Berkeley International Relations/PACS

californiakid97
Sun, 10 Apr 2016 21:33:49 +0000

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:

1. Major in Political Science and specialize in International Relations.

2. 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!