Department: International Relations

Contacts

Office: Encina Hall Central, Suite 30
Mail Code: 94305-6045
Phone: (650) 498-2931
Email: intlrelations@stanford.edu
Web Site: http://internationalrelations.stanford.edu

Courses offered by the Program in International Relations (IR) are listed under the subject code INTNLREL on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

Mission of the Program in International Relations

The Program in International Relations (IR) offers an interdisciplinary undergraduate major, minor and honors program allowing students to explore how global, regional and domestic factors influence relations between actors on the world stage. The program equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze choices and challenges that arise in this arena. IR majors pursue study in world politics, including courses in Political Science, Economics, History, languages, and other fields focusing on issues such as international security, political economy, economic development, and democratization. The major prepares students for careers in government and the corporate sector, and for admission into graduate programs including, but not exclusive to law, business, economics, and political science.

Bachelor of Arts in International Relations

In the undergraduate major program, students focus on political, economic, and cultural relations among peoples and states in the modern world. Students majoring in IR  will pursue a course of study that includes classes in Political Science, Economics, History, languages and other fields. IR majors may focus on a range of issues including international security, international trade and finance, political and economic development as well as history, politics and culture of other countries and world regions. All IR majors must spend at least one quarter studying abroad and show proficiency in a foreign language. 

Minor in International Relations

In the undergraduate minor program, students will also focus on political, economic, and cultural relations among peoples and states in the modern world. Students minoring in IR will pursue a condensed course of study that includes classes in Political Science, Economics, History, languages, and other fields. IR minors may focus on a range of issues including international security, international trade and finance, political and economic development as well as history, politics and culture of other countries and world regions. IR minors are not required to study abroad or show proficiency in a foreign language. 

Honors Program 

The International Relations honors program offers qualified students the opportunity to conduct a major independent research project under faculty guidance. Such a project requires a high degree of initiative and dedication, significant amounts of time and energy, and demonstrated skills in research and writing.

In their junior year, students should consult with prospective honors advisors, choose the courses that provide academic background in their areas of inquiry, and demonstrate an ability to conduct independent research. Students can also select to complete an Interdisciplinary honors thesis with other programs on campus.

Prerequisites for participation include a 3.5 grade point average (GPA), a strong overall academic record, good academic standing, successful experience in writing a research paper, and submission of an acceptable thesis proposal.  Students should submit their honors thesis proposal late in Winter Quarter of the junior year; please check with the IR office for the exact deadline. Students are required to enroll in course International Relations Honors Field Research, in Spring Quarter of their junior year and should consider participating in Bing Honors College. In their senior year, honors students must enroll in course International Relations Honors Seminar in Autumn Quarter, course IR Honors Thesis Writing in Winter Quarter, and in research units through course Senior Thesis each quarter of their senior year (Autumn, Winter, and Spring) with their faculty advisor. Honors students present a formal defense of their theses in mid-May. Students must receive at least a grade of ‘B+’ in order to graduate with honors in International Relations.

Coterminal Programs in Related Fields

It is possible for students majoring in International Relations to work simultaneously for a coterminal master’s degree in a number of related fields. Coterminal students should consult advisers in both departments or programs to ensure that they fulfill the degree requirements in both fields. For information on the M.A. program in International Policy, see the International Policy section of this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal M.A. are described in the Coterminal Master's Degrees section of this bulletin. See also the Registrar's Coterminal Degree Programs pages.

Faculty

Director: Kenneth Schultz (Political Science). 

Faculty Committee: Kyle Bagwell (Economics), Judith L. Goldstein (Political Science), Norman Naimark (History), Kenneth Scheve (Political Science), Kenneth Schultz (Political Science), Kathryn Stoner (Freeman Spogli Institute), Michael Tomz (Political Science). 

Affiliated Faculty: Lisa Blaydes (Political Science), Gordon Chang (History), David Cohen (Classics), Larry J. Diamond (Hoover Institution), Amir Eshel (German Studies), James Fearon (Political Science), Zephyr Frank (History), Francis Fukuyama (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Political Science), Lawrence H. Goulder (Economics), Anna Grzymala-Busse (Political Science), Stephen H. Haber (Political Science), Daniel Ho (Stanford Law School, Political Science), David J. Holloway (History, Political Science), Colin Kahl (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Stephen D. Krasner (Political Science), Beatriz Magaloni (Political Science), Michael McFaul (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Political Science), Robert McGinn (Management Science and Engineering), Brett McGurk (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), H.R. McMaster (Hoover Institution), Rosamond Naylor (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Jean C. Oi (Political Science), Richard Roberts (History), Condoleezza Rice (Political Science, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Jonathan Rodden (Political Science), Scott Sagan (Political Science), Debra M. Satz (Philosophy), Andrew Walder (Sociology), Amir Weiner (History), Jeremy Weinstein (Political Science), Paul Wise (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Amy Zegart (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Political Science).

Other Affiliation: Kevin Arrigo (Earth System Science), Chonira Aturupane (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), (Karen Biestman (Native American Cultural Center), Jasmina Bojic (International Relations), Marshall Burke (Earth System Science, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Robert Crews (History), Christophe Crombez (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Thomas Fingar (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Erica Gould (International Relations), Kathleen Janus (Freeman Spogli Institute for Program on Social Entrepreneurship, International Relations), Katherine Jolluck (History),  Anjini Kochar (Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research), Martin W. Lewis (History), Pawel Lutomski (International Relations), Abbas Milani (Hoover Institution, Iranian Studies), Alice Lyman Miller (Hoover Institution), Thomas O'Keefe (International Relations), Bertrand Patenaude (International Relations),  Robert Rakove (International Relations), Scott Rozelle (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Margaret Sena (El Centro Chicano), Beth Van Schaack (Stanford Law School), Stephen Stedman (Political Science), Harold Trinkunas (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), Gil-Li Vardi (International Relations, History)

Graduate Advising

For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the Graduate Advising section of this bulletin.