Marcheta L. Birch, Department of Political Science, Director.

This program, which includes a major and a minor, features a multi- and inter-disciplinary approach to the study of global affairs. Its goals are to provide a firm grounding in the theory and actual dynamics of global relations and to cultivate necessary skills in research, writing, critical thinking, and oral presentation.  Each student’s program is structured to maximize options upon graduation, depending upon her/his career objectives. Drawing on the resources of at least five departments, the program prepares students for graduate school and for careers in government, business, education and international organizations. Completion of the major program will lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.

Admission
The International Relations major and minor are open to any student who has completed PSC 140 with a minimum grade of C.  A minimum overall average of 2.00 in all courses taken to complete the major or the minor is required for program completion.

International Relations Curriculum:

1.	ENG 101, ENG 102, PHI 101, RST 101	(4 courses)	(12)
2.	Area Studies: Two courses from each of these areas: I, III, V, VI, VII	(10 courses)	(30)
3.	Major course requirements:	(18 courses)
	PSC 140	Introduction to International Relations	(3)
	Choose one of the four course groupings
Group 1	HIS 107	History of Modern Europe to 1815
Group 1	HIS 108	History of Modern Europe since 1815	(6)
	OR
Group 2	HIS 109	History of Asia to 1800
Group 2	HIS 110	History of Asia since 1800
	OR
Group 3	HIS 131	Latin American History to 1830
Group 3	HIS 132	Latin American History since 1830
	OR
Group 4	PSC 103	Constitutional Foundations of American Government
Group 4	PSC 150	Comparative Politics
	PSC 217 (SOC 342)	Research Methods
	OR		(3)
	HIS 221	History Methodology
	PSC 353	Conceptualizing Global Relations	(3)
	HIS 299	U.S. Diplomatic History	(3)
	OR
	PSC 245	U.S. Foreign Policy
		(any one of the three above)
	HIS 345 (PSC 357)	Soviet Union: 1917 and After
	OR		(3)
	HIS 350 (PSC 350)	20th Century Eastern Europe
	PSC 442	Seminar in International Relations	(3)
	ECO 101	Principles of Macroeconomics	(3)
	Business: one 300 or 400-level international business course		(3)
	Major electives: five courses chosen from approved list in, History, Political Science, Modern Languages, and Religious Studies; not more than six hours from any one discipline; at least two must have a Non-European world designation.		(15)
	Modern language training through the advanced level		(12)
4.	Electives: Modern language training beyond the advanced level is strongly recommended for those students contemplating graduate studies in international relations. Students are also encouraged to take QNT 101 or computer skills workshops.	(7 courses)	(21)
Total		(40 courses)	(120)

Recommended Schedule:

Fall		Spring
Freshman Year
ENG 101	3	ENG 102	3
PSC 140	3	Elective	3
HIS 107 or HIS 109 or HIS 131 or PSC 103	3	HIS 108 or HIS 110 or HIS 132 or PSC 150	3
Modern Language	3	Modern Language	3
AS	3	AS	3
Total	15	Total	15
Sophomore Year
PHI 101	3	RST 101	3
ECO 101	3	HIS 299 or PSC 245	3
Modern Language	3	Modern Language	3
PSC 217 or HIS 221	3	AS	3
AS	3	Elective	3
Total	15	Total	15
Junior Year
PSC 353	3	Major Elective	3
Major Elective or 300-400 level Business	3	Major Elective or 300-400 level Business	3
Major elective	3	HIS 345 or HIS 350	3
AS	3	AS	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
Total	15	Total	15
Senior Year
Major elective	3	PSC 442	3
AS	3	Major elective	3
AS	3	AS	3
Elective	3	AS	3
Elective	3	Elective	3
Total	15	Total	15
Total	120

International Relations Minor: 2

PSC 140 Introduction to International Relations		(3)
International/Global System elective: one of the following: SOC 241, PSC 343, PSC 353, ECO 360, MGT 472, MGT 475.		(3)
Geographic Region electives: two 100/200 level courses approved by the program director.		(6)
International Relations electives: three 300/400 level courses. Chosen from approved list in History, Modern Languages, Political Science, and Religious Studies.  No more than two courses may be taken from the same area.		(9)
Total	(7 courses)	(21)

Other Programs:
Majors are strongly encouraged to gain additional educational experience through a variety of complementary programs offered at Canisius.

Dual major programs have been developed, particularly in cooperation with the departments of Modern Languages, Political Science, Economics, and History. Special concentrations of courses, e.g. in the Wehle School of Business, are typical of the options that a student may include in a particular program of study.

Participation in the wide variety of study-abroad academic programs enhances a student’s linguistic skills and substantive knowledge about other cultures and societies.

The International Relations program offers a wide variety of internship programs in the Buffalo area, as well as the foreign policy Washington Semester program at American University and a Summer Internship program in Washington, DC. Each is designed to permit students to broaden their international relations education through contact with a diverse array of political participants.

Opportunities for independent study are made available for upperclass students desiring to study specialized topics in global relations.

Finally, the Women’s Studies program will provide majors with a distinctive educational opportunity to examine their international relations studies from yet another perspective. WST 201: Introduction to Women’s Studies (Spring) begins this process. It is an interdisciplinary course that explores the experience of women from a variety of perspectives, including history, literature and the natural and social sciences.

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1 Area II is automatically fulfilled because this program is in the Social Sciences. Area IV is fulfilled by the required History courses in this program.  Area VIII is fulfilled by the Modern Language requirement.

2 The language requirements must be completed through the intermediate level.