Rationale: Thematic Concentrations are designed to provide students with substantial, in-depth, and focused study of an aspect of international affairs.

• Proceeding on the basis that such knowledge must necessarily be inter-disciplinary in nature, students are required to include social science, history, and culture courses in their Thematic Concentrations.
  
  
• Proceeding on the basis that a well-rounded IR curriculum should include a critical study of the role of the United States in the world as well as reactions to that role, each Thematic Concentration must include one course on this subject.
  
  
• And proceeding on the basis that knowledge gained in Thematic Concentrations should be cumulative, the normal expectation is that no more than 3 of the 7 courses in each Thematic Concentration may be an introductory-level course, and that one must be a capstone course (seminar, honors thesis, or directed research).

For specific requirements in each concentration, please see the relevant sections for further details.

Students may choose from the following thematic concentrations:

1. Regional and Comparative Analysis (choose one sub-concentration)
   1. Europe and the Former Soviet Union
   2. East and Southeast Asia
   3. Africa
   4. Middle East and South Asia
   5. Latin America
2. International Economic and Environmental Affairs (choose one sub-concentration)
   1. Trade
   2. Finance
   3. Environment
   4. Development
3. Global Health, Nutrition and the Environment
4. International Security
5. The U.S. in World Affairs
6. Ideas and Identity in International Relations (choose one sub-concentration)
1. Ideologies
2. Empires/Colonialism/Globalization

Thematic Concentration #1: REGIONAL AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Thematic concentrations in regional and comparative analysis focus primarily on courses which examine independently and comparatively the history, politics, economics, and cultures of geographic regions outside the United States.

Students should select one of the following sub-concentrations:

1A.	Europe and the Former Soviet Union
1B.	East and Southeast Asia
1C.	Africa
1D.	Middle East and South Asia
1E.	Latin America

PLEASE NOTE: A single course may count for more than one concentration requirement (e.g., a history seminar may satisfy both the history AND capstone requirements). If all requirements are met with fewer than 7 courses by virtue of double counting, the student is free to choose any course(s) approved within the concentration to reach the minimum required 7 courses.

1A. Europe and the Former Soviet Union

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1B. East and Southeast Asia

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1C. Africa

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1D. Middle East and South Asia

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1E. Latin America

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Thematic Concentration #2: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
This concentration acquaints students with the evaluation of international commercial arrangements. They begin by learning basic economic analysis underlying market function involving international commercial relations. In the environmental concentration, special emphasis is placed on the study of market failure. By understanding basic market mechanisms they are able to identify sources of conflict and cooperation among countries.  

They then turn to the political analysis of the development of trade, environmental, and macro policy and approaches to resolving international commercial conflict. The elective and IR seminar requirements allow students to deepen their understanding of international commercial conflict and cooperation through the study of important historical episodes, further study of the economic and political treatment of international commerce, or the study of the physical sciences underlying environmental issues.

Students should select one of the following subconcentrations:

2A. Trade: focusing on trade and trade policy in goods and services.
2B. Finance: focusing on the international ramifications of macroeconomic policy.
2C. Environment: focusing on the international ramifications of the use of natural resources.
2D. Development: focusing on the international and national determinants of economic growth in developing countries.

PLEASE NOTE: A single course may count for more than one concentration requirement (e.g., EC 130 may satisfy both the Environmental Economics specific requirement AND the capstone requirement). If all requirements are met with fewer than 7 courses by virtue of double counting, the student is free to choose any course(s) approved within the concentration to reach the minimum required 7 courses.

2A: International Trade

1. Required Intermediate Level Economics (1 course):
   EC 11 Intermediate Microeconomics  OR  EC 16 Quantitative Intermediate Microeconomics
    
2. Required Upper Level Economics:
   EC 161 International Trade

2B: International Finance

1. Required Intermediate Level Economics (1 course):
   EC 12 Intermediate Macroeconomics  OR  EC 18 Quantitative Intermediate Macroeconomics
    
2. Required Upper Level Economics (1 course):
   EC 162 International Finance  OR  EC 169 Quantitative International Finance

2C: International Environmental Economics

1. Required Intermediate Level Economics (1 course):
   EC 11 Intermediate Microeconomics  OR  EC 16 Quantitative Intermediate Microeconomics
    
2. Required Upper Level Economics:
   EC 130 Seminar: Topics in Environmental Economics
    
3. Additional Requirement:
   EC 30 Environmental Economics Policy

2D: International Development Economics

1. Required Intermediate Level Economics (1 course):
   EC 11 Intermediate Microeconomics  OR  EC 16 Quantitative Intermediate Microeconomics
    
2. Required Intermediate/Upper Level Economics (1 course):
   EC 60 International Economics  OR  EC 136 Seminar: Topics in International Development
    
3. Additional Requirement: (1 course):*
   EC 35 Economic Development  OR  EC 36 Macroeconomic Analysis for Development

*This additional requirement may be met by taking EC 35 in fulfillment of Core Requirement 3 (International Economics) -- in that case, students choosing this concentration will still have to take five courses in addition to the two requirements above to fulfill the concentration.

