International Relations

The International Relations program is offered at the undergraduate level as a major or minor in the Bachelor of Arts. Students who wish to study International Relations at UBC at the graduate level can do this as part of their program within an established department (e.g., the departments of History or Political Science).

Students who want to go on to graduate work in International Relations after completing their Bachelor of Arts are advised to consider the special Honours programs in History (with International Relations) and in Political Science (with International Relations) or to make sure they have at least 24 credits of 300- and 400-level courses in one of the core disciplines (economics, history, political science).

Major in International Relations

Admission to the Major requires that a student has completed at least 54 credits applicable to the Bachelor of Arts. Admission is not automatic, and space is limited. Most students are admitted based on average standing, but a small number of spaces are reserved each year for consideration based on a combination of grades and supplemental materials. In recent years the entrance average has been as high as 80%, and may be higher if demand increases. Students interested in the major who have an average below 80% should consult the International Relations Program website for information about submission of supplemental materials to support their application.

The Major in International Relations is a 60-credit interdisciplinary program that is made-up of 15 lower-level credits, 12 credits of coursework in one language other than English at any level, and 33 upper-level credits.

Average is determined based on the average grade obtained for all post-secondary coursework attempted, with the exception of 12 credits which may be excluded from the calculation. All courses taken in International Relations and any course taken toward the Arts writing component cannot be excluded from the average calculation.

To be eligible to apply to the IR program students need to have completed one of the following IR lower division requirements:

1. ECON_V 101 and 102
2. One of HIST_V 102, 103 or both HIST_V 112 and 113
3. POLI_V 260

It is strongly recommended that students complete all of these courses before applying to the program. Students may complete their language requirements in their third or fourth year. Arts One students can only count their English credits toward the IR program. They will, therefore, need to fulfill all of the lower division requirements.

Application forms will be available after February 1 online.

Completed online applications are due by May 15 prior to registration for third year.

Applicants will be notified by June 15 whether they have been accepted, rejected, or put on a waiting list.

Lower-level Requirements

Students are recommended to complete the following during their first 60 credits.

• ECON_V 101 and 102 (or ECON_V 310 and 311)
• One of HIST_V 102 (6), or 103 (6)¹ or both HIST_V 112 AND 113
• POLI_V 260

While it is advisable to complete all of these requirements prior to the third year, it is permissible to complete some of them in the third year.

¹Arts One does not satisfy this requirement.

Language Requirement

IR major students are required to complete 12 credits of coursework in one language other than English. The language courses can either be at the upper or lower-level, including any coursework completed prior to admission to the major. These credits must be completed by all IR major students and cannot be waived based on prior language study or an existing language competency.   

Upper-level Requirements

A minimum of 33 credits in International Relations. These 33 credits must include the following:

• ECON_V 355¹ or ECON_V 356
• 6 credits chosen from the following: HIST_V 360, 361, 371, 372, 408, 409, 425 (6), 432 (6)
• 3 credits chosen from the following: POLI_V 360, 361, 362, 364, 367, 369, 370, or 374
• In the last 30 credits, one of the required International Relations seminars: ECON_V 457, HIST_V 403, POL_VI 464, or one of the other seminars that may be designated by the chair of the program²
• 18 credits from the lists below (of these 18 credits, at least 9 credits must be from List A or 9 credits must be from List B; the remaining 9 credits can be from Lists A, B, or C). Not all courses are offered every year.

¹The prerequisite for this course is ECON_V 101 and 102, or ECON_V 310 and 311.

²A list of designated seminars for the following year will be available from the International Relations Program Office in the spring. These seminars are not available to third-year students. Students should only take one IR Seminar unless they have received approval from the program to do otherwise.

For the purposes of the International Relations Major, no course can be double-counted, i.e., used to satisfy two requirements (e.g., if POLI_V 360 is used to satisfy the political science requirement [see above], it cannot be counted as part of these 18 credits).

A. International Diplomacy, Security, and Peace Studies

1. ANTH_V 329, 360
2. APSC_V 377
3. ASIA_V 410, 430
4. ECON_V 485
5. EOSC_V 340
6. GEOG_V 313, 314, 316, 329, 342, 357, 432
7. GRSJ_V 305, 315, 326, 415
8. HIST_V 310, 311, 317, 360, 361, 371, 372, 375, 391, 395, 397, 402, 404, 405, 406, 408, 409, 418, 425, 432, 441, 460
9. KIN_V 360
10. PHIL_V 335
11. POLI_V 334, 351, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 367, 369, 370, 371, 373, 374, 376, 377, 378
12. PPGA_V 391
13. SOCI_V 420, 430, 461

B. International Economy and Development

1. ACAM_V 300, 390
2. AFST_V 450
3. ANTH_V 330, 360, 472
4. ASIA_V 329, 419
5. ECON_V 317, 318, 319, 333, 334, 335, 339, 351, 355, 356, 371, 374, 441, 442, 455, 456, 471, 472
6. FNH_V 355, 455
7. FRE_V 306, 340, 374, 420
8. FRST_V 411, 439
9. GEOG_V 302, 310, 311, 312, 318, 321, 351, 352, 353, 361, 362, 364, 410, 423, 424, 457, 468
10. GRSJ_V 306
11. HIST_V 325, 330, 423, 440, 482, 483
12. PHIL_V 332, 362, 363
13. POLI_V 316, 329, 338, 364, 366, 372, 375
14. SOCI_V 301, 360, 361
15. SPPH_V 300

C. Area Studies

1. Africa: AFST_V 351, 352; GEOG_V 496; GRSJ_V 311; HIST_V 309, 312, 313
2. Asia: ASIA_V 309, 328, 330, 333, 338, 339, 340, 359, 373, 390, 393, 397, 407, 418, 428, 434 , 438, 456, 484; GEOG_V 380, 484; HIST_V 373, 376, 379, 380, 381, 382, 385, 386, 388, 480, 484; POLI_V 321, 322, 323, 324, 330, 365, 368, 379
3. Canada and the Americas: AFST_V 450; ANTH_V 401; ECON_V 336, 337; GEOG_V 395, 468, 497; GRSJ_V 311; HIST_V 302, 324, 326, 332, 335, 338, 339, 357, 358, 396, 411, 412, 444, 450, 451, 453, 456, 467, 468, 469; LAST_V 301, 303; POLI_V 309, 320, 332
4. Comparative, Cross-Regional, Global, and Varying Topics: ANTH_V 414; FNH_V 460; GEOG_V 350, 390, 497; HIST_V 327, 334, 392, 401, 464, 485; KIN_V 364; POLI_V 325, 335, 336; SOCI_V 303, 435; SPPH_V 409
5. Europe and Eurasia: GEOG_V 391, 493; HIST_V 315, 318, 319, 323, 346, 347, 349, 350, 351, 355, 356, 365, 366, 368, 369, 370, 439; ITAL_V 345; POLI_V 326, 327; RMST_V 345
6. Middle East: GEOG_V 498; HIST_V 341, 342, 352, 353, 354; MES_V 300

D. Variable Topics Courses

Please check the IR website for information on which topics are being offered and to confirm their assigned list:

1. GEOG_V 461
2. POLI_V 328, 333, 341

Minor in International Relations

Honours in International Relations

The International Relations program does not offer an honours program. However, students wishing to do an Honours degree in International Relations can do so in conjunction with the Honours programs of the Departments of History or Political Science. Students must apply directly to one of these departments for admission into the Honours program during their second year.

Students may not count more than 60 credits of International Relations courses (i.e., required courses and those on Lists A, B, and C [see above]) toward the Bachelor of Arts. (Language courses do not count as part of these 60 credits.)