Program Description
The Einaudi Center offers an International Relations Minor, which is an interdisciplinary program open to undergraduates enrolled in any of the seven Cornell undergraduate colleges. It provides a structured yet flexible program for undergraduates to take advantage of the vast resources available at the university for studying the politics, economics, history, languages, and cultures of the countries and regions of the world.
Graduates of the program have gone on to pursue further education in fields such as political science and anthropology and to successful careers in international law, economics, agriculture, trade, finance, and government service. They have worked in international and nongovernmental organizations, in cross-cultural affairs, in journalism, and in education.
The IR Minor is not a major or a department, but rather a program offering a selection of courses reaching across colleges and departments. Students pursue the Minor in addition to their regular degree. Students have majored in such fields as anthropology, city and regional planning, communications, government, history, natural resources, industrial and labor relations, and computer science. International course work and language study add a global and cross-cultural dimension to those majors. Some students even design an independent major in some aspect of international relations or comparative social or cultural studies. Spending a semester or year of study abroad can contribute to meeting the course requirements of the IR Minor, including the language requirement.
Study Abroad
IRM students are strongly encouraged to study abroad to bring a practical dimension to their expertise in international issues. Those who choose this option will find the requirements for the Minor highly compatible with courses taken abroad. To learn more about programs available for study abroad, consult the Office of Global Learning, and contact the Administrative Coordinator of the IR Minor to discuss how your study abroad program can help fulfill the Minor requirements.
Enrollment
Students may enroll in the International Relations Minor at any point but are encouraged to do so early in order to be put on the email list for announcements of news and activities of the program. There is no penalty for withdrawing from or not completing the Minor. To enroll, please contact the Administrative Coordinator.
Completion
Transcripts reflect successful completion of the requirements for the Minor. In addition, students receive a certificate and a letter of confirmation signed by the Director of the International Relations Minor and the Director of the Mario Einaudi Center. Students completing the regional expertise track will receive a special certificate indicating their area of regional specialization.
Minor Requirements
These requirements are designed to expose students to a broad range of perspectives in international relations while allowing them to tailor their course selections to specific interests. Courses throughout the university are grouped into four subject areas:
- International Economics and Development
- World Politics and Foreign Policy
- International Policy
- Regional Specialization
Courses within these four subject areas are designated as "core" or "elective." Please note that the core courses in the International Economics group have an introductory economics course as a prerequisite. Students choose to pursue one of two tracks within the minor.
Option A provides a baseline level of knowledge in the core areas of the minor, and requires six courses. The baseline track does not have a language requirement.
- One core course from each of the four groups
- Two electives from any of the groups
Option B places greater emphasis on regional expertise, and includes a language requirement.
- One core course from each of the four groups
- Two additional electives, one of which must be from the regional specialization group
- Fulfillment of the language requirement
All courses used to fulfill the Minor requirements, including language courses, must be taken for a letter grade.
Before pre-enrollment each semester, a course list for the following semester (as well as lists for the current and previous semesters) can be obtained from the IR administrative coordinator, as well as from the IR website. Note: These lists of elective courses are illustrative, not complete. Other courses throughout the university qualify for the IR minor. Please contact the IR administrative coordinator for details.
Language Requirement
IRM students pursuing Option B, the regional expertise track, are expected to complete additional language study beyond the College of Arts and Sciences degree requirement of "proficiency." For most languages, proficiency is attained by completing a course at the 2000 level, by which point the basic grammar and structure of the language will have been covered.
The requirement can be fulfilled in one of two ways:
- Demonstrated facility in one foreign language (proficiency plus one course that uses the language to explore some aspect of a foreign culture, such as literature or film), or
- Demonstrated proficiency in two foreign languages
One of these languages should be commonly used in the student's area of regional specialization. All language courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Course List
Core course options (one from each group) and selected possible electives are listed below. Please note that the electives list is intended to be representative but not exhaustive. Other elective courses are commonly taken; options should be discussed with the administrative coordinator. Please note that some courses, especially in Group 1, have prerequisites and others have limited enrollment. Most courses are offered one semester only. Offerings may change, so see the administrative coordinator, Class Roster, and IR website for updates and further details.
