International Relations and Political Science, Minor
The Minor in International Relations and Political Science
Audrey Kurth Cronin, Director, and Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
acronin@andrew.cmu.edu, Posner Hall 385A
Emily Half, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs
ehalf@andrew.cmu.edu, Posner Hall 391
Overview
Sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST), the International Relations and Political Science (IRPS) minor is for students who want to learn how to think systematically and develop foundational knowledge about international and domestic politics. It examines international relations, comparative politics, and domestic politics from the discipline of political science. The minor emphasizes the importance of political institutions, decision making by leaders in shaping policy, and contemporary challenges to the international system.
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. Core courses for the IRPS minor 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 of national and international policy, and prevailing challenges to the international system, among other topics. 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.
Curriculum
A maximum of two courses may double count between the minor in International Relations and Political Science and another major or minor. Unlimited double counting is permitted with general education requirements.
Minor in International Relations and Political Science63 units
Core Courses36 units
Students must take all of the following courses:
| Units | ||
| 84-101 | Introduction to Political Science | 9 |
| 84-110 | The Economics of Politics and Technology | 9 |
| or 73-102 | Principles of Microeconomics | |
| or 73-103 | Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| or 73-104 | Principles of Microeconomics Accelerated | |
In addition, students must take two of the following three courses. If all three of the above courses are taken, the third may count as an elective.
| 84-104 | Decision Processes in American Political Institutions | 9 |
| 84-226 | International Relations | 9 |
| 84-275 | Comparative Politics | 9 |
Electives27 units
Students select three courses (27 units) from any of the elective sequences below. Two courses (18 units) must be taken from the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology and have an 84-number.
| CMIST Electives | ||
| 84-120 | Introduction to US Constitutional Law | 9 |
| 84-200 | Security War Game Simulation | 3 |
| 84-252 | Briefing in the Policy World | 6 |
| 84-274 | An Introduction to Technology and War | 9 |
| 84-280 | Popcorn and Politics: American Foreign Policy at the Movies | 12 |
| 84-285 | Introduction to Legal Education and the Legal Profession | 9 |
| 84-301 | Policy & Persuasion | 6 |
| 84-303 | International Human Rights | 6 |
| 84-304 | Analysis of Current US National Security Priorities | 6 |
| 84-306 | Latin American Politics | 9 |
| 84-309 | American Political Divides and Great Debates | 9 |
| 84-310 | Policy in a Global Economy 1: International Trade and Trade Policy | 6 |
| 84-311 | Policy in a Global Economy 2: International Macroeconomics and Finance | 6 |
| 84-312 | Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa | 6 |
| 84-314 | Politics, Technological Change, and Economic Growth | 9 |
| 84-315 | Rise of the Asian Economies | 9 |
| 84-319 | Civil-Military Relations | 9 |
| 84-322 | Nonviolent Conflict and Revolution | 9 |
| 84-323 | War and Peace in the Contemporary Middle East | 9 |
| 84-324 | The Future of Democracy | 9 |
| 84-325 | Contemporary American Foreign Policy | 9 |
| 84-327 | Who Really Runs America?: Subnational Governance and Policymaking | 9 |
| 84-328 | Military Strategy and Doctrine | 9 |
| 84-329 | Asian Strategies | 6 |
| 84-330 | Race for the Future: US-China Tech Competition | 6 |
| 84-331 | Technology, Law, and Democracy | 6 |
| 84-333 | Law of US Democracy | 9 |
| 84-341 | Transnational Criminal Networks & International Security | 6 |
