The IR major requires the completion of 12 courses in the IR curriculum plus completion of the IR language requirement. Students should immediately begin using an "IR Planning and Concentration Form" to better understand the requirements and to track their progress. It should be updated before each registration period and used in consultation with your advisor. The planning sheets can be found in the Forms section.

1. Core Requirements (5 courses)
   The Core Requirements constitute the foundation of knowledge that is needed by all majors in International Relations, regardless of thematic concentration. They are comprised of broad introductory courses that cover the major themes and debates within each discipline on the study of international affairs.
    
   1. Introduction to Politics of International Relations (PS 61)
   2. Principles of Economics (EC 5)
   3. International Economics (one course from approved list)
   4. The Historical Dimension (one course from approved list)
   5. Theories of Society and Culture (one course from approved list)
       
2. Thematic Concentration Requirement
   Thematic Concentrations are designed to provide students with substantial, in-depth, and focused study of an aspect of international relations. Students will choose one concentration from below and take 7 courses from that concentration.
   
   Please note that as part of the thematic concentration, all IR majors must complete one of the following capstone requirement options:
    
   1. an upper-level seminar within their thematic concentration
   2. senior honors thesis
   3. directed research project

   Information about upper-level seminars can be found on the thematic concentration pages below. For information about the senior honors thesis and directed research project, please see the Capstone/Thesis page.
   
   For more information on each concentration (including course listings), click on the relevant section below.

   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 Economics (choose one sub-concentration)
      1. International Trade
      2. International Finance
      3. International Environmental Economics
      4. International Development Economics
   3. Global Health, Nutrition and the Environment
   4. International Security
   5. The United States in World Affairs
   6. Ideas and Identity in International Relations (choose one sub-concentration)
      1. Ideologies
      2. Empires/Colonialism/Globalization
          
3. Language Requirement
   Majors in International Relations must display oral and written proficiency in a foreign language. Thorough language study is an essential tool for developing the cultural literacy and sensitivity, which are important goals of the major. The level of proficiency required is eight semesters or the equivalent - the highest attainable for students who begin a new language at Tufts.
   
   Click on the relevant section below for more information on what you need to do to fulfill the IR Language Requirement. Most students fit into one of the following categories:
    
   1. Start a new language at Tufts
   2. Continue to study a language taken in high school
   3. Native speaker of a language other than English
   4. Study a language not taught at Tufts