Group 1: International Economics and Development
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
AEM 2300 | International Trade and Finance (crosslisted) | 3 |
AEM 4300 | International Trade Policy | 3 |
ECON 3545 | Money and Finance in the Digital Age (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 4510 | | |
AEM 2000 | Contemporary Controversies in the Global Economy | 3 |
AEM 2300 | International Trade and Finance | 3 |
AEM 2350 | Introduction To The Economics Of Development | 3 |
AEM 2500 | Environmental and Resource Economics (crosslisted) | 3 |
AEM 2805 | Strategic Responses to Poverty and Hunger in Developing Countries | 3 |
AEM 2816 | Climate-Smart Agribusiness | 3 |
AEM 4420 | Emerging Markets | 3 |
AEM 4450 | Toward a Sustainable Global Food System: Food Policy for Developing Countries (crosslisted) | 3 |
AEM 4545 | Money and Finance in the Digital Age (crosslisted) | 3 |
AEM 4880 | Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus – Engage the US, China, and India for Sustainable Future (crosslisted) | 3-4 |
ASIAN 3304 | China's Next Economy (crosslisted) | 4 |
CRP 3854 | Special Topics in Regional Development and Globalization (crosslisted) | 4 |
ECON 3550 | Economics of Developing Countries (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 3545 | Money and Finance in the Digital Age (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 3910 | Health, Poverty, and Inequality: A Global Perspective (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 3010 | Theories of Society and Development | 3 |
GOVT 3304 | | |
ILRGL 2350 | Work, Labor, and Capital in the Global Economy | 3 |
ILRGL 3385 | The US-China Relationship: A Labor Perspective (crosslisted) | 3 |
ILRGL 4337 | Labor and Employment in the Middle East and North Africa (crosslisted) | 3 |
ILRGL 4340 | | 1-4 |
ILRIC 2350 | | |
ILRIC 4340 | | |
NES 4337 | Labor and Employment in the Middle East and North Africa | 3 |
PUBPOL 2810 | | |
PUBPOL 3780 | Sick Around the World? Comparing Health Care Systems Around the World | 3 |
Group 2: World Politics and Foreign Policy
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
GOVT 1817 | Making Sense of World Politics | 4 |
ASIAN 4448 | China, Tibet and Xinjiang (crosslisted) | 4 |
ASRC 3330 | China-Africa Relations (crosslisted) | 3 |
CAPS 4870 | China and Asian Security | 4 |
GOVT 2274 | Global Studies Gateway | 3 |
GOVT 2283 | | 4 |
GOVT 2817 | America Confronts the World (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 2847 | Political History of Modern Afghanistan | 3 |
GOVT 3384 | The Asian Century: The Rise of China and India (crosslisted) | 3 |
GOVT 3437 | Politics of the European Union | 4 |
GOVT 3687 | The US and the Middle East | 4 |
GOVT 3837 | | |
GOVT 3857 | American Foreign Policy | 3 |
GOVT 3947 | Race and World Politics | 3 |
GOVT 4264 | (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 4365 | | 4 |
GDEV 4721 | Peace Building in Conflict Regions: Case Studies Sub-Saharan Africa Israel Palestinian Territories | 4 |
HIST 2315 | The Occupation of Japan (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 1650 | Myths of Monarchy in Europe, Medieval Times to the Present | 4 |
HIST 1740 | Imperial China (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 2541 | Modern Caribbean History | 4 |
HIST 2969 | The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire | 4 |
HIST 3312 | | |
SOC 3680 | | |
Group 3: International Policy
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
AEM 2000 | Contemporary Controversies in the Global Economy | 3 |
GDEV 1102 | Introduction to Global Development | 3 |
GDEV 2010 | Population and Social Change (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 3150 | Climate Change and Global Development: Living in the Anthropocene | 3 |
GDEV 3311 | Environmental Governance (crosslisted) | 3 |
AEM 1500 | An Introduction to the Economics of Environmental and Natural Resources (crosslisted) | 3 |
CEE 1130 | Sustainable Engineering of Energy, Water, Soil, and Air Resources (crosslisted) | 3 |
COML 3336 | Border Environments (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 3670 | Behavioral Economics and Public Policy (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 3850 | Economics and Environmental Policy (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 3860 | Resource Economics (crosslisted) | 3 |
ECON 3875 | | |
ECON 3910 | Health, Poverty, and Inequality: A Global Perspective (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 2030 | | |
