Studying international relations is one of the best ways to understand how political, economic and cultural factors impact global decisions. It provides students with the skills to analyse and solve complex problems – whether that’s navigating international conflict, developing trade agreements or addressing issues like global climate change.
The field of international relations (IR) is a broad multidiscipline that encompasses many different areas of politics, including comparative politics, political methodology, and political theory. It also draws from other disciplines, such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, and sociology. It is also home to several schools of thought, including realism, liberalism, and constructivism.
Choosing a graduate program in international relations allows you to further explore and deepen your understanding of how global systems work. Some international relations graduates choose to apply their skills in the private sector, advising multinational companies on global policy or managing cross-border partnerships. Others support international institutions and organisations, working to address issues like international security or global governance.
Other students decide to become diplomats, aiming to resolve international conflict and promote peace. Still, the options for an international relations graduate are endless: You could be analysing trends as a policy advisor, managing corporate risk as a political risk analyst, or researching security and safety concerns at home or abroad as part of a government intelligence team. Studying international relations gives you the skills to work across cultures and understand how your actions can affect people globally – a key part of being an effective leader in any career.