Why International Relations?

Long term success in any profession — law, education, business, government or not-for-profit service — requires knowledge of the international domain.  

Success After Pacific

Successful SIS graduates can be found the world over: at global think tanks in Washington D.C., in large companies, law firms, and entrepreneurial not-for-profit ventures; in well regarded master's and doctoral programs; and teaching in their own classrooms.

Three-Year Option

You have the option to earn your bachelor’s degree in three years. Do your part to stay on track, and you could shave a year off your undergraduate work. That means significant savings on tuition and you get a jumpstart on your career.

About International Relations

WHERE WILL YOU GO?
Study Abroad

All students at the School of International Studies study abroad. If you are interested in international affairs, or if you want to be an international professional, there is no substitute for this experience of living and studying in another country.

student in Paraguay

All students at the School of International Studies are required to study abroad. For anyone interested in international affairs, or who  wants to be an international professional, there is no substitute for this experience of living and studying in another country.

We want to match your personal and career interests with the right location and the right sort of study abroad experience. This is why we now offer you more than 100 program sites in more than 60 countries.

Our students tell us that living abroad is the most valuable personal, educational, and professional experience they could have had. It is a voyage of self-discovery as well as professional preparation; an adventure on which it is not unusual to find your future career path. Many combine their academic study abroad with internships, making professional contacts along the way. For anyone interested in starting an international career, having lived abroad is indispensable.

The study abroad programs at Pacific are administered by the Office of International Program Services in the Bechtel International Center. The study abroad adviser knows the options open to you and the way the various study abroad programs fit with School of International Studies major requirements. You can meet major and general education requirements while studying abroad, and all units earned abroad count toward graduation.

Bianca Piedro
Outstanding Student
Bianca Piedro Learns About US-Mexico Relations

In 2019, Bianca Piedro interned for six weeks at the Consulate of the United States of America in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico working in the Commercial Service section.

About the International Relations Major

The international relations major is designed for students interested in global and international studies. The School of International Studies combines the resources of a comprehensive university and experiential learning with a rigorous international, interdisciplinary and intercultural curriculum designed to prepare you for success in global professions in government, industry, education and nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the CORE Requirements and General Education Requirements, you will choose a series of upper division electives, in consultation with your adviser, that allows you to focus on political science, anthropology or economics. Each of these disciplines provides an excellent foundation for a range of careers in the United States and abroad.

 

Choose an area of focus:

Political science upper division electives are taken by students interested in comparative and international politics. Students can take up to three upper-division courses in international or comparative politics in addition to an anthropology course that approaches international politics from a different disciplinary perspective. This prepares students for careers in government and law, as well as for graduate school.

Anthropology upper division electives are taken by students interested in culture and in learning about the diversity of human behavior. You can take up to three upper-division courses in anthropology in addition to a political science class that approaches social and cultural change from a different disciplinary perspective. These courses prepare you for working and living in different cultural settings, as well as for graduate school. 

Economics upper division electives are taken by students interested in international economics, or who intend to work in international business. If you wish to focus on international economics, you can take two upper-division courses in economics, in addition to political science and anthropology courses that approach economic issues from the perspectives of their disciplines. The major prepares you for careers in business and economics, as well as for graduate school.

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Arts in International Relations
Anthropology Minor
International Studies Minor
Ready to take the next step?
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Contact Us

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School of International Studies

George Wilson Hall