The International Relations Department offers rigorous courses with the flexibility to pursue your fascination for world affairs and train for post-graduate careers. Courses within the curriculum provide an interdisciplinary foundation while you dive deep on a thematic track in:
Saima made the most of her experience during the Day on the Hill trip. Connecting with HWS alums led to her internship with Beyond the Bomb in Washington D.C. She’s also had an internship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan.
Work on a podcast about world affairs or attend lectures on globalization hosted by the Fisher Center for the Study of Gender and Justice.
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, learning goes beyond textbooks and classrooms. You’ll gain high-impact practical experience that deepens learning and opens doors.
Explore racial identity in Brazil, study political relations in Tunisia or gain insight into the European Union in Germany.
Wherever you go, our top-ranked global education program will allow you to apply classroom knowledge, develop cultural understanding and build global connections that expand your personal capacity and sense of purpose.
International Relations students looking to engage more in their work can study and complete Honors and research projects in a chosen topic with the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Past examples of Honors projects include:
Through multiple lenses – geopolitical, economic and historic, among others – explore the theories, aspects and effects of how countries interact with one another.
Build a foundation in the basic concepts of world politics, an appreciation of the evolution of the current state system and a sampling of various approaches and theories.
Build on your economics understanding by learning of international trade concepts like the theory of gains from trade and comparative advantage to discover how with an emphasis on how economic and financial relations among countries have very different consequences for different groups of people.
Begin your journey into the Arabic language and Arab cultures.
Janey wanted to learn how the world operated outside the United States and to unpack her subconscious biases regarding international systems. At Hobart and William Smith, she was able to do that and develop a knowledge of international development that would lead to her current work at USAID.
