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The study of international relations is an important
field of intellectual inquiry. Although the formal analysis of relationships
of people who do not share a common political, economic, social,
or cultural heritage is a relatively recent phenomenon, there is
little question that these relationships have been supremely important
in human history. Since the end of World War II, public awareness
of the importance of these relationships has grown substantially,
due largely to the dramatic effects of international relations on
daily life.
International Relations, however, is not a discipline; rather,
it is a study of a particular level of human action whose comprehension
requires the insight and methods of a number of disciplines.
The field is therefore interdisciplinary, relying primarily on
the study of economics, geography, history, and politics. International
relations also requires a thorough and sensitive understanding of
the diverse interests and cultures in the world, and students are
expected to take courses on the modern societies of Asia, Africa,
or Latin America. Students may include courses available through
Five College cooperation.
Requirements for the Major
Credits
- A minimum of 40 credits
- 20 credits must be at the 300 level and undertaken in at least
two disciplines.
- Only 4 credits of independent work can count toward the requirement
for courses at the 300 level.
Courses
Normally the following courses are required:
- History 151, Modern and Contemporary European Civilization
Geography 105, World Regional Geography
- Politics 116, World Politics
- Economics 213, Economic Development: A Survey; 216,
- International Trade; or 217, International Finance
Courses listed within the International Relations program or required
by it make up only a small fraction of what majors can take as
part
of their 40 credits. At Mount Holyoke, for example, nearly every
course in the Departments of Earth and Environment, Economics,
History,
and Politics counts toward the International Relations major. So
can many courses in Anthropology, Art History, Religion, Sociology,
Women's Studies, and the various foreign language departments.
The same holds true of courses offered elsewhere in the 5-College
system
-- although as a rule, a course taken at Smith, Hampshire, Amherst,
or the University of Massachusetts may not be substituted for
one
of the required courses. Any student uncertain about a particular
course should contact the Administrative Assistant or Chair, perhaps
even before the course begins, and be prepared to argue for the
relevance of that course to her focus within the major. She may
be instructed to submit a Request
for Course Credit in the International Relations Major. Certainly
she will need to fill out the Mount
Holyoke College Permission Form, obtain the signature of the Chair of the International Relations,
and then submit the form to the Registrar's Office.
Study abroad by majors is strongly encouraged. To that end, the
International Relations program grants credit within the major for
any course taken abroad -- or for that matter, on another campus
within the United States -- provided that it is demonstrably relevant
to the student's focus and roughly matches the workload of an equivalent
course at Mount Holyoke. Nota bene: credit at the 300 level will
not be given for courses requiring little written work. Any student
wishing course credit should submit a Request for Course Credit
in the International Relations Major (see link above) upon her return
to campus, together with copies of the course syllabus and written
work. Credit for a course taken outside the 5-College system cannot
be promised in advance. But students preparing to go abroad who
still have questions or concerns after reading these guidelines
and the Request for Course Credit should consult with their academic
adviser or with the Administrative Assistant or Chair of the International
Relations Program.
Other
- Each student is expected to possess or acquire proficiency in
a foreign language beyond the minimum requirements of the College
and sufficient to do research in primary source materials. Specific
courses that satisfy this requirement vary according to the language.
This information is available from the department chair.
- Each student's major must have a particular focus. The elected
courses should revolve on a central issue of international relations.
Possible issues or foci include international political economy,
foreign policy analysis, diplomatic history, Third World development,
international law and organization, or arms control and strategic
studies. This list is by no means exhaustive and is meant merely
to be suggestive. All concentrations must focus on the relationships
among nations; students who wish to concentrate on particular
areas of the world without detailed study of the foreign relations
of those areas should adopt a more appropriate major such as Latin
American or Asian studies.
Students should plan individual major programs in consultation
with one or more members of the faculty committee, one of whom will
be designated the student's academic adviser.
International relations is an interdisciplinary major.
Students who pursue an interdisciplinary major automatically fulfill
the College's "outside the major" requirement (see Outside
the Major).
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