International Relations

Return to: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences  

The Department of Political Science and International Relations offers: a BA in international relations; a BA in international relations (global business); a BA in international relations and the global economy. The department also offers minors in international relations, global communication, and international policy and management.

The international relations major encourages undergraduate double majors, especially with economics, environmental studies, geography, history, journalism, political science and sociology. Programs are flexible, allowing students to gain a broad background in international studies and, at the same time, to specialize in a particular area.

Von KleinSmid Center 330
(213) 740-6278; 740-2136
FAX: (213) 821-4424
Email: sir@dornsife.usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/sir

Chair: Saori N. Katada, PhD

Faculty: see Political Science and International Relations  

Advisement

Advisement is required for all majors and minors. Students are encouraged to meet with School of International Relations advisers at least once a semester to review the direction of their individual programs. Students are also encouraged to seek the advisement of faculty members whose specializations are appropriate to their programs of study, and with the School of International Relations’ career adviser.

Academic Specialization

Students majoring in international relations who wish to develop their own specialization or emphasize a particular regional area may establish with a faculty adviser, or with School of International Relations advisers, an academic program that will accomplish the students’ objectives.

Graduate Degrees

Degree Requirements

These degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Refer to the Requirements for Graduation  section and The Graduate School  section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degrees must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

All graduate students are required to maintain regular contact with the graduate coordinator to assure compliance with departmental regulations.

Programs

• Intelligence and Cyber Operations (BA)
• International Relations (BA)
• International Relations (Global Business) (BA)
• International Relations and the Global Economy (BA)

• Global Communication Minor
• International Policy and Management Minor
• International Relations Minor

• Global Security Studies (MA)
• International Relations (MA)

• Master of Arts, International Relations/Juris Doctor (MA/JD)

Courses

• IR 412 Applied Data Science for International Relations 1
• IR 413 Applied Data Science for International Relations 2
• IR 422 Ecological Security and Global Politics
• IR 423 Forced Migration and Conflict
• IR 424w Citizenship and Migration in International Politics
• IR 425 The New Triangle: China, the U.S. and Latin America
• IR 426 Trade Politics in the Western Hemisphere
• IR 427 Seminar on Economics and Security
• IR 428 China’s Political Economy
• IR 430 The Politics of International Trade
• IR 431 Commercial and Financial Globalization-Trends, Challenges
• IR 437 Comparative Genocide
• IR 438 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict after Communism
• IR 439 Political Economy of Russia and Eurasia
• IR 440 America’s Pacific Century: Dialogues between the U.S. and Asia
• IR 441 Comparative Analysis of Foreign Policy
• IR 442 Japanese Foreign Policy
• IR 443 Formulation of U.S. Foreign Policy
• IR 444w Theories of Global Society
• IR 445 U.S. Defense and Foreign Policy: Nonproliferation and Weapons of Mass Destruction
• IR 446 The Role of Norms and International Security
• IR 447w Cities of the Middle East
• IR 449 International Courts and the Globalization of Law
• IR 454 The International Political Economy of Development
• IR 455 The Political Economy of Autocracy
• IR 463 Islam and Arab Nationalism
• IR 464 US-Middle East Foreign Policy Issues
• IR 465 Contemporary Issues in United States-Latin America Relations
• IR 466 Contemporary Issues in Latin American Politics
• IR 468 European Integration
• IR 470 Comparative Regionalism
• IR 483 War and Diplomacy: The U.S. in World Affairs
• IR 484 American Religion, Foreign Policy and the News Media
• IR 490x Directed Research
• IR 491x Field Study
• IR 494 Honors Thesis Seminar
• IR 499 Special Topics
• IR 553 Global Internet Governance