International Relations-Political Science

International Relations - Political Science

 

International Relations-Political Science (IRPS)

Faculty Directors:

Prof. Stacie Goddard

sgoddard@wellesley.edu

 

Prof. Paul MacDonald

pmacdon2@wellesley.edu

 

IRPS Major Requirement Check List (New)

What’s the difference between the Political Science (POLS) and the International Relations-Political Science (IRPS) majors at Wellesley College? (New)

International Relations is an interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding global interactions, both in the historical past and in the present. The major is designed to expose students to a wide range of viewpoints and analytical methodologies in their study of such fields as diplomacy and foreign policy, peace, war and security, international political economy and development, and human rights.

Goals for the IRPS Major

  • A student who completes a major in international relations will acquire the depth of knowledge and intellectual skills equivalent to completing a major in one of the three component disciplines (economics, history, political science).
  • The student will also acquire the breadth of knowledge about the other two component disciplines necessary for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of international relations.
  • The student will demonstrate advanced competence in the reading, writing, and speaking of a language other than English.
  • International Relations-Political Science majors will be familiar with the historical study of international relations, across both world regions and centuries, complete at least five courses in the International Relations subfield of Political Science, and engage in intensive research, writing, and interaction with a faculty members.

Requirements for the Major

The IRPS major consists of 14 units of course work—five core courses plus nine additional courses described below.

Majors are also required to demonstrate advanced proficiency in a modern language, normally defined as two units of language study beyond the minimum required by the College or demonstrate fluency by other means. Language courses do not count towards the minimum 14 courses.

Five Core Courses

All students majoring in IRPS must take the following core courses:

  • ECON 101
  • ECON 102
  • ECON 213, 214, or 220
  • HIST 205
  • POL3 221

It is strongly recommended that students complete all core courses by the end of their sophomore year.

Nine Additional Courses

IRPS majors must take nine additional courses from among the following:

  • Five political science courses in the International Relations subfield of Political Science (POL3) beyond POL3 221, at least two of which must be at the 300 level and one of which must be a seminar.
    • Comparative Politics (POL2) courses that the director agrees may count for this requirement.
  • Two political science courses in Comparative Politics:
    • Either POL2 202 or POL2 204
    • A comparative politics courses that focuses on a particular country or region. At Wellesley, the following courses meet this requirement: POL2 207 [Latin America], POL2 208 [China], POL2 211 [South Asia], POL2 217 [Middle East and North Africa], and POL2 231 [Africa]. Courses on additional regions or countries taught at other institutions may also fulfill this requirement.
  • One political science course in American Politics (POL1), Political Theory (POL4), or Research Methods (POL 299)
  • One additional 200- or 300-level course in, for example, Africana Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Environmental Studies, History, Peace & Justice Studies, Philosophy, Sociology, or Women’s & Gender Studies, dealing with a particular country or region other than the United States, or with relations among nations, or with transnational institutions or phenomena.

Honors

The policies governing eligibility for honors work in International Relations-Political Science are the same as for Political Science majors.

Advanced Placement Policy

Students may receive units of College credit if they achieve a grade of 5 on the American Government and Politics or the Comparative Politics Advanced Placement Examinations. Such AP credits do not count toward the minimum number of units required for the political science major nor for the American or comparative subfield distribution requirements for the major. In no case do AP credits count towards the minimum major in International Relations-Political Science.

Study Abroad

International Relations-Political Science majors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one semester in a study-abroad program. Transfer credits from study-abroad programs must be approved by the IRPS director. Credit for courses taken outside of Wellesley transfer at the 200-level.

MIT Courses

Please consult the IRPS director about which courses at MIT can be counted towards the major.