BA International Relations

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Programme overview

International relations (IR) is a field of political science that studies relationships among countries, the roles of sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations, international non-governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, and multinational corporations.

The study of international relations draws from the interdisciplinary fields of technology and engineering, economics, history, and international law, philosophy, geography, social work, sociology, anthropology, criminology, psychology, cultural studies, and diplomacy. The scope of international relations comprehends globalisation, diplomatic relations, state sovereignty, international security, ecological sustainability, nuclear proliferation, nationalism, economic development, global finance, as well as terrorism and organised crime, human security, foreign interventionism, and human rights.

The following core disciplines are the main focus of study of this programme:

Global governance and strategy
Regional expertise and ICT skills
Foreign policy and policy making
Government relations, lobbying and International Leadership
Security and crisis response
Intercultural management
Political Risk Analysis and global assessment
Communication and Negotiation
Diplomacy and Public Relations
Foreign languages proficiency
Business and environment in International Relations
International and Multilateral Project Management

What you’ll study

Throughout your studies you will develop skills in the following areas:

»Global

Gain insight into how world politics functionand the relationships among countries, the roles of states, intergovernmentalorganisations, non-governmental organisations and multinational corporations. Learn how to define and develop successful international strategies in order to achieve and exercise positions of governance and influence.

»Foreign

Learn how to effectively formulate, implement and monitor foreign policies and other public policies at an international level, to ensure the accomplishment of the expected goals and successful execution of global strategies for local, regional, national or international organisations.

»Intercultural

Develop a clear understanding of how gender, ethnicity, religion, and culture impactsocial relations, and how to manage this cultural diversity in order to achieve mutual understanding among people in culturally complex situations.

»Diplomacy«

Learn how to build, maintain and promote diplomatic relations. Learn how to represent a country’s interests in international issues in both political and economic domains and understand the importance of international branding and the reputation of individuals, governments, and organisations, issues and events.

»Government

Understand the global processes of institutional and social influence in which certain peopleand institutions lead current international politics and economy.Governments achieve this goal by influencing industries, interest groups or constituencies, whereas companies and NGOs lobby to influence policy, legislation, regulations or negotiations.

»Business

Study the dimensions of business and environment in world politics. Be trained to solve problems, devise strategies and improvements in a wide range of international organizations, conduct research, analyse data, and prepare reports and present findings in-company or as an external consultant.

»Security

Know how to deal with international security and defence, design andimplement different measures for governments or multilaterals to take in order to cope with both political and military conflicts as well as environmental disasters and social hazards.

»Political

Discover the processes involved in analysing specific situations such as government instability, nationalisation, expropriation, crime levels, land rights or intellectual property rights that can determine the risks to those making investment decisions abroad.

»Communication

Develop communication skills andlearn about the negotiation processneededto reachamutually beneficial outcome, toresolve points of differenceand to gain advantage inbusinesses, non-profit organizations, government branches, legal proceedings, among nations and in personal situations.

»Foreign

Elective courses are offered to help you achieve a good command of languages, which is critical for a career in International Relations.

»ICT

Learn how digital technology is emerging as the main trigger for social, economic and political change, affecting world politics and relations.

»International

Learn how to plan, organize and control resources and processes in order to achieve specific goals in international projects that could involve different governments, multilaterals, multinationals, think tanks, NGOs, etc. A good command of information technologies and social networks is required.

Career opportunities

With a BA in International Relations, you will immediately increase your employability, allowing you to secure a bright and prosperous future.

Career opportunities available to International Relations graduates include:

Diplomat – represents a country’s interests in international issues, in both the political and economic domains, at home or abroad.

Risk Analyst – identifies and analyses the areas of potential risk threatening the assets, earning capacity or success of organisations in the industrial, commercial or public sector.

Administrator and the Civil Service - assists in the formulation of policies and procedures within government departments and agencies and coordinates their implementation.

Journalist – gathers, reports and comments on the news.

Banker, Investment/Corporate Finance – advises corporate and government clients on the raising of capital, changes of financial structure, mergers and takeovers, developing tactics and publicity.

Marketing Manager – manages the marketing of a product from research and development through launch and then maintaining the market share, including promotion and advertising.

After completing their BA programme, students have the option of continuing their education and specialize in a subject of their choice with one of the MA programmes offered at MIUC.