Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (BS IRPS)
The Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) is for students who want to learn how to think systematically and develop foundational knowledge about international and domestic politics. It is an interdisciplinary major that is rooted firmly in political science and draws on strengths and insights from decision science, economics, history, modern languages, and other fields. BS IRPS students wrestle with a wide range of issues including the future of democracy, the relationship between technology and politics, the drivers of war and peace, domestic politics across countries, and the formulation of effective foreign policies. IRPS graduates embark on a variety of careers in government, law, public policy, intelligence, national defense, consulting, international development, and more.
International Relations and Political Science is available as a primary major, additional major, and minor.*
*Prior to Summer 2023, the Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) was the Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Politics (IRP).
Degree Rationale
The Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) is for students who want to learn how to think systematically and develop foundational knowledge about international and domestic politics. It is an interdisciplinary major that is rooted firmly in political science and draws on strengths and insights from decision science, economics, history, modern languages, and other fields. BS IRPS students wrestle with a wide range of issues including the future of democracy, the relationship between technology and politics, the drivers of war and peace, domestic politics across countries, and the formulation of effective foreign policies. IRPS graduates embark on a variety of careers in government, law, public policy, intelligence, national defense, consulting, international development, and more.
Core disciplinary courses for the IRPS major establish a strong foundation in the study of political science and enable students to better understand the workings of political institutions, political behavior across countries, the decision-making of political leaders, the making national and international policy, and prevailing challenges to the international system, among other topics.
Core methodology courses train IRPS students in the social science tools and communications skills needed to analyze and write persuasively about international relations and politics. Students pursuing an IRPS major learn to use a wide range of analytic tools including statistics and data science, qualitative analysis, game theory, and behavioral decision-making models as they study politics and strategy. Students also learn how to effectively communicate their analyses to affect public policy.
A rich set of electives allows students to investigate issues in security and technology, grand strategy and national security, cybersecurity and international conflict, military strategy and doctrine, the politics of key regions of the world, international political economy and economic policy, representation and voting rights, climate change and development, repression and human rights, international law and diplomacy, political psychology and public opinion, and social change and revolution.
Recognizing the importance of language and culture in understanding politics and international relations, students are required to complete the intermediate (200) level, or its equivalent, in a modern language other than English. Advanced-level study is strongly encouraged.
Open to all Carnegie Mellon undergraduates, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP) allows students to study politics and public policy and intern in Washington, DC, for one semester. Courses taken through CMU/WSP count toward the policy seminar core requirement and electives for the IRPS major.
Double Counting: Students may double count a maximum of four courses with another major or minor.
Curricular Requirements
Curriculum (141 units)- 2023 undergraduate catalog and beyond
Requirements for the 2022 undergraduate catalog and prior (pdf).
Disciplinary Core Courses (complete all):
84-104 | Decision Processes in American Political Institutions | 9 |
84-110 | Foundations of Political Economy (may substitute 73-102 Principles of Microeconomics, 73-103 Principles of Macroeconomics, or 73-104 Principles of Microeconomics Accelerated) |
9 |
84-226 | International Relations | 9 |
84-275 | Comparative Politics | 9 |
84-450 | Policy Seminar | 6 |
Methodology Core Courses (complete all):
84-250 | Writing for Political Science and Policy | 9 |
84-266 | Research Design for Political Science | 9 |
84-267 | Data Science for Political Science (may substitute 36-202 Methods of Statistics and Data Science) |
9 |
84-369 | Decision Science for International Relations | 9 |
Language Requirement
Students are required to complete a course at the Intermediate II level or higher of a modern language other than English. Advanced level study is strongly encouraged. Students who successfully pass a language placement exam on campus, at the intermediate II level or higher, are required to take an advanced language course to satisfy the language requirement.
Electives
Students must complete 54 units (usually six courses) from the elective lists below. At least four courses (36 units) must be taken from the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology (84-xxx). Most courses listed below are 9-unit courses, but some are fewer. When students choose courses offered for fewer than 9 units, they must remember that a minimum of 54 units is still required and thus plan to take one or more additional courses to fill out that minimum number. In other words, the key requirement is the number of units (54), not the number of courses.
