Program Structure
Please follow the program structure outlined in the Academic Calendar from your FIRST academic year as a student at St. Thomas University. Find the Academic Calendars HERE. If you have any questions, please contact your academic advisor.
Honours
Students wishing to complete the Honours program in IREL will satisfy the requirements for the Major and complete the following courses:
IREL-4013 Honours Thesis in International Relations
POLS-3903 Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods in Political Science
POLS-3913 Honours Thesis Proposal
POLS-4903 Capstone Seminar - Problems in Political Inquiry
POLS-4603 Seminar in International Relations
Major
Students majoring in International Relations are required to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in courses specified by the program. It is suggested that they do 3 credit hours in their first year of study, 12 in their second, and a total of 21 credit hours in their third and fourth years. In addition, students are required to complete either a Minor in Economics (18 credit hours) or 12 credit hours in a foreign language. Students are encouraged to do both.
Year 1
POLS-1603 Global Politics
ECON-1013/1023 Introduction to Economics (Micro) and Introduction to Economics (Macro) or 6 credit hours in a foreign language
Year 2
POLS-2303 Comparative Politics of the Developed World
POLS-2313 Comparative Politics of the Developing Areas
POLS-2613 International Relations I
POLS-2623 International Relations II
Years 3 and 4
- 15 credit hours in designated advanced courses in International Relations
- 6 credit hours in designated advanced courses in Area Studies
- In Years 2-4, students will also complete the requirement of 12 credit hours in a second language or a Minor in Economics.
Minor
The requirements for a Minor in International Relations are:
POLS-2613 International Relations I
POLS-2623 International Relations II
An additional 12 credits from the list of “advanced international relations courses” approved for the Major
Double Major with Political Science
The Major in International Relations and the Major in Political Science both require the completion of the following POLS courses: 1603, 2303, 2313, 2613, and 2623. Students who have completed those five courses in order to meet the requirements for the Major in International Relations may count them toward the Major in Political Science as well. No other courses taken for the Major in International Relations may be counted toward a second Major in Political Science.
Other Courses
Below is a list of classes offered in other departments that can be counted as Advanced International Relations and/or Area Studies. This is not an exhaustive list and does not include courses from the University of New Brunswick that may also qualify. All of these courses will not be offered every year. Before including one of these classes as part of your International Relations program, please confirm and get permission to use the course from the Director of the IR program.
CRIM 3643-Terrorism: An Introduction
ECON 2303-Gender in the Global South
ECON 3153-Political Economy II
ECON 3333-Perspective on Underdevelopment
ECON 3343-Banking and International Finance
ENGL 3433-World Literature in English: West Indies and Africa
ENGL 3443-World Literature in English: India
HIST 3113- Modern and Revolutionary China
HIST 3123- Student Movements in East Asia
HIST 3163-Gandhi, India and the World
HIST 3203-The British Atlantic World
HIST 3343-Europe Since 1945
HIST 3373- The Germanies Since 1945
HIST 3373-Slavery in World History
HIST 3603-Disney and World History
HIST 3613-Gender and Power in Latin America
HIST 3643-Race and Racism in Modern History
HIST 3743-Contemporary US History
HIST 3943-Genocide in World History
HMRT 3063-Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
HMRT 3123-International Human Rights (note that this course can be taken in place of PS 3503 but a student cannot take both courses and have them counted separately in the program)
HMRT 3213-Environment and Society III
HMRT 3543-Human Rights and Foreign Policy
SOCI 3153-Sociology of War
SOCI 3223-Globalization and Gender