Beyond possessing the interest in this field generally, students in international relations should be interested in a general, liberal arts education. They will have to be comfortable in learning a foreign language. They will do extensive amounts of reading and writing. They must develop their skills in research, analysis, and presentation/communication and job preparation skills. They will engage in the writing of reports, will apply statistical and computer applications, engage in public policy analysis, and will make oral presentations, supplemented with audiovisual production. Many international relations majors become involved in appropriate internships, student government, or political action groups. International relations students are strong in analyzing complex social and political situations. They are efficient at gathering and organizing information and can do so when working under tight deadlines. They frequently have to work in groups.

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The required and elective courses you would take for International Relations majors vary considerably among institutions. Courses are listed here that are illustrative of the breadth of topics you are likely to experience were you to major in this field.

• Asian Security Affairs
• Current Diplomatic Issues
• Diplomacy and Global Security
• Espionage and Intelligence
• Global Economy
• Global Governance
• International Security
• Leadership and Diplomacy
• Muslim and Western Worlds
• The Third World
• Theories of War Terrorism and Genocide

• International Relations and National Security Studies
• National Security Policy Studies