I plan to major in International Relations, and I would like to hear what that major entails from someone who's studied it.

Learn languages. People are all the same...we live for happiness, security and recognition.

Hi Violetta,

Having worked with undergrads who have studied international relations, there are a lot of ways in which you can take the degree after you graduate (and some students even go on to do non-international relations things). Each school is probably going to have a slightly different IR program, so I would recommend taking a look at what each school you are considering applying to will offer when it comes to majoring in IR.

For example, some schools may house their IR degree programs in government or political science departments, in which case that kind of program might be more focused on governments in other countries and/or political theories that might guide the international stage. Other schools might have their own stand-alone IR schools or degree programs and be more interdisciplinary (meaning that the courses you take and the professors you learn from come from many backgrounds - you may have some political scientists, you may have some sociologists or anthropologists, historians, and economists). At most institutions, however, you are likely to get exposure to a good mix of international relations/political theory classes, global economics courses, cultural studies of different regions, and in some cases, some classes that focus on research methodologies (with a research focus on IR, of course!). You are also likely going to be required to study a foreign language, and many IR programs come with the expectation that you will study abroad in some way, shape, or form.

There is, unfortunately, no straight answer for what it's like to major in IR because each program is different, and so this can sometime be challenging for students to articulate what it is you are actually learning or planning on doing with the broad knowledge that you are gaining. However, there is also usually a lot of opportunity to define your own course of study and really go in whichever direction you want with it. As you continue to look at colleges, do be sure to chat with people in admissions, with IR professors at each school, and current students to get a sense of what each option's IR programs are going to look like. Good luck!

Every university's program will be different! From my experience, an International Studies / International Relations degree helps you dip your toe in the water of a bunch of different ponds related to international issues; and from what I've seen, that sentiment holds true for most programs at most universities. For example, you might take some courses on politics, law, economy, and development; you might take some courses on culture, communication, and anthropology; you might take some geography, history, or area studies courses. I wouldn't expect to specialize much from any international relations degree, although you may be able to have a primary focus or sub-specialty within your major. For example, my sub-specialty was "Peoples & Nations," so I focused a lot on culture, communication, and area studies (while also taking many courses within the other areas listed above).

If it helps, this is the link to the program outline I did at Utah State University: http://catalog.usu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=12&poid=9558

If you scroll down about 2/3 of the way, you can start to see the breadth and diversity of topics offered with an International Studies / International Relations degree.

If this is disappointing to you and you had hoped to gain expertise on a particular topic, I would recommend asking yourself now what your ultimate goals are and whether or not you're open to graduate education after earning your Bachelor's. If you're not open to further education, maybe consider what your ultimate career goals are and make sure you keep your eye out for related internships, research, and/or volunteer opportunities to incorporate into your degree path so you have some specialization before you graduate.

Hope this helps!