| 84-343 | Offensive Cyber: Law & Policy | 6 |
| 84-345 | Hackers, the Law, & Policy Responses | 6 |
| 84-347 | Congress & National Security | 9 |
| 84-349 | Digital Diplomacy: Cybersecurity Challenges and Global Governance | 9 |
| 84-350 | A Strategist's Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | 9 |
| 84-352 | Representation and Voting Rights | 9 |
| 84-353 | US-China Strategic Stability | 6 |
| 84-355 | Democracy's Data: Analytics and Insights into American Elections | 9 |
| 84-356 | Applied Political Data Analytics | 9 |
| 84-358 | Money, Connections, and Power: Interests and Influence in the US | 9 |
| 84-362 | Diplomacy and Statecraft | 9 |
| 84-363 | Click. Hack. Rule: Understanding the Power & Peril of Cyber Conflict | 9 |
| 84-365 | The Politics of Fake News and Misinformation | 9 |
| 84-366 | The 21st-Century Presidency: Expanding Powers, New Challenges | 9 |
| 84-367 | The Politics of Antisemitism | 9 |
| 84-368 | Technology Ethics | 9 |
| 84-369 | Decision Science for International Relations | 9 |
| 84-370 | Nuclear Security & Arms Control | 9 |
| 84-371 | International Governance of Artificial Intelligence | 9 |
| 84-373 | International Law | 9 |
| 84-375 | Geopolitics of Innovation | 9 |
| 84-380 | US Grand Strategy | 9 |
| 84-383 | National Cyber Policy & Strategy | 6 |
| 84-386 | The Privatization of Force | 9 |
| 84-387 | Remote Systems and the Cyber Domain in Conflict | 9 |
| 84-389 | Terrorism and Insurgency | 9 |
| 84-393 | The US Congress: Legislative Progress or Paralysis? | 9 |
| 84-402 | Judicial Politics and Behavior | 9 |
| 84-405 | The Future of Warfare | 9 |
| Additional Electives | ||
| 19-452 | EPP Projects II | 12 |
| 70-342 | Managing Across Cultures | 9 |
| 70-365 | International Trade and International Law | 9 |
| 70-430 | International Management | 9 |
| 73-332 | Political Economy | 9 |
| 76-318 | Communicating in the Global Marketplace | 9 |
| 79-203 | The Other Europe: The Habsburgs, Communism, & Central/Eastern Europe, 1740-1990 | 9 |
| 79-205 | 20th Century Europe | 9 |
| 79-223 | Mexico: From the Aztec Empire to the Drug War | 9 |
| 79-227 | Modern Africa: The Slave Trade to the End of Apartheid | 9 |
| 79-229 | The Origins of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, 1880-1948 | 9 |
| 79-230 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict and Peace Process Through 1948 to Present | 9 |
| 79-257 | Germany and the Second World War | 9 |
| 79-262 | Modern China: From the Birth of Mao ... to Now | 9 |
| 79-264 | Tibet and China: History and Propaganda | 9 |
| 79-265 | Russian History: Game of Thrones | 9 |
| 79-266 | Russian History and Revolutionary Socialism | 9 |
| 79-267 | The Soviet Union in World War II: Military, Political, and Social History | 9 |
| 79-275 | Introduction to Global Studies | 9 |
| 79-288 | Bananas, Baseball, and Borders: Latin America and the United States | 9 |
| 79-302 | Killer Robots? The Ethics, Law, and Politics of Drones and A.I. in War | 9 |
| 79-313 | "Unwanted": Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Patterns of Global Migration | 6 |
| 79-314 | How Do We Remember? The Politics and Cultures of Memory | 9 |
| 79-318 | Sustainable Social Change: History and Practice | 9 |
| 79-320 | Women, Politics, and Protest | 9 |
| 79-343 | Education, Democracy, and the Arts | 9 |
| 79-377 | Food, Culture, and Power: A History of Eating | 9 |
| 79-385 | Out of Africa: The Making of the African Diaspora | 9 |
| 80-135 | Introduction to Political Philosophy | 9 |
| 80-136 | Social Structure, Public Policy & Ethics | 9 |
| 80-249 | AI, Society, and Humanity | 9 |
| 80-335 | Social and Political Philosophy | 9 |
| 80-348 | Health, Human Rights, and International Development | 9 |
| 80-447 | Seminar in Global Justice | 9 |
| 82-3xx | or 82-4xx: Advanced Level Modern Languages Class | |
| 88-234 | Negotiation: International Focus | 9 |
| 88-281 | Topics in Law: 1st Amendment | 9 |
| 88-284 | Topics of Law: The Bill of Rights | 9 |
| 88-411 | Rise of the Asian Economies | 9 |