International Relations

Source: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs/international-relations-ab Parent: https://www.brown.edu/undergraduate-programs

The objective of the International Relations concentration is to foster creative thinking about pressing global problems and to equip students with the analytic tools, language expertise, and cross-cultural understanding to guide them in that process.

Degree Type

A.B.

department

International Relations Program

More Information

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CIP Code

45.0901ℹ

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to categorize educational programs in the U.S. for a variety of reporting purposes. Each program at Brown is assigned a CIP code that best matches its academic curriculum.

Current STEM Eligible CIP Codes

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International Relations

Available only for students through and including the Class of 2023

For students in the class of 2024 and later, please see the International and Public Affairs concentration.

To this end, the concentration draws on numerous departments including political science, history, economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, religious studies, and area studies. The IR concentration is organized around a multidisciplinary core and two sub-themes: security and society, and political economy and society. It has a three-year language requirement that must be linked to the student's selected region of the world. All concentrators are required to undertake a capstone project using research in a second language. Prospective concentrators should visit the IR site for next steps.

Student Goals

Students in this concentration will:

Understand global problems of conflict and political economy from multidisciplinary and comparative perspectives
Achieve fluency in a second language
Gain experience in using social-science research methods and theories
Acquire expertise in one region of the world
Produce a significant piece of original research
Conduct research in at least two languages

Tracks

Political Economy and Society
Security and Society

Department Undergraduate Group (DUG)

Visit DUG website

Graduating Class

Class Year	Total Students	Honors Graduates
2024	1	0

IR students have pursued graduate and professional degrees in fields such as anthropology, sociology, political science, international affairs, business, journalism, public policy, and law. Others have applied skills acquired in IR to careers in consulting, marketing, international business and finance, government service, research, advocacy, teaching, and public service. For example, IR alumni work for the World Bank, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Barclays Capital, Bank of America, McKinsey and Company, Reuters, NY Times-Beijing, New America Foundation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and the Interior, as well as a host of NGOs. IR concentrators have also received distinguished research fellowships such as the Fulbright, Marshall, and Truman Scholarships.

What are International Relations concentrators doing…

The Director of Undergraduate Studies is typically the first point of contact for prospective concentrators. Once students have declared, they may be assigned a specific concentration advisor from within the department or program.