International Relations (BA)

Interim Director: Richard Reitsma, PhD

Introduction

The International Relations program at Canisius University is a multidisciplinary program that includes courses in political science, history, modern languages, economics, religious studies, philosophy, and other academic disciplines. The goals of the program are to provide the International Relations major with a basic understanding of the issues, functions and theories of the international system and to cultivate skills in research, writing, critical thinking, analysis, and oral presentation that are necessary for success in a career in the fields of international affairs, law, education, and academia. Students majoring in International Relations must also satisfy a requirement for an International Educational Experience. Completion of the major program will lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations.

Qualifications

The International Relations major and minor are open to any student who has completed PSC 140 (Introduction to International Relations) with a minimum grade of C. A minimum overall average of 2.00 in all courses taken to complete the major or the minor, and a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, is required for program completion.

Advisement

All students should have an advisor in the major and should contact the department directly to have an advisor assigned if they do not already have one.  Meetings with academic advisors are required prior to students receiving their PIN for course registration each semester. All majors should work closely with their advisor in discussing career expectations, choosing their major electives, developing their entire academic program and planning their co-curricular or supplemental academic experiences.

Note:  Advisement is the responsibility of the Director of the International Relations Program, who may share this responsibility with other members of the International Relations Advisory Council. All International Relations majors and minors are expected to consult with their advisor in the program at least once each semester.

Double Majors

Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement.  In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean. 

Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major.  Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.

Double majors have been developed between the International Relations Program and the Departments of History; Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; and Political Science. It is also possible to pursue a double major with other academic programs such as Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Economics, and Sociology. For further information on double majors, contact the director of the International Relations Program. Students pursuing a dual major in International Relations and another major may double count as many courses as possible toward the satisfaction of International Relations major requirements.

Minors in Other Disciplines

Minors provide students the opportunity to pursue additional interests but generally do not require as many courses as a major.  Minors generally range from five to eight required courses. To receive a minor, the student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their other credentials (i.e., majors, other minors). The complete list of minors is available on the Canisius website and in the catalog and provides links to each minor. Some majors and minors can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in some cases additional coursework may be required. Students must complete the appropriate minor request form.

Curriculum

An Ignatian Foundation

All undergraduate students must complete either the Canisius Core Curriculum or the All-College Honors Curriculum. Many schools refer to their college-wide undergraduate requirements as "general education" requirements. We believe that the core curriculum and the honors curriculum are more than a series of required classes; they provide the basis for a Jesuit education both with content and with required knowledge and skills attributes that are central to our mission.

Free Electives

Students may graduate with a bachelor's degree with more but not less than 120 credit hours. Free electives are courses in addition to the Canisius Core Curriculum or All-College Honors Curriculum and major requirements sufficient to reach the minimum number of credits required for graduation. The number of credits required to complete a bachelor's degree may vary depending on the student's major(s) and minor(s).

Major Requirements

All International Relations majors must take a core of six courses in history and political science and five electives approved by the International Relations Program Advisory Council for major credit. In addition, all International Relations majors are required to complete a language course up through the 215 level (or higher). All International Relations majors must also satisfy an international experience requirement that includes but is not limited to study abroad in a foreign university or short-term program approved by the Director of the International Relations Program.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select one of the following three regional history course groupings:		6
HIS 107 & HIS 108	History of Modern Europe to 1815 and History of Modern Europe since 1815 1
HIS 209 & HIS 210	History of Asia to 1800 and History of Asia Since 1800
HIS 264 & HIS 265	Latin American History to 1830 and Latin American History Since 1830
PSC 140	International Relations	3
PSC 150	Comparative Government and Politics	3
PSC 245	American Foreign Policy	3
PSC 442	Seminar in International Relations	3
International Relations Electives (select 5 from the lists below)		15
Foreign Language Requirement (additional detail below) 2		3-9
International Educational Experience (study abroad or alternative approved by the Program Director)
Total Credits		36-42

¹

Students may substitute HIS 213 for HIS 108. If students use one of these courses to fulfill the general requirements for the major, the same course may not be used as a major elective course.

