This interdisciplinary major has been designed to prepare students either for further study of international relations or for future employment in government or business. Some alumni go on to graduate studies in law, international relations, history, and politics. Since the inception of the program in 1983, several graduates have been appointed as officers in the U.S. Foreign Service.
Recent international relations graduates have continued their studies at prestigious graduate schools such as John Hopkins, Cambridge, and Oxford. Six international relations majors since 2009 have also received the competitive Fulbright awards for research or teaching English as a second language.
Off-campus research and internships
You have many options to study outside the U.S. Cornell's One Course At A Time curriculum facilitates courses that are taught off campus, in countries such as Austria, Poland, New Zealand, Turkey, Spain, France, Argentina, India, Japan, and the Russian Federation. As an international relations student, you will perform independent research projects or take internships abroad; recent work has taken place in Indonesia, Tanzania, India, Austria, and China.
Benefits of One Course At A Time
Cornell's One Course At A Time curriculum gives you as an international relations student, the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. on multiple, study-abroad opportunities. Shorter trips are more affordable. It's also much easier to fit study-abroad time into an academic plan that involves more than one major, since you don't need to be gone for a whole semester to take a trip.
Individual projects on campus are facilitated by the calendar, since it lets you focus intensely on a project without having to divide your attention amongst other classes.
Finally, you might have the opportunity to take a block off during your senior year to prepare for graduate school entrance exams, the foreign service exam, or job applications.