GDEV 2201 | Society and Natural Resources (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 3020 | Political Ecologies of Health | 3 |
GDEV 3311 | Environmental Governance (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 3240 | Environmental Sociology (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 4020 | | |
GDEV 4140 | Global Cropping Systems and Sustainable Development (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 4443 | Global Climate Change Science and Policy (crosslisted) | 3 |
GDEV 4750 | | |
GDEV 4940 | Special Topics in Global Development (crosslisted) | 1-3 |
GOVT 2152 | (Im)migration and (Im)migrants: Then and Now (crosslisted) | 3 |
GOVT 2897 | WIM: Human Rights at War | 4 |
GOVT 3087 | International Human Rights Law and Advocacy | 3 |
GOVT 3494 | Special Topics in Regional Development and Globalization (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 3987 | | |
GOVT 4293 | | 4 |
GOVT 4451 | Making Science Policy: The Real World | 4 |
HIST 4851 | Refugees (crosslisted) | 4 |
ILRGL 2350 | Work, Labor, and Capital in the Global Economy | 3 |
ILRIC 2650 | | |
ILRIC 4344 | | |
ILRGL 4360 | Global Comparative Disability Policy | 3 |
ILRIC 4372 | | |
PUBPOL 3615 | Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives | 3 |
PUBPOL 3670 | Economics and Environmental Policy | 3 |
PUBPOL 3780 | Sick Around the World? Comparing Health Care Systems Around the World | 3 |
Group 4: Regional Specialization
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| |
HIST 1590 | History and Popular Culture in Africa | 3 |
GOVT 3353 | African Politics | 4 |
ASIAN 2208 | Introduction to Southeast Asia | 3 |
ASIAN 2211 | Introduction to Japan | 3 |
ASIAN 2212 | | 3 |
ASIAN 2218 | Introduction to Korea | 3 |
ASIAN 2222 | From Samurai to Superpower: Japan in World History II | 4 |
ASIAN 2275 | History of Modern India | 4 |
CAPS 2230 | Introduction to China: Outsiders in History | 3 |
GOVT 2553 | Inside Europe | 4 |
HIST 1511 | The Making of Modern Europe, from 1500 to the Present | 4 |
HIST 1960 | Modern Latin America | 4 |
GOVT 3293 | Comparative Politics of Latin America | 4 |
HIST 2674 | History of the Modern Middle East | 3 |
GOVT 3313 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| |
ASRC 2003 | Africa: The Continent and Its People | 3 |
ASRC 2025 | | |
ASRC 2354 | African American Visions of Africa (crosslisted) | 4 |
ASRC 2515 | Freedom Struggles in Southern Africa | 3 |
ASRC 2542 | The Making of Contemporary Africa (crosslisted) | 4 |
ASRC 2556 | The Global Congo: Diplomacy, Extraction, and Resistance | 3 |
ASRC 3330 | China-Africa Relations (crosslisted) | 3 |
ASRC 3652 | | |
ASRC 4681 | Post-Conflict Justice and Resolution in Africa | 3 |
CRP 3850 | Special Topics in Planning | 1-4 |
NS 4630 | Global Health, Development, and Policy Issues in Tanzania | 4 |
GOVT 3333 | China-Africa Relations (crosslisted) | 3 |
ANTHR 4516 | Power, Society, and Culture in Southeast Asia | 4 |
ARTH 3850 | The Arts of Southeast Asia (crosslisted) | 3 |
ARTH 4816 | Modern Chinese Art (crosslisted) | 3 |
ASIAN 2232 | Introduction to China: Getting Rich in Modern China | 3 |
ASIAN 3309 | Temple in the World: Buddhism in Contemporary South and Southeast Asia (crosslisted) | 3 |
ASIAN 3311 | (crosslisted) | 4 |
ASIAN 3368 | Imagining India, Home and Diaspora (crosslisted) | 4 |
ASIAN 3380 | The Asian Century: The Rise of China and India (crosslisted) | 3 |
ASIAN 3395 | What is China? | 3 |
ASIAN 3396 | Transnational Local: Southeast Asian History from the Eighteenth Century (crosslisted) | 4 |
ASIAN 4454 | The Rise of China and Change in World Politics | 4 |
ASIAN 4494 | Topics in Southeast Asian Studies | 2-4 |
CAPS 4502 | Becoming a China Hand | 4 |
CRP 3850 | Special Topics in Planning | 1-4 |
ENGL 3530 | Imagining India, Home and Diaspora (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 2847 | Political History of Modern Afghanistan | 3 |
GOVT 3007 | China in Transition | 4 |
GOVT 3017 | Chinese Perspectives on International and Global Affairs | 4 |
GOVT 3044 | China's Next Economy (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 3443 | Southeast Asian Politics (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 4037 | Making Sense of China: The Capstone Seminar (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 1740 | Imperial China (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 2315 | The Occupation of Japan (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 2548 | Buddhists in Indian Ocean World: Past and Present | 3 |
