Understanding what's going on in the world
"I've always been fascinated with what's going on in the world," says a senior with a double major in international relations and Russian studies. "I think that in today's world it's very important not to be stuck with a very localized thought." A recent graduate adds, "I liked that it is not a limiting major. It can get you into economics, politics, business, foreign language, education. It opens up a lot of doors." The international relations major attracted a senior from Hungary, also majoring in Russian studies, who says, "Coming from Europe, I've always been interested in how different nations can live peacefully together. . . . With the international relations major, you're always facing new challenges, and you have to come up with new innovations to solve the world's problems."

Focusing on a global community
"The world is becoming more global, more interconnected, and the international relations major follows suit with that," says a junior with a double major in international relations and business administration. "It's preparing me for the future." A senior international relations major says she likes learning "how to work out the world's problems together as part of a global community." According to one professor, "The international relations major reaffirms the need to look at our world as a single entity, not as disparate parts, either geographically—one part of the world as distinct from another—or disciplinary, where you can talk about economics as separate from political science. The international relations major fully recognizes this; it's up front about it, and you cannot avoid it." A senior says, "The international relations major has prepared me for dealing with people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It has taught me to be more tolerant and understanding, to realize that there isn't only one way of approaching a problem or situation. I feel I've become a more open-minded person."

A diversity of course work and interests
"The international relations major is basically a combination of history, political science, and economics, with the requirement of a foreign language," says a senior also minoring in political science. "I think this combination has given me a strong background for what I plan to study in graduate school—international economics." Another senior adds, "A lot of international relations majors also major or minor in a foreign language, which isn't just language, but cultural background. Other international relations majors add business administration or economics as a second major or minor." A recent graduate, whose language specialization is Spanish, now works for the U.S. government. In attaining his position, he says, "They liked the fact that the international relations major had a strong grounding in economics. And the language was a big point. . . . It was the global emphasis."

The demand for intensity
"Most demanding," says a senior of the international relations major, "is that you have to know what's going on in the world all the time. . . . It's important to stay on top of things in order to know how to interact with people." A professor remarks, "In addition to the second language requirement and the writing of papers, which is always a stretching experience, I would say students grow conceptually. A lot of students are opened up for the first time. . . . What does it mean to be international? Should we be opening up our borders? Should we be trying to have more international trade agreements, or should we be buying American?" Another professor adds, "Our role is to impart tools by which the student can arrive at his or her own answers." A senior says, "I always feel that my professors have a special interest in each student. They really help us as much as possible. Another bonus is that they are well-traveled; they have experiences in the other countries we're studying."

The scope of international relations
"The international relations major, particularly through Principia's Abroad program and through study about international policies and ideas that have come from other societies, opens students up to a lifelong experience, lifelong learning about others," says a professor. "I've attended hearings, meetings, and briefings for different staff advisers on anything from the fiscal budget to experts' opinions on what's going on in Central Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States," says a student interning in Washington, D.C., with the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe for the Helsinki Commission. A junior who interviewed with an investment firm for a summer internship says that although the interviewers really liked his business administration background, "what they liked most was my international relations focus, which might actually help me get a job in futures in the internationally-oriented commodities department."

Launching pad to the world
"The international relations major has been a good launching pad for students interested in international careers and graduate school in international relations," remarks a professor. "The demands of the classes, and the diversity of classes required, gave me a good foundation on which to build," says an alumnus, who soon after graduation worked for a market research firm in California. He says, "I was constantly on the phone with Europe and Germany, looking not only at how politics affects markets, but how the market affects politics." He adds that his Germany Abroad with Principia was a strong point in his studies. "The international relations major prepared me for graduate school," says another graduate who is currently training with the State Department to become a foreign service officer. "I got a master's degree in international policy studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California." One recent graduate, who is applying to graduate school for further international relations study, says, "I just enjoy international relations, and I'll see what direction it takes me."