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International Relations

The International Relations BA program is designed for students who are interested in an inter-disciplinary approach to international and global studies.  International and global studies are concerned with the interconnections between state as well as non-state organizations and actors, the globalizing effects of economic, social, technological, environmental, military and political processes, and with emerging issues of justice, responsibility, and human well-being that are international and global in scope.


Program

At Mount Allison the International Relations program operates as an inter- and multi-disciplinary degree program in which core as well as elective courses are drawn from a range of disciplines such as political science, history, modern languages and literature, sociology, anthropology, economics, geography, environmental studies, and women’s and gender studies.  The program provides students with a broad range of intellectual and critical skills for analyzing the interactions between political and economic systems, cultural norms, environmental dynamics, and hierarchies of power.  A university-level language requirement anchors the program.  To supplement their coursework students are encouraged to gain international experience by studying or working abroad or by doing international work in Canada.

The Department of Politics and International Relations offers programs leading to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with a major in international relations or an honours BA in international relations.  International relations students pursue minors in a wide range of complementary fields.


Core course offerings include Global Governance; Problems in International Development; Gender and International Relations; International Political Economy; and Foreign Policy Analysis.  Elective course offerings include Environment and Development; International Environmental Affairs; War and Society; International Trade; and Citizenship, Identity, and Difference.

 

Independent Student Research

Students have chosen independent research and honours thesis projects spanning a broad range of topics: water scarcity in India and China; the UN experience in Somalia and Rwanda; truth and reconciliation in South Africa; women’s peace activism; community engagement in urban renewal projects; media coverage of sub-Saharan Africa; sovereignty and the Arab Spring; social media and the Arab Spring; and political memory and the Arab-Israeli conflict.


Careers

Graduates of the International Relations program pursue diverse career paths ranging from law and teaching to civil service and advocacy.  Many have found employment with international and non-governmental organizations in countries such as Canada, the United States, Sierra Leone, Romania, and Nicaragua.  Some are using their expertise in business.


The degree is also an excellent foundation interdisciplinary as well as disciplinary graduate programs in international relations, political science, and related fields.  Graduates of the program have gone on to complete MA, PhD and LLB programs at universities in Canada (Carleton, Ottawa, Queens, and Western), the United States (Berkeley), and abroad (Oxford, London School of Economics).


Student Clubs and Associations

Mount Allison is home to many student-run clubs that address international issues; there is an active International Relations Society which organizes academic and social events.  One of our most innovative groups, the Atlantic International Studies Organization (ATLIS), produces an annual peer-reviewed journal of papers by students.  The Centre for International Studies (CIS) hosts events and speakers to engage students, faculty, and the wider community across disciplines in dialogue and collaborative action on pressing global issues.


Faculty Research

Faculty who contribute to the International Relations program are based in the Department of Politics and International Relations as well as in other departments in the Faculties of Social Sciences and Arts.  Their research expertise covers a wide range of topics bearing on the field of international relations.

  • The role of Canadian corporations in the Global South
  • International relations and foreign policy in the Middle East
  • The political economy of US militarism
  • Gender, War and Peace Movements
  • Human impact of global climate change
  • War, nation and gender in Asia
  • Gender and urban restructuring

    • For more information, visit: www.mta.ca/faculty/socsci/ps_ir/index.html

     

    Department Website

    Academic Calendar: International Relations