Studying international relations (IR) will give you a broader understanding of the forces that shape our global society, as well as how to resolve conflict. It will also help you develop skills in cross-cultural communication, critical thinking and problem-solving – all of which are invaluable for any career.
IR is the branch of political science that deals with the study of international interactions, including the causes and consequences of war, peace, foreign policy, and cooperation between states. It combines elements of many other disciplines, such as anthropology, geography, history, law, economics, philosophy and sociology. It is one of the most popular majors in undergraduate colleges, as it offers students the opportunity to explore a wide range of subjects that affect the world around us.
A major reason for the emergence of the field was prompted by the outbreak of World War I, which led to an awareness that more needed to be known about how states and their leaders interact with each other, especially if international conflicts were to be prevented. This new perspective also reinforced the belief that such matters should not be a sole preserve of kings and other elites but that they were a responsibility and concern of all citizens.
Several theories of international relations have emerged, but the most prominent are realism and liberalism. Realism posits that state actors know their preferences, are able to order them, and act accordingly. It also assumes that the more coercive power, whether military or economic, a state is able to project, the greater its influence in an international system.