International Relations (BA)

This program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences/History, Politics and International Relations Department. It is available at the St. Louis main campus and at select international campuses. Please see the Locations Offering Undergraduate Programs section of this catalog for a list of campuses where this program is offered.

 Program Description

The international relations program is designed to help students develop the skills they need to understand and take part in an interconnected world. Students learn about the key actors on today's global stage and gain well-rounded perspectives on the most pressing problems facing those actors. Students can further hone their skills through unique fieldwork, practicum, and internship opportunities at some of the most influential organizations and government agencies that participate in international relations. 

The faculty are accomplished scholars and practitioners in the key areas of international relations such as foreign policy, diplomacy, security, international law, and political economy. As such, the faculty bring their expertise to bear to help students analyze the complexities of global affairs. The international relations program helps prepare students for employment in government, international organizations, multinational corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and academia. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of key subfields and theories of international relations as a discipline.
• Identify major actors and institutions of international relations and know their functions.
• Analyze international issues from perspectives other than their own.
• Display familiarity with foreign cultures and languages.

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 36 required credit hours with the Department of History, Politics and International Relations
• A study abroad experience outside the student's country of origin or 12 international language credits (or advanced proficiency) 
• Applicable University Global Citizenship Program hours
• Electives

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

Students are required to complete 36 credit hours within the department, including methods, a research requirement (fulfilled by taking the seminar, Bachelor thesis, or a designated upper-division course) and senior overview. Note: In Leiden, Geneva, Athens, and Uzbekistan, the research requirement and senior overview are satisfied by the seminar course (INTL 4600).

A minimum of 18 credit hours of international relations at Webster University is required.

At least 12 credit hours of upper-level (3000-level or above) coursework in the department with an international focus must be completed in addition to methods and senior overview. 

To satisfy the study abroad residency or international language requirement, students may either study at one of Webster University’s international campuses or at an approved alternative location. International students who have lived outside of the country of origin have met the study abroad requirement.

Students opting for a  significant international language experience instead of study abroad must complete the full elementary and intermediary sequence in a single foreign language (usually consisting of four 3-credit hour sequential courses) or complete a 3000-level or 4000-level course in a foreign language with a grade of C- or better. Students may also pass an  advanced-level proficiency examination. Students whose native language is not English and who are studying in English already meet this requirement. 

Curriculum

The 36 credit hours required for the international relations major include the following:

• INTL 1050/POLT 1050 Introduction to International Relations (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 in 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 1500 The World System since 1500 (3 hours)
• A 2000-level or above HIST course with an international focus (3 hours)
• Three of the following sub-field courses (9 hours):
  
  • INTL 2030 International Law (3 hours)
  • INTL 3100 International Political Economy (3 hours)
  • POLT 3310 Conduct of Foreign Policy (3 hours)
  • INTL 3800 International Security (3 hours)
  • INTL 3500 Environmental and Energy Security (3 hours)
  • INTL 3700 International Organizations: Structure and Political Conflict (3 hours)
  • INTL 4600 International Relations Seminar (3 hours)
• INTL 4000 Research Requirement (to be taken in conjunction with a designated 3000-level or 4000-level course) (0 hours)
• INTL 4620 Overview (0-1 hours)
• INTL/POLT/HIST electives (9 hours, 6 of which must have an international focus)

Special Requirements

Students studying at the Vienna campus have the following additional requirements. They complete these courses in addition to the core requirements listed above:

• POLT 1070 Introduction to Political Theory (3 hours)
  and INTL 2680 International Relations Theory (3 hours) (3 additional hours; 6 hours total)
• ANSO 2720 Introduction to Measurement and Statistics (3 hours)
• ECON 2030 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours)
  or ECON 2000 Survey of Economics (3 hours)
• Complete two additional courses from the sub-field course list in the core requirements. Only one security course (INTL 3500 Environmental and Energy Security or INTL 3800 International Security) can be used. (6 hours)
• Two additional department electives (6 hours)
• INTL 4700 Senior Thesis (4 hours)

Special Study Opportunities

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

• HRTS 1100 Introduction to Human Rights (3 hours)
• ECON 3700 Economics of Development (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 international relations 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.

Emphasis in International Economics (42 hours)

This emphasis is available at the St. Louis main campus and at the Geneva campus.

Emphasis-Specific Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• 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.

Required Courses for the Emphasis in International Economics

Students in St. Louis and Geneva may elect an emphasis in international economics by fulfilling the above core requirements for international relations and by structuring five of their courses (15 hours) around the following list:

• ECON 2030 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours)
  or ECON 2000 Survey of Economics* (3 hours)
• ECON 2020 Principles of Microeconomics (3 hours)
  or ECON 2000 Survey of Economics* (3 hours)
• ECON 3030 Intermediate Macroeconomics (3 hours)
• ECON 3700 Economics of Development (3 hours)
• ECON 3720 International Trade and Finance (3 hours)
• ECON 4600 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)

*Students using credit for ECON 2000 cannot count ECON 2020 or ECON 2030 toward the emphasis.

Emphasis in Migration and Refugee Studies (42 hours)

This emphasis is only available at the Geneva campus.

Required Courses for the Emphasis in Migration and Refugee Studies

Students in Geneva may elect an emphasis in migration and refugee studies by fulfilling the above core requirements for international relations and by structuring five of their elective courses (15 hours) around the following list:

• 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 2610 Advocacy, NGOs, and Civil Society (3 hours)
• INTL 3030 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)