International Relations (BA)

College of Arts & Sciences/History, Politics and International Relations Department

• Learning Outcomes
• Special Requirements
• Degree Requirements
• Required Courses
• Emphasis in International Economics
• Emphasis in Migration and Refugee Studies

See also:

• Certificate in Migration and Refugee Studies

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should:

• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of key subfields and theories of International Relations as a discipline.
• Be able to identify major actors and institutions of international relations and to know their functions.
• Be able to analyze international issues from perspectives other than their own.
• Be able to display familiarity with foreign cultures and languages.

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Special Requirements

Courses completed with a grade of D+ or below do not count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major.

With permission of the student's advisor, the following courses offered by other areas of study at Webster University may be applied toward the 36 credit hours required in international relations:

• HRTS 1100 Introduction to Human Rights (3 hours)
• ECON 3700 Economics of Development (3 hours)
• ECON 4910 Comparative Economic Problems (3 hours)
• JOUR 3080 Global Journalism (3 hours)
• MNGT 3320 Business Law: International (3 hours)
• BUSN 4650 International Business (3 hours)

Courses in the emphases (International Economics; Migration and Refugee Studies are also considered pre-approved electives for the INTL major. Qualified students may take selected graduate-level courses in international business and international relations as part of an international relations major with permission of the department and the instructor of the course.

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Degree Requirements

A minimum of 128 credit hours consisting of the following:

• 42 required credit hours
• 12 international language credit hours
• Applicable university global citizenship or general education program hours
• Electives

Students are required to complete 42 credit hours within the department, including methods, a research requirement (fulfilled by taking the seminar, senior thesis, or a designated upper-division course), and senior overview. A minimum of 18 credit hours of international relations at Webster University is required. At least 12 credit hours of upper-level (3000 or above) coursework in the department with an international focus must be completed in addition to methods and overview. Note: In Europe, the research requirement and overview is satisfied by the seminar course: INTL 4600.

There is a study residency requirement of at least one term (eight weeks) outside the United States or an international relations practicum in the United States. To satisfy the residency, students may study at one of Webster University’s international campuses or at an approved alternative location. Students unable to study outside the United States must take the international relations practicum (3-6 credit hours), which does not apply to the 420total credit hours.
Students are required to have significant international language experience. This requirement can be met by taking 12 sequential credit hours in an international language or by passing an advanced-level proficiency examination. This requirement will be waived for students whose native language is not English and who are studying in English. Their mastery of English as a second language fulfills the requirement.

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Required Courses

There is a required minimum distribution of coursework as well as the above requirements:

• HRTS 1100 Introduction to Human Rights (3 hours)
• POLT 1070 Introduction to Political Theory (3 hours)
  -OR-INTL 2680 International Relations Theory (3 hours)
• POLT 1080 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 hours)
  -OR-POLT 1060 Introduction to American Politics (3 hours)
  -OR-POLT 2250 Politics of the Industrialized World (3 hours)
  -OR-POLT 2550 The Politics of the Developing World (3 hours)
• INTL 2700 Methods of Political Inquiry (3 hours)
  -OR-POLT 2600 Research Methods and Approaches in Political Science (3 hours)
• INTL 2030 International Law (3 hours)
• INTL 1500 World System since 1500 (3 hours)
• INTL 3100 International Political Economy (3 hours)
• POLT 3310 Conduct of Foreign Policy (3 hours)
• INTL 3800 International Security (3 hours)
  -OR-INTL 3500 Environmental and Energy Security (3 hours)
• INTL 3700 International Organizations(3 hours)
• HIST 3100 Diplomatic History (3 hours)
  -OR-HIST 3150 International Affairs(3 hours)
  -OR-HIST 3130 History of Human Rights (3 hours)
• INTL 4000 Research Requirement (to be taken in conjunction with a designated 3000- or 4000-level courses) (0 hours)
• INTL 4620 Senior Overview(0 hours)
• Electives INTL/POLT/HIST electives (with international focus)  (9 hours)

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Emphasis in International Economics (48 hours)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should:

• Identify the costs and the benefits of the global economy.
• Demonstrate their ability to define and critically analyze economic problems.
• Understand basic macroeconomic and microeconomic concepts.

Requirements

(Note: Completion of this emphasis requires study in St. Louis and/or Geneva.)

Students in St. Louis and Geneva may elect an emphasis in international economics by fulfilling the above core requirements for international relations and structuring their electives and two additional courses around the following:

• ECON 2010 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours)
• ECON 2020 Principles of Microeconomics (3 hours)
• ECON 3010 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3 hours)
• ECON 3700 Economics of Development (3 hours)
• ECON 4720 International Trade and Finance (3 hours)
• ECON 4910 Comparative Economic Systems (3 hours)
• INTL 4280 International Economics (3 hours)
• INTL 3290 Politics of International Economic Relations (3 hours)
• INTL 3330 International Economic Integration (3 hours)
• HIST 3000 Ideas in History: History of Economic Thought (3 hours)
  -OR- ECON 4900 History of Economic Thought (3 hours)

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Emphasis in Migration and Refugee Studies (48 credit hours)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students should:

• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of key subfields and theories of International Relations as a discipline.
• Be able to identify major actors and institutions of international relations and to know their functions.
• Be able to analyze international issues from perspectives other than their own.
• Be able to display familiarity with foreign cultures and languages.

Requirements

(Completion of this emphasis requires study in Geneva.)

Students in Geneva may elect an emphasis in migration and refugee studies by fulfilling the above core requirements for international relations and structuring electives and two additional courses around the following:

• SOCI 2000 Issues in Contemporary Society: Sociocultural Factors Behind Migration and Refugee Movements(3 hours)
• HIST 2360 Refugee and Migration Movements (3 hours)
• POLT 2550 Politics of the Developing World (3 hours)
• POLT 3400 Comparative Politics: (subtitled Refugee and Migration) (3 hours)
• INTL 2160 Advocacy, NGOs and Civil Society (3 hours)
• INTL 030 Advanced Studies in International Law: (subtitled International Refugee Law) (3 hours)
• INTL 4280 International Economics (3 hours)
• INTL 4600 International Relations Seminar (subtitled Refugee and Migration Studies) (3 hours)
• Field Experience (0 hours)

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