREL 200B: IR Honors Seminar, which will focus on analyzing research findings and initial steps in writing the thesis (3 units). At the end of the quarter, you should expect to have 1-2 chapters of your thesis submitted in draft form.
In winter quarter of your senior year, you will take INTNLREL 200C: IR Honors Thesis Writing, in which you will continue to write your honors thesis and present your research (1 unit). You will also receive feedback on your work from Honors cohort members and provide feedback on their work.
Over the autumn, winter, and spring quarters of your senior year, you will enroll in 8-15 units of INTNLREL 198: Senior Thesis with your Thesis Advisor. Students must enroll in at least one INTNLREL 198 unit each quarter as long as they are enrolled at Stanford University. Unit enrollment will be monitored (Note: INTNLREL 200A/B/C do not count within these 8-15 units).
Present your thesis findings at the IR Honors Conference in the spring quarter of your senior year (usually in mid-May).
Complete 15-22 total honors units (200A/B/C and 198). Honors units are taken above and beyond the IR major 70-unit requirement. Note: 200B can satisfy your IR WIM and SEM/COL requirements.

Grading:

You must receive at least a B+ in INTNLREL 198: Senior Thesis to graduate with honors. If you are making satisfactory progress on your thesis, you will receive an N grade for INTNLREL 198 in the autumn and winter quarters and a final letter grade for spring quarter, which will be retroactively assigned to autumn and winter quarters.
You must receive at least a B in INTNLREL 200A, INTNLREL 200B, and INTNLREL 200C.

Other Policies:

You may count up to 5 units of IR Honors coursework as capstone units toward your minimum required 75 total major units.
If you are not making satisfactory progress with your thesis or otherwise fulfilling the IR Honors thesis program requirements, you may be removed from the program.
There is no fixed length for your Honors Thesis, but most IR Honors Theses are between 70-100 pages, plus notes and bibliography.
If you conduct interview or survey research, you must contact the Human Subjects Protocol Panel at http://humansubjects.stanford.edu opens in a new tab.
If you have completed all your IR degree requirements, you may register as Permit for Services Only opens in a new tab (PSO) in the spring quarter of your senior year while completing your thesis (international students cannot register for PSO status).