Academics

Curriculum

IR majors must fulfill the following requirements:

• All courses must be taken as a graded course and a grade of C- or better is required for a course to count toward the IR major. Courses taken pass/fail will not count toward the IR major.
• 12 courses in the IR Curriculum (Core and one Thematic Concentration) plus completion of the IR language requirement. Students are not permitted to petition courses to count toward the IR major. There is no double counting among the Core, Thematic Concentration, and Language Requirements. Within a Thematic Concentration a single course may fulfill more than one Thematic Concentration requirement. However, a student who uses a single course to satisfy multiple requirements must still complete a total of 7 courses in the Thematic Concentration. Courses used as part of the major may also be used to fulfill distribution requirements.

I. Core Requirements
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 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)

1. Regional and Comparative Analysis (choose one sub-concentration)
   a. Europe and the Former Soviet Union
   b. East and Southeast Asia
   c. Africa
   d. Middle East and South Asia
   e. Latin America

2. International Economics

3. Global Health, Nutrition and the Environment

4. International Security

5. Globalization
   (Note: The OLD TC5 The United States in World Affairs is available to Class of 2019 ONLY.)

6. Identity
   (Note: The OLD TC6A Ideologies and TC6B Empires/Colonialism/Globalization are available to Class of 2019 ONLY.)

III. 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 cultural literacy and sensitivity, which are important goals of the major. Proficiency is met by 8 semesters of instruction or the equivalent in a single language. Students may place into courses above level one and thereby complete the requirement in fewer than 8 Tufts semesters.