CMIST Electives | |
84-200 | Security War Game Simulation |
84-252 | Briefing in the Policy World |
84-303 | International Human Rights |
84-304 | In the News: Analysis of Current National Security Priorities |
84-306 | Latin American Politics |
84-307 | Economic and Political History of Contemporary China |
84-310 | International Political Economy |
84-312 | Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa |
84-313 | International Organizations and Law* |
84-315 | Political Economy of International Migration |
84-316 | Political Economy of Transatlantic Partnership |
84-317 | Defense Resourcing: From Strategy to Execution |
84-318 | Politics of Developing Nations |
84-319 | Civil-Military Relations |
84-322 | Nonviolent Conflict and Revolution |
84-323 | War and Peace in the Contemporary Middle East |
84-324 | The Future of Democracy |
84-325 | Contemporary American Foreign Policy |
84-327 | Repression and Control in Dictatorships |
84-328 | Military Strategy and Doctrine |
84-329 | Asian Strategies |
84-330 | The Shading of Democracy: The Influence of Race on American Politics* |
84-331 | Money, Media, and the Power of Data in Decisionmaking* |
84-334 | The History and Practice of Economic Statecraft* |
84-335 | US China Relations* |
84-336 | Implementing Public Policy: From Good Idea To Reality* |
84-337 | Biomedical Science Research, Policy, and Governance* |
84-339 | Seminar in Public Policy Research* |
84-340 | Making Change: How Organized Interests Work in Washington* |
84-348 | Advocacy, Policy and Practice* |
84-351 | Bias, Objectivity, and the Media's Role in Politics |
84-352 | Representation and Voting Rights |
84-354 | The American Experiment: Unravelling the US Electoral System |
84-360 | CMU/WSP Internship Seminar* |
84-362 | Diplomacy and Statecraft |
84-365 | The Politics of Fake News and Misinformation |
84-370 | Nuclear Security & Arms Control |
84-372 | Space and National Security |
84-373 | Emerging Technologies and International Law |
84-374 | Technology, Weapons, and International Conflict |
84-380 | US Grand Strategy |
84-383 | Cyber Policy as National Policy |
84-386 | The Privatization of Force |
84-387 | Remote Systems and the Cyber Domain in Conflict |
84-388 | Concepts of War and Cyber War |
84-389 | Terrorism and Insurgency |
84-390 | Social Media, Technology, and Conflict |
84-393 | Legislative Decision Making: US Congress |
84-402 | Judicial Politics and Behavior |
84-405 | The Future of Warfare |
84-421 | Advanced Topics in American Politics |
84-440 | Collaborative Research in Political Science |
*Denotes courses taught in Washington, DC, through the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP).
Additional Electives | |
19-452 | EPP Projects II |
70-342 | Managing Across Cultures |
70-365 | International Trade and International Law |
70-430 | International Management |
73-332 | Political Economy |
76-318 | Communicating in the Global Marketplace |
79-203 | The Other Europe: The Habsburgs, Communism, & Central/Eastern Europe, 1740-1990 |
79-205 | 20th Century Europe |
79-223 | Mexico: From the Aztec Empire to the Drug War |
79-227 | Modern Africa: The Slave Trade to the End of Apartheid |
79-229 | The Origins of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, 1880-1948 |
79-230 | Arab-Israeli Conflict Since 1948 |
79-257 | Germany and the Second World War |
79-262 | Modern China: From the Birth of Mao ... to Now |
79-264 | Tibet and China: History and Propaganda |
79-265 | Russian History: Game of Thrones |
79-266 | Russian History and Revolutionary Socialism |
79-267 | The Soviet Union in World War II: Military, Political, and Social History |
79-275 | Introduction to Global Studies |
79-288 | Bananas, Baseball, and Borders: Latin America and the United States |
79-301 | History of Surveillance: From the Plantation to Data Capitalism |
79-302 | Killer Robots: The Ethics, Law, and Politics of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems |
79-313 | "Unwanted": Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Patterns of Global Migration |
79-314 | The Politics and Culture of Memory |
79-318 | Sustainable Social Change: History and Practice |
79-320 | Women, Politics, and Protest |
79-343 | Education, Democracy, and Civil Rights |
79-377 | Food, Culture, and Power: A History of Eating |
79-385 | Out of Africa: The Making of the African Diaspora |
80-135 | Introduction to Political Philosophy |
80-136 | Social Structure, Public Policy & Ethics |
80-249 | AI, Society, and Humanity |
80-335 | Social and Political Philosophy |
80-348 | Health, Human Rights, and International Development |
80-447 | Global Justice |
82-3xx or 4xx | Advanced Level Modern Language Class |
88-281 | Topics in Law: 1st Amendment |
88-284 | Topics of Law: The Bill of Rights |
88-411 | Rise of the Asian Economies |