Core Requirement System

The core requirement system described below provides the basis for the majority of the International Relations Master's Degree programs. All of these requirements must be completed successfully in order for students to earn their IR degree. In addition, the pages on each program detail further requirements for each degree. The programs based on this core requirement system are: IR & Environmental Policy, IR & International Communication, IR & Juris Doctor, IR & Master of Business Administration, and the IR Mid-Career program. The International Affairs, IR & Religion, and Global Development MA programs do not use the core requirement system.

Core Courses

The Department has established four core areas of study within international relations: Theory and Policy, Economics, Security Studies, and Regional Studies. A variety of courses are offered within each of those four core areas. All students must successfully complete (at least) one course in three of the four core areas to satisfy the core requirement.

Courses to fulfill the Theory & Policy, Political Economy, and Security Studies core may be selected from the following lists:

Courses to fulfill the regional core may be selected from the following lists:

Additionally, students must take at least one IR course at the 700 level (either core or elective) in order to complete their degree program. IR 701 and IR 702, which are special courses, do not count toward this requirement.

Students must pass a two credit (or more) undergraduate (or higher) level course in statistics prior to completion of the degree program. Students may satisfy this requirement by presenting documentation of previous course work or successful completion of CAS MA 113 or CAS MA 115 at Boston University, or an equivalent course outside the University.

Instead of a dedicated statistics class, students may elect instead to take IR 702, Research Methods for International Relations Practitioners. This class will fulfill the statistics requirement and will also count as an IR elective toward the MA. Students who have not completed the statistics requirement prior to beginning their studies at BU are strongly encouraged to take IR 702 to satisfy this requirement.

For IR/MBA students, GSM QM 716 or GSM QM 717 will fulfill both the statistics requirement and a GSM core requirement. For IREP students, GRS MA 614, GRS MA 684, GRS GE 516 and GRS GE 712 will fulfill both the statistics requirement and a CEES elective. For IRIC students, COM CM 722, Communication Research, will fulfill the statistics requirement and will also count as either a COM core class or a COM elective.

Please note that all statistics classes must be taken for a letter grade (A-F), and any class taken at BU will be reflected in the student's grade point average. Online classes are not accepted.

It is recommended that students in the Mid-Career program either fulfill the statistics requirement prior to beginning their studies at BU or plan on taking the IR 702 course. Students in the other programs may wish to do so as well.

*The statistics requirement does not apply to students in the International Relations and Religion degree program.

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