Hello CC!
I was admitted to Letters and Sciences this year, and am a bit cautious about the IR program at Berkeley. I know that it is ranked highly by the Ivory Tower, but doesn’t actually have a concrete IR major. It seems as though my options are to:
- Major in Political Science and specialize in International Relations.
- Major in Peace and Conflict Studies or Middle Eastern Studies within the International and Area Studies Program.
I’m not very interested in studying political theory or anything in the lower divisions of political sciences, but am unsure about how useful a degree in PACS would be. I want to work in Foreign Service.
I was also admitted to UCLA under Global Studies, which seems more strongly related to my interests, but I am from LA and don’t want to stay here forever. I’m also weighing my options with Tulane, because I received a full tuition award.
Can anyone shed some light on the best program at Berkeley for a career in IR? How difficult would a double major between the two be? Any input is greatly appreciated!
International Relations has been an excellent major at Tulane for a very long time. The good thing is that it can be a great preparation for graduate studies – with its emphasis on statistics and economics in addition to comparative politics and international affairs – while many people also use the major as part of a good prelaw program. (Although I would recommend supplementing the major with a couple of courses in philosophy and/or logical reasoning as preparation for the LSAT and law school itself.). You are also required to focus in on a foreign language for the major, and in support of that requirement I strongly recommend spending some time studying abroad during your junior year through Tulane’s very well-established junior year abroad program. One final thought: if your motivation for choosing Tulane would be predominantly the money, I would think about it very seriously because the school works best when students are happy to be there and are comfortable with their choice on all levels. There is a reason why it is consistently ranked as having the top 10 “happiest” students in the country. In any event, best of luck with whatever you choose!