RELST 2250 | Introduction to Asian Religions (crosslisted) | 3 |
ARTH 4720 | Curating the British Empire (crosslisted) | 3 |
GOVT 2553 | Inside Europe | 4 |
GOVT 3437 | Politics of the European Union | 4 |
HIST 2158 | St. Petersburg and the Making of Modern Russia (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 2165 | The Death of Democracy: Europe Between the World Wars | 4 |
HIST 2760 | The British Empire | 4 |
HIST 2958 | Empires and Vampires: History of Eastern Europe (crosslisted) | 4 |
ANTHR 3255 | Ancient Mexico and Central America (crosslisted) | 3 |
ARTH 3566 | Art and Architecture of the Pre-Columbian Americas (crosslisted) | 4 |
GOVT 4264 | (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 2541 | Modern Caribbean History (crosslisted) | 4 |
HIST 3801 | War and Revolution in 20th Century Latino History | 3 |
LATA 2200 | Perspectives on Latin America (crosslisted) | 3 |
LATA 2715 | A Global South: Chile, the Pacific and the World | 4-5 |
LATA 2800 | Perspectives on Brazil | 3 |
LATA 4000 | Contemporary Issues in Latin - Latino America (crosslisted) | 1 |
GOVT 2673 | The History and Politics of Modern Egypt | 3 |
GOVT 3687 | The US and the Middle East | 4 |
HIST 3519 | History of State and Society in Modern Iran: Through Literature and Film | 3 |
NES 2655 | | |
NES 2722 | Of Saints, Poets, and Revolutionaries: Medieval and Modern Iran and Central Asia | 3 |
NES 3542 | The Ottoman Empire 1800-1922 (crosslisted) | 4 |
NES 3805 | Israeli Politics (crosslisted) | 3 |
NES 4337 | Labor and Employment in the Middle East and North Africa (crosslisted) | 3 |
University Graduation Requirements
Requirements for All Students
In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.
Academic Requirements
A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.
Non-academic Requirements
Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.
Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.
Additional Requirements for Undergraduate Students
The University has two requirements for graduation that must be fulfilled by all undergraduate students: the swim requirement, and completion of two physical education courses. For additional information about fulfilling University Graduation Requirements, see the Physical Education website.
Physical Education
All incoming undergraduate students are required to take two credits (two courses) of Physical Education prior to graduation. It is recommended they complete the two courses during their first year at Cornell. Credit in Physical Education may be earned by participating in courses offered by the Department of Athletics and Physical Education and Cornell Outdoor Education, by being a registered participant on a varsity athletic team, or performing in the marching band.
Students with medical concerns should contact the Office of Student Disability Services.
Swim Requirement
The Faculty Advisory Committee on Athletics and Physical Education has established a basic swimming and water safety competency requirement for all undergraduate students. Normally, the requirement is taken during the Fall Orientation process at Helen Newman Hall or Teagle Hall pools. The requirement consists of the following: jump or step feet-first into the deep end of the pool, float or tread for one minute, turn around in a full circle, swim 25 yards using any stroke(s) of choice without touching the bottom or holding on to the sides (there is no time limit) and exit from the water. Students who do not complete the swim requirement during their first year, during a PE swim class or during orientation subsequent years, will have to pay a $100 fee. Any student who cannot meet this requirement must register for PE 1100 Beginning Swimming as their physical education course before electives can be chosen.
If a student does not pass the swim requirement in their first Beginning Swimming PE class, then the student must take a second Beginning Swimming PE class (PE 1100 or PE 1101). Successful completion of two Beginning Swimming classes (based on attendance requirements) with the instructor's recommendation will fulfill the University's swim requirement.
Students unable to meet the swim requirement because of medical reasons should contact the Office of Student Disability Services. When a waiver is granted by the Faculty Committee on Physical Education, an alternate requirement is imposed. The alternate requirement substitute is set by the Director of Physical Education.