²

Students must complete at least one language course at Canisius University. Students are required to take courses up through the 215 level or higher and obtain a grade of C or better in each course. The number of courses required depends upon the student's background when they enter Canisius and should be decided in consultation with the Director of the International Relations Program.

Major Electives

Students must choose five courses from the Major Electives and/or Approved World Culture Electives. The below list is not exhaustive. There are a variety of HON, ENG, or other department courses offered in a given semester that could fulfill IR Electives or World Culture Electives.

International Relations Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
FIN 460	International Finance	3
HIS 213	Europe and the World in a Century of Conflict	3
HIS 226	History of Ireland	3
HIS 260	Canada and the World	3
HIS 263	Wars of Latin America	3
HIS 280	The Making of Modern Africa	3
HIS 309	World War I	3
HIS 300	Historical Geography	3
HIS 335	A United Kingdom? From Britons to Brexit	3
HIS 345	Russia and the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century	3
HIS 356	Modern China	3
HIS 365	U.S.-Latin American Relations since 1898	3
HIS 394	Modern Middle East	3
HON 247	Islam: Religion, History, and Culture	3
MGT 440	Global Supply Chain Management 1	3
MKT 478	Global Logistics 1	3
PSC 241	Human Rights and Globalization	3
PSC 242	International Organizations	3
PSC 245	American Foreign Policy	3
PSC 250	Politics in Latin America	3
PSC 360	Political Economy of the Developing World	3

¹

Please note, this course has prerequisites. Please check with the Program Director if considering this elective course.

World Culture Electives

International Relations Majors are encouraged to satisfy their Core Curriculum requirements in Fields 1, 2, and 3 by taking courses that provide a cultural dimension to the study of international relations. Under the current IR major curriculum students may take one or two of these courses as IR major electives. Courses offered by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures require prerequisites and are generally taught in the language of study.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
HIS 220	The History of Food	3
HIS 331	British Monarchy	3
HON 247	Islam: Religion, History, and Culture	3
HON 248	Asian Religions	3
PHI 271	Philosophy of Human Rights	3
RST 220	Religions of Asia	3
RST 224	Islam: Tradition and Revival	3
SPA 324	Topics in Conversation II Latin American Culture and Civilization	3
SPA 405	Spanish Literary Myths CARMEN femme fatale y el mito universal	3
SPA 420	Personal Narrative: Understanding Reality and the Self in Contemporary Spanish Narrative.	3
SPA 436	Detective Fiction: Murderous Seduction	3
SPA 453	Almodóvar and La Movida: The Films of Pedro Almodóvar	3
SPA 455	Spanish Short Fiction	3
SPA 456	Cuban Cinema of the Revolution	3
SPA 459	The Body Erotic/The Body Politic: Sexuality as Political Discourse in Latin America and Spain	3
SPA 460	Lorca and his Époque	3

Foreign Language Requirement

All International Relations majors are required to complete a language course up through the 215 level (or higher). Students must complete at least one language course at Canisius College and obtain a grade of C or better. In some cases, students may already have taken the equivalent of these courses in high school and therefore do not have to take them at Canisius but should continue their language preparation with a 300-level course in the language they have studied in high school. Students who study abroad in a country where the spoken language is a language other than English and take courses in that language as part of their study abroad experience may use this to satisfy the modern language requirement in the International Relations major.

International Educational Experience

All students majoring in International Relations must satisfy a requirement for International Education Experience. The most popular, but by no means the only way in which this requirement is satisfied, is by studying abroad. The International Relations Program strongly encourages its majors to fulfill the international experience requirement by spending at least one semester abroad studying at a foreign university. The Director of the International Relations Program works closely with the Director of Study Abroad at Canisius University to set up and monitor study abroad programs for Canisius students at a wide range of universities throughout the world. A complete list of sites with current articulations is available at the Study Abroad website. Students may also study at an accredited university abroad other than those with articulations. Students doing this have recently studied at universities in Egypt, Jordan, Poland, and Senegal. Students who spend a semester abroad at a foreign university may count up to three courses as International Relations major electives as long as these courses have been pre-approved by the director of the International Relations Program. Students who spend a year studying at a foreign university may be able to count more than three courses as International Relations major electives, but this will require special permission from the director of the International Relations Program. As a general rule, students must complete the International Relations Core of nine courses at Canisius University. Exceptions to this rule may be approved by the International Relations Program Advisory Council.

