Studying international relations teaches you how to think about global issues from multiple perspectives, building cultural sensitivity and understanding. Through group projects and discussions, you will learn to communicate effectively with people from different countries and cultures who may have very different beliefs and viewpoints. These skills are important for any career that requires you to work with people from all around the world.
As an international relations graduate, you’ll understand how political and economic systems interact with each other to shape the world we live in. This multidisciplinary field combines elements of politics, history, law, economics and social sciences.
Most students of international relations will explore the role of non-state actors, such as multinational corporations and the media. You will also gain an insight into the workings of organisations like the United Nations, NATO and the World Trade Organisation. This broad approach allows you to consider how international policies can influence the world we live in and how we can solve problems that transcend state borders.
Many students of international relations will be drawn to theories that seek to explain how the international system works. Realism is one of the most straightforward, claiming that states pursue power and those who horde it most successfully will thrive. While this view has its merits, it fails to take into account the complexity of the modern international system. A more complex theory is constructivism, which seeks to explain how the anarchic structure that realists claim rules the international arena is in fact constructed and reproduced by the political actors who inhabit it.
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