UC Berkeley's International Relations Program: A Comprehensive Overview
The International Relations program at UC Berkeley offers a multifaceted approach to understanding the complexities of global politics. It equips students with the theoretical frameworks, analytical tools, and critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of international affairs. This article provides an overview of the program's core elements, research focus, and unique opportunities for students.
Introduction to the Program
The International Relations program at UC Berkeley is designed to introduce students to the major theoretical approaches to international politics, to explore important historical and contemporary questions and debates in international affairs, and to teach students to think critically about international relations. It is a prerequisite for most upper division international relations courses in Political Science. See department web site for specific course offerings.
Core Curriculum and Key Concepts
The curriculum delves into the core concepts and theories that underpin the study of international relations. After defining what the study of international relations involves and discussing the how and why of thinking theoretically, we will discuss the major theoretical approaches, concepts, and debates in the field. The course explores important historical and contemporary questions and debates in international affairs. Students are encouraged to critically examine the role of various actors, including nation-states and non-state actors, in shaping global events.
A significant portion of the curriculum is dedicated to examining moral and ethical dilemmas in world politics. Should nations intervene in other countries to prevent human rights abuses or famine? On what principles should immigration be based? Should wealthy states aid poorer states, and if so, how much? Who should pay for global environmental damage? Answers to these moral questions depend to a great degree on who we believe we have an obligation to: Ourselves? Nationals of our country? Residents of our country? Everyone in the world equally? We will examine different traditions of moral thought including skeptics, communitarians, cosmopolitans, and use these traditions as tools to make reasoned judgments about difficult moral problems in world politics. Students explore different traditions of moral thought, including skepticism, communitarianism, and cosmopolitanism, to develop reasoned judgments about complex moral problems in world politics.
The program also examines the interplay between economics and politics in the international arena. Economic concepts in the study of international political behavior. Political concepts influencing the choice of economic policies.
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Focus on Key Issues
The program addresses critical issues in international security, international political economy, and global governance. We will then turn to security issues looking at both World Wars and the Cold War. The next section of the course looks at issues of political economy including questions of development, rich-poor country relations, and globalization. Finally we examine a number of contemporary issues of global governance including human rights, ethnic conflict, humanitarian intervention, and environmental issues.
International Security
The program delves into the dynamics of conflict and cooperation among states and non-state actors, the causes and consequences of war and peace. Faculty examine how domestic politics, institutions, and public opinion shape international behavior; the evolving role of great powers and international organizations; and the politics of security, information, and emerging technologies.
International Political Economy
Students explore the political economy of globalization, examining the relationships between rich and poor countries, development challenges, and the impact of global economic forces on international relations.
Global Governance
The program addresses contemporary issues of global governance, including human rights, ethnic conflict, humanitarian intervention, and environmental concerns. It also addresses the question of why do international organizations exist? What role do they play in solving global problems? How is their role likely to change in the current global environment, and what consequences will follow? Traditional international relations theories characterize the international system as anarchic and focus on interactions between nation-states. Since WWII, international organizations have become more prominent players in the international system, though are currently under renewed criticism. The goal of this course is that students develop a theoretical as well as practical understanding of international organizations (IOs) and the global problems they attempt to address. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to articulate the leading explanations within political science for why IOs exist, controversies surrounding IOs in the context of international relations theory, why they are thought to help solve global problems, and the major challenges IOs face in meeting their objectives.
Research and Methodological Approaches
Research is a core component of the International Relations program at UC Berkeley. Current research explores the dynamics of conflict and cooperation among states and non-state actors, the causes and consequences of war and peace, and the political economy of globalization. Faculty examine how domestic politics, institutions, and public opinion shape international behavior; the evolving role of great powers and international organizations; and the politics of security, information, and emerging technologies. The program emphasizes rigorous research methodologies, encouraging students to engage in original research projects.
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The program embraces methodological pluralism, incorporating socio-historical analysis, large-N quantitative methods, lab, survey, and field experiments, neuroimaging, and formal modeling. Our methodological approaches are pluralistic and include socio-historical analysis, large-N quantitative methods, lab, survey, and field experiments, neuroimaging, and formal modeling. Our work is often interdisciplinary, drawing from economics, psychology, sociology, and history. We value research that takes theory seriously, employs rigorous methods, and addresses pressing global challenges.
A core part of our intellectual community is the MIRTH seminar, which brings together faculty and students for weekly discussions of work in progress by internal and visiting scholars.
Global Engagement and Study Abroad
UC Berkeley offers various opportunities for students to engage with the world beyond the classroom. The Berkeley International Study Program (BISP) connects Berkeley's academic resources with students worldwide. The Berkeley International Study Program (BISP) is looking to connect with new and existing university partners.
Students have the chance to study abroad at various international universities, broadening their perspectives and gaining firsthand experience in different cultural and political contexts. Thank you to University of California, Berkeley study abroad alumna, Friné Arreola Velasco (Fall 2024, B.A. Global Business from Tecnológico de Monterrey). During my time there, I took courses such as Leadership and Social Change, Social Media, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Berkeley taught me that learning goes far beyond the classroom. I am incredibly thankful for this chapter of my life. We are pleased to welcome nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate students from over 60 international universities. 🌎 These curious and inspiring learners join us from locations including China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan…and more. To welcome this multicultural cohort, BISP recently hosted campus tours, orientations, and the always popular Cultural Peer Mentors (CPM) Mixer.
One student, Vamika Mittal from the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability (#JSES), O.P., found her experience at Berkeley enriching, contributing to her academic growth and development as a global citizen. Beyond the classroom, her stay at the International House at UC Berkeley fostered a deep sense of community, rooted in acceptance, humility, and shared curiosity.
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Innovative Approaches and Emerging Technologies
The program at UC Berkeley embraces innovative approaches to research and teaching, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to address global challenges. At UC Berkeley, researchers are using new AI tools to improve lives in surprising ways.
Examples of AI applications include:
- Whale Communication: A team of Cal linguistics experts is using AI to help study sperm whale calls, uncovering that whale communication might be closer to human language than we once thought.
- Monsoon Predictions: Cal and U of Chicago scientists adapted a sophisticated AI-based weather prediction model to accurately forecast torrential weather, helping some 38 million farmers in India’s monsoon zone in 2025.
- Storytelling Analysis: Berkeley Professor and folklorist Timothy Tangherlini is using AI to identify patterns in everything from urban legends to conspiracy theories, and uses the results to track their spread and understand why people pass them along.
Alumni Success and Inspiration
The International Relations program at UC Berkeley has produced numerous successful alumni who have made significant contributions to various fields. Following his studies at the University of California, Berkeley, this intuitive leader and innovative problem-solver was nominated as the only NHH candidate for the prestigious double graduate program through NHH and the HEC Paris. As Sebastian shared from Bergen: “The Berkeley experience has opened so many doors… Congratulations Sebastian, we’ll continue to follow your journey with awe.
Alumni have found success in diverse fields, including government, international organizations, business, and academia.
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