Students in TC2A-D must meet each of the following requirements:

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Thematic Concentration #3: GLOBAL HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
This concentration addresses the conceptual connections between issues of global health, nutrition, the environment, and sustainable development as they relate to international affairs. As a functional concentration, it also aims to provide the analytic and scientific knowledge sets to prepare majors considering advanced study or professional entry into the field.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the number of requirements, students completing this concentration should pay particular attention to courses that satisfy more than one of these requirements. For example, a student may take ANTH 126, which satisfies both the US Role in the World requirement and the social science, history and policy requirement. Students need to complete all requirements and take a total of at least 7 concentration courses.

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Thematic Concentration #4: INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
The causes and consequences of war and the conditions for peace lie at the heart of the multidisciplinary study of international relations. The International Security Concentration examines the use, threat, and control of force in international politics, as well as the strategies available to international actors as they seek to promote their autonomy, security, and other interests. It necessarily encompasses the ethical, cultural, philosophical, historical, and economic implications of the use of force, as well as the trade-offs that states make between short-term and long-term security imperatives.

PLEASE NOTE: A single course may count for more than one concentration requirement (e.g., a history seminar may satisfy both the history AND capstone requirements). If all requirements are met with fewer than 7 courses by virtue of double counting, the student is free to choose any course(s) approved within the concentration to reach the minimum required 7 courses.

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Thematic Concentration #5: THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD AFFAIRS
This concentration offers students a focused, interdisciplinary, and critical overview of the role of the United States in world affairs. At a time of unprecedented US military, political, economic, and cultural dominance, it is designed both for American students, who are often criticized for not knowing enough about their country, and for international students, who are understandably eager to find out more about the underpinnings of US foreign policy.

PLEASE NOTE: A single course may count for more than one concentration requirement (e.g., a history seminar may satisfy both the history AND capstone requirements). If all requirements are met with fewer than 7 courses by virtue of double counting, the student is free to choose any course(s) approved within the concentration to reach the minimum required 7 courses.

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Thematic Concentration #6: IDEAS AND IDENTITY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
This concentration addresses the central role played by ideologies and other group affinities in shaping the sub-national, national, and trans-national dynamics of international relations. Courses in this concentration must foreground how ideas, in shaping and mobilizing identities, bear upon international affairs. Students can choose one of two sub-concentrations, the first focusing on the theoretical dimension, and the second on its actualization on a global scale.

Students should select one of the following subconcentrations:

6A. Ideologies
6B. Empires/Colonialism/Globalization

PLEASE NOTE: A single course may count for more than one concentration requirement (e.g., a history seminar may satisfy both the history AND capstone requirements). If all requirements are met with fewer than 7 courses by virtue of double counting, the student is free to choose any course(s) approved within the concentration to reach the minimum required 7 courses.

6A. Ideologies

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6b. Empires/Colonialism/Globalization

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Culture Electives
An IR Culture course is an advanced course in culture broadly defined -- for example, literature, philosophy, religion, the arts, music, etc. -- as it relates to the concerns of each thematic concentration.

Most students will complete the requirement by taking one course within their concentration; however, for concentrations TC2- International Economics & TC3-Global Health Nutrition and the Environment, there are no logical culture courses that correspond directly. For those concentrations, students should take a culture course in the same language area used for their IR Language Requirement using the following list of approved courses.

A student exempted from the IR Language Requirement by virtue of native fluency may select a culture course from any language category. Native speakers are encouraged to consider study outside the culture they are familiar with; but students who find value in deepening understanding of an aspect of their own culture may do so.

NOTES:
* Courses used to satisfy the IR Language Requirement, may NOT be used concurrently to satisfy the IR Culture Requirement.
* Literature courses are normally taught in the original language while courses in the arts are usually taught in English.

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Capstone Research Alternatives

All majors will "cap" their concentration in IR by taking an approved seminar or by completing a research alternative.

Seminars provide students with an invaluable opportunity to interact closely with faculty and they help students develop the speaking and writing skills that can only be addressed in a small-group setting. For more information on seminars, please click link above.

The research alternatives enable students to undertake sophisticated research projects on topics of their choosing, under the guidance of faculty, that leave the IR major with important research skills and subject matter knowledge. Students may either complete a one-semester Directed Research project (INTR 195 in fall, INTR 196 in spring) or a two-semester IR Senior Thesis (INTR 197/ INTR 198). Registration for these options takes place on a high-demand basis. Please click the link above for more information each option and registration directions.

Students taking advantage of IR research alternatives should note the following factors:

1. Capstone Research. The IR research alternatives allow students to pursue original research on topics and material of their choice; however, the research should build upon previous coursework or research experience. Rather than vehicles for exploring new topics, they represent the higher standard of learning embodied by the IR Seminar Requirement.

Students should draw from previous IR related coursework, sophomore research seminars within the IR Program, IR Core Faculty-mentored work conducted while studying abroad or through research scholarships (such as the Anne E. Borghesani Prize or IR Research Scholar Award) or the IR International Research Colloquium (INTR 91 and INTR 92).

2. Time commitment. Independent research requires a considerable commitment. Conducting original research can be enormously rewarding, but it is crucial to have a solid, well-thought-out plan.

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Major Summary |  Approved Core Requirement Courses |  Language Requirement