International Relations

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Website

http://cir.uchicago.edu

The special strength of the Committee on International Relations (CIR), the first graduate program of its kind in the nation, lies in its interdisciplinary approach to a wide range of questions relating to international issues. The Committee's faculty includes members of the various departments in the Division of the Social Sciences, as well as the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, the Divinity School, and the Law School. Their expertise extends over a broad range of subjects: international relations theory, security studies, international political economy, international history, history and conduct of U.S. foreign policy, human rights, international law and organization, international development, and regional international relations.

Joint BA/MA Program

Qualified students in the College who wish to pursue a joint MA degree in international relations should consult with the College adviser (Ron Gorny), the BA/MA adviser, and with a CIR preceptor early in their third year. They are expected to have a GPA of 3.55 or higher, and at that time they are also expected to have met most of their general education requirements and to have chosen their major. By the end of their third year, the Committee recommends that those students complete at least three courses that could qualify as CIR requirements.

Application

Interested students should submit their formal application to the program by the January 7 deadline for regular graduate admissions. Applications should be submitted to the Dean of Students of the Division of the Social Sciences (F 105).  Applications should be submitted on-line to:  https://apply-ssd.uchicago.edu/apply /.

Based on the available course list, applicants to the CIR BA/MA program must also submit a Proposed Curriculum document that identifies (1) the courses taken for their BA degree that they wish to double count toward their MA degree (maximum of three) and (2) the graduate-level courses they intend to take during their year in the program. CIR preceptors are available for consultation and guidance on a student's preparation of the document. NOTE: A student admitted to the CIR BA/MA program must submit changes to the CIR Program Chair.

Space in the CIR BA/MA program is limited, and admission is very competitive. The application is evaluated by the CIR Admissions Committee on the basis of the student's academic record, letters of recommendation, GRE scores if available, a ten- to twenty-page term or research paper, and a personal statement of intellectual and academic goals. Admission to the MA program is also subject to approval by the College. BA/MA students enter joint residence status for the three quarters preceding the anticipated quarter of graduation, during which time they are charged tuition at graduate rates.

Program Requirements

Students selected to participate in the joint degree program must meet all the normal BA requirements for their particular field of study, as well as all the general education requirements. In addition, joint degree students in international relations must meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of nine graduate-level courses for quality grades, including seven CIR-approved courses. Students may petition the CIR to count toward their MA degree up to three appropriate courses taken for their BA degree. NOTE: The total number of CIR-approved credits required for the joint degree is forty-eight, assuming that three courses may be double counted toward both degrees.

2. Fulfillment of the CIR distribution requirement. This is designed to ensure that, within the nine required courses for the MA degree, students achieve sufficient depth and breadth in the study of international relations. Currently, each student must pass three courses each in two of four fields of international relations:

a. Security, International History, and International Relations Theory

b. International Political Economy and Development

c. Regional Studies and Nationalism

d. Human Rights, Environment, and Law

3. A passing grade in the Committee's noncredit Perspectives on International Relations course in Autumn Quarter.

4. A passing grade in the Committee's MA paper workshop in Winter and Spring Quarters.

5. Completion of an MA paper that is approved by a faculty adviser and a preceptor.

6. Completion of both BA and MA degrees within a quarter of each other.

Details are available in the Committee office (P 307).