Under some circumstances a short-term study abroad experience may be desirable. Any such experience of shorter term must be approved by the Director of the International Relations Program. Recent examples of opportunities available include programs in France, Puerto Rico, and Spain, among others. Majors interested in these experiences should inquire with the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (or other sponsoring programs) for more information; also check options with Campus Ministry (contact: Spencer Liechty) and short term department programs through Spanish (including Puebla, Mexico, Cuba, Camino de Santiago in Spain, and Roman/Arab Spain). Students also may inquire with the Study Abroad Office for summer programs at The Catholic University of Lille, France; IÉSEG, Paris, France; the Berlin School of Economics and Law, the Catholic University of Eichstaett, and the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany; the National University of Ireland, Galway; Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence and Rome, Italy; the Universidad de Oviedo and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Spain; and the Sacred Heart University in Puerto Rico.

All International Relations majors and minors planning international educational experiences, whether short-term or traditional Study Abroad, must consult in advance with the Study Abroad office, the Director of the International Relations Program, the Chair or Director of all relevant academic programs, and the student’s Associate/Assistant Dean to discuss whether courses completed abroad may satisfy academic requirements at Canisius University. Language credit may be awarded but this requires prior approval from the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

Roadmap

Recommended Semester Schedule for Major Course Requirements

Freshman
Fall	Spring
PSC 140	Select one of the following:
Select one of the following:	HIS 108
HIS 107	HIS 210
HIS 209	HIS 265
HIS 264	Modern Language at appropriate level
PSC 150
Sophomore
Fall	Spring
PSC 245	IR Major Elective
Modern Language at appropriate level	IR Major Elective
	Modern Language at 215 level
Junior
Fall	Spring
IR Major Elective	Study abroad in location where language of study is commonly spoken
IR Major Elective
Senior
	Spring
	IR Major Elective
	PSC 442

Learning Goals and Objectives

Student Learning Goal 1

International Relations Majors will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the components and dynamics of the international system.

Students will:

Student Learning Goal 2

International Relations majors will develop competence in the skills that are appropriate to the discipline and that are necessary for success.

Students will:

Minor

A minor in International Relations consists of nine courses, of which two may be used to satisfy requirements in Fields 4 and 5 of the Canisius University core curriculum.

International Relations Minor Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select one of the following three regional history course groupings:		6
HIS 107 & HIS 108	History of Modern Europe to 1815 and History of Modern Europe since 1815 1
HIS 209 & HIS 210	History of Asia to 1800 and History of Asia Since 1800
HIS 264 & HIS 265	Latin American History to 1830 and Latin American History Since 1830
PSC 140	International Relations	3
PSC 150	Comparative Government and Politics	3
Foreign Language Requirement 2		3
International Relations Electives - select 1 from the list on the curriculum tab		3
Total Credits		18

¹

Students may substitute HIS 213 or HIS 230 for HIS 108. If students use one of these courses to fulfill the general requirements for the minor, the same course may not be used as an elective course.

²

All international Relations minors are required to complete a language up through  the 104 level (or higher) with a C or higher 

Minors are an important part of the undergraduate curriculum.  If students declare a minor by sophomore year, they can usually complete it in a timely manner.  Students should work with their advisor to determine if it is possible that the minor can be completed by graduation.  

To receive a minor, a student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their major(s) and from other minors, and students must complete more than 50% of the coursework required for the minor at Canisius. Please note that “ancillary/supporting” courses required for a major may still count as distinct courses as long as the remaining coursework still meets the 30 credit-hours required for a major. For more information about minor policies, please see the Declaring Majors and Minors page in the catalog.