2018-2019 Undergraduate Course Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Course Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

International Relations, BA


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Contact:

International Relations Program
225 Eggers Hall
315-443-2306
IR-Advisor@maxwell.syr.edu.

Faculty

Sherburne Abbott, Lamis Abdelaaty, Edwin Ackerman, Merima Ali, Alan Allport, Douglas V. Armstrong, Elizabeth Ashby, Hossein Bashiriyeh, G. Matthew Bonham, Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Stuart Brown, Hans C. Buechler, John S. Burdick, Kristina Buzard, Horace Campbell, Frederick Carriere, Linda Carty, A.H. Peter Castro, Matthew R. Cleary, Goodwin Cooke, Francine D’Amico, David Kwame Dixon, Gavan Duffy, Donald H. Dutkowsky, Michael R. Ebner, Colin Elman, Miriam F. Elman, Margarita Estévez-Abe, Jerry Evensky, Christopher Faricy, Peng Gao, Cecilia Green, Dimitar Gueorguiev, Paul M. Hagenloh, Timur Hammond, Petra Hejnova, Azra Hromadzic, Matthew Huber, Seth Jolly, Amy Kallander, George Kallander, Thomas M. Keck, Osamah F. Khalil, Audie Klotz, Natalie Koch, Radha Kumar, Prema Kurien, Norman A. Kutcher, Mengxiao Liu,  Andrew London, Mary E. Lovely, Yingyi Ma, Gladys McCormick, Daniel McDowell, Devashish Mitra, D. Glyn Morgan, Piyusha Mutreja, Terrell Northrup, Arthur Paris, Deborah Pellow, Thomas Perreault, , Lars Rodseth, Robert A. Rubinstein, Mark E. Rupert, Tod Rutherford, S.N. Sangmpam, Rebecca Schewe, Yüksel Sezgin, Martin S. Shanguhyia, James B. Steinberg, Farhana SultanaBrian D. Taylor, Susan S. Wadley, Bhavneet Waliea, Michael J. Wasylenko, Simon Weschle, John C. Western, Jamie L. Winders

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. For additional information, please consult our web page at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/IR/

Student Learning Outcomes


1. Recognize global political and economic patterns and relationships

2. Interpret similarities and differences in community beliefs and practices

3. Apply theoretical and analytical perspectives in one of four areas: International Security and Diplomacy, International Political Economy, Intercultural Communications, International Law and Organizations

4. Demonstrate foreign language competency necessary to effectively study or work abroad

5. Effectively utilize appropriate quantitative or qualitative research tools, analytical techniques, and presentation skills to explain and interpret a contemporary issue in international relations

Major Requirements


Requirements for the major include either 33 or 36 credits in international relations plus demonstrated proficiency in a contemporary spoken language other than English. Credits for internships in international relations, including internships abroad and IRP 471 - Global Internship  in Washington, D.C., may be counted toward the major upon prior approval by the International Relations Program.

To be Eligible to Declare the Undergraduate Major in International Relations


To be eligible to declare the undergraduate major in International Relations, students must achieve a grade of ‘B’ or better in at least one (1) of the three required introductory courses taken for the major at Syracuse University.

Of the 33 or 36 credits in the major, 21-24 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above. Eighteen (18) of these credits are devoted to two concentrations within the major: 3 courses/9 credits are taken in a geographic region concentration in either Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, or the Middle East and North Africa, and 3 courses/9 credits are taken in a topic concentration in either Intercultural Communication (ICC), International Security and Diplomacy (ISD), International Law and Organizations (ILO), or International Political Economy (IPE).

The remaining 6 credits must include one social science research methods course and an advanced seminar in which the student designs and implements a capstone research project. The methods course must be approved by the International Relations Program and should be appropriate to the student’s capstone research project.  The capstone research project must provide an original analysis of primary sources on an appropriately international theme, combining the student’s topic and region concentrations, subject to approval by the faculty of the International Relations Program.

In addition to the 33 or 36 credits required in courses in international relations, each student major must demonstrate proficiency in a contemporary spoken language other than English. This language should be spoken in the geographic area chosen for the student’s region concentration. Proficiency must be demonstrated by coursework to at least the level of Course IV (202) taught by the Syracuse University Department of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics - lll.syr.edu or theequivalent. We strongly encourage students to continue language study to an advanced level of literacy and fluency. Students for whom English is a second language must complete ENL 211  and ENL 213 .

Graduation with a Bachelors of Arts degree in international relations requires an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher in 24 credits of upper-division courses for the major, including a grade of ‘C’ or better for work undertaken to fulfill the senior capstone requirement.

Additional Program Opportunities


International relations majors are expected to study abroad during their undergraduate program. Syracuse University Abroad (SU Abroad) offers a rich variety of courses that can be applied to the International Relations major requirements. Please see http://suabroad.syr.edu.

Participation in the Maxwell-in-Washington International Relations Semester, a 15-credit seminar and internship program, is open to all majors. For more information on this program, please contact the International Relations Programs office and see our webpage at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/dc/undergrad/overview

Co-curricular activities, such as the International Relations Learning Community, a residential program for students new to Syracuse University, as well as the Honor Society Sigma Iota Rho, Model United Nations Club and Team, International Relations Club, Conversations in International Relations speaker series, and other events throughout the Maxwell School are available. Please see our webpage for more information. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ir/

The International Relations Program also offers minors in Global Political Economy and Global Security Studies. For more information, please see our “Affiliated Minors” webpage under “Academics” at http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/IR_affiliated_minors/

Students majoring in International Relations who meet the eligibility requirements will be invited to participate in the Distinction Program by the faculty of the International Relations Program. The Distinction Program enables students majoring in International Relations to engage in an enhanced research and mentoring experience. Working closely with a faculty member, Distinction candidates produce a research project of substantially greater depth than the capstone research project required of all International Relations majors. As with the capstone, the Distinction research project must combine the student’s topic and region concentrations. In addition, the Distinction Program provides young scholars the skills and support needed to produce a project suitable for presentation at an academic conference or for publication in an undergraduate social science academic journal. For more information, please see http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ir/

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