International Relations

About International Relations

The International Relations major is for students who want to learn about foreign countries and relations between countries. It is basically the core of a Political Science major plus the core of an Economics major plus a minor in a foreign language and elective options in History and Geography. It is a demanding major that requires students to master the core skills of both political scientists and economists. At the same time, IR students can customize their degree – for example, some will choose a stronger economics focus and others will emphasize political science and history classes more. Students also choose an elective specialization track in a region or theme that interests them.

Key skills developed by IR majors include:

• Critical reading (especially in Political Science courses)
• Analytical thinking (in both Economics and Political Science)
• Advanced statistical analysis (both majors)
• Excellent writing (especially in Political Science)
• Foreign language competency and cultural awareness

Because International Relations requires mastery of a diverse skill set, it is not for everyone. Other valuable international majors at BYU include Political Science, Economics, Geography, History, foreign languages, Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, European Studies, and Middle East Studies-Arabic.

What Can You Do With an IR Degree?

Students with all those skills are in high demand by employers and graduate programs. Employers especially value IR students because they have a diverse skill set and the ability to succeed immediately in an international setting. International Relations majors find jobs in:

• Government (e.g., intelligence, diplomacy, legislative staff, executive agencies)
• Business (e.g., exporters, multinational companies, financial institutions, data analytics)
• Law (e.g., law firms, businesses, international organizations)
• International and development organizations

In addition, many IR majors pursue graduate studies, earning an MBA, a law degree, or a master’s degree in a specialized field (e.g., international relations, foreign affairs, public policy).

To see what IR majors have done in the past, see data about IR majors.