The study plan for the Bachelor in International Relations at IE University has been designed with the prestigious academic experience at its core, our academic faculty’s expert knowledge and research in each area, and the linkages between the University and the professional world.
The Bachelor in International Relations aims to provide young, ambitious individuals the necessary skill set to become professionals capable of facing real-world challenges.
Through our hands-on teaching methodology, students will find the ideal balance between what is studied throughout their degree and projects based on real-world scenarios.
This will allow them to develop profiles that can seamlessly adapt to new trends in the 21st century.
Your first year will begin with a broad introduction to international relations, history, and economics. You will become aware of the global challenges and acquainted with the main periods and events that have shaped its history since the 16th century. We will provide you with the practical and methodological tools needed to understand and evaluate arguments about contentious issues in international affairs. Alongside this, you will be given the opportunity to complete an internship, contribute in one of the many IE labs, or both.
In this year, you will also start language courses and hone your ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty.
By the end of the year you will be able to apply economic and IR theories to your daily work, and understand important social and political phenomena, as well as different forms of international governance and organizations. You will also learn to be accountable, self-disciplined, and diligent, with an increased capacity for self-reflection and improved writing and communication skills.
In your second year you will continue to deepen your understanding of international relations from the perspectives of international law, international political economics, and international development. You will be introduced to the most innovative trends in economics, social inclusion, and environmental politics in order to understand how global challenges can be approached in a sustainable way.
You will also acquire the analytical skills that will allow you to research and analyze how to change and impact global challenges while cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset with regard to ideas and initiatives. By the end of the year, you will be more confident with discussing scholarly articles and communicating your own points of view in order to become an impactful change-maker.
Also, we offer you the opportunity to put everything you have learned into practice during your first two years in an amazing two-week journey in which you will visit different countries with your classmates whilst making an impact and learning.
During your third year you will focus on advanced international relations topics such as international trade, global governance, public opinion, and the European Union. Your first year was concerned with developing awareness about the most relevant global issues, and the second more focused on identifying and analyzing the changes and the impact needed. Now, in your third year, it is time to learn how to lead those changes. Therefore, you will also acquire the knowledge and the skills to solve international conflict, to manage projects in multinational corporations or in international institutions, to design successful partnerships, and to lead and negotiate trade agreements and diplomatic initiatives.
This year, you will be required to choose an exchange program with one of the 160 available partner universities around the world. You will also have the chance to participate in a one-day mock debate, where you will discuss and negotiate a range of issues related to international trade between the EU and the US.
Your fourth and last year is mainly focused on developing your expertise. You will have a broad array of subjects from which to choose your elective courses, with an added option to focus on a particular field of specialization and obtain an additional certificate from the school. Four academic tracks will be available for you: Global Affairs and Diplomacy; Peace, Conflict and Security; International Development; and International and Social Business.
In the second semester, you will carry out your final project, where you will apply all of the knowledge gained throughout your courses, internships, IE Labs, extracurricular activities, and exchange programs. You will have two options: either to complete an individual academic thesis, or to carry out a team consultancy type capstone project with a real client from the public or private sector. Each capstone project is unique and should be approached as a career-building exercise. The purpose is to test out your skills and knowledge in a realistic work environment, collaborating closely with your teammates to produce original and impactful research and strategic policy recommendations, and deliver these to your client.
We give you the chance to build your own career path.In the fourth year, you can choose from a range of electives which make up one of the four offered tracks entitling you to a supplemental diploma.
Technology, innovation, and sustainability are transversal dimensions across the entire curriculum. Students will also be able to take part in regional studies.
During the Global Affairs and Diplomacy track courses, students will discover what sparks political and social struggles to identify the best solutions to tackle these complex global and diplomatic challenges. Students will focus on international and diplomatic relationships between nations and corporations.
This means the track will cover a wide range of challenges facing the world today focusing on regions including China, Africa, South America, North America, Russia, India, and the Middle East. Students will dive into topics including populism and democracy, political economy and geopolitics, and corporate and multilateral diplomacy.
These track delve into the dynamics of peace and security to prepare students to become international advocates who work to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict. They will sharpen their negotiation skills while gaining unrivalled insights into alliance creation through real-world experiences.
Students will understand the relationship between state sovereignty, international law, and armed intervention. Capitalizing on cutting-edge technology, they will gain the tools they need for an unparalleled perspective on human rights, human security, humanitarian law, and cybersecurity.
Finally, students will hack the social contract for newfound insights into how people function in today’s rapidly changing society. These insights will prove to be crucial as they dive into cybersecurity, terrorism, and counterterrorism while grasping how relationships between states affect global peace and security.
Throughout the International Development track, students will grow into leaders who understand how to bring together the international community to spur sustained economic growth while helping developing countries and the world.
They will deepen their understanding of the complex factors at work in international politics, global development, economics, and sustainability. Armed with this knowledge, they will be prepared to manage international development projects and analyze the politics behind aid and international agreements.
These track will also cover issues related to the economy and urbanization. Students will discover the keys to sustainable finance, building smart cities, and the role of gender in international development. Finally, students will show what they’ve learned in a project evaluation and impact assessment.
Students who choose the International and Social Business track will discover different ways in which to expand businesses abroad while deepening their understanding of social matters. They will learn how these areas go hand in hand with the rise of the fourth sector—social businesses.
To further their understanding of the topic, students will explore the importance of sustainability, technology, and innovation in today’s markets. They will become familiar with what is driving change as well as the opportunities created by the rise of social businesses.
Finally, students will put their knowledge into practice as they tie business and society together to determine how economics and biotechnology will determine the future of sectors like healthcare.
Languages are essential to a career in international relations. As a Bachelor in International Relations student, you will participate in a mandatory language course that lasts for six full semesters, consisting of 18 ECTS credits. In addition, we provide further opportunities to widen your linguistic ability, and you will have the option to learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Arabic, or Chinese.
Develop a multidisciplinary profile and specialize in two distinct, yet connected fields, by combining another bachelor’s degree with your studies in international relations.
The Dual Degree in Business Administration and International Relations offers a comprehensive and practical study of international affairs and solid business skills that will give you a global perspective of economic, political and social interactions.
This program offers a practical degree, focused on the fundamentals of international affairs and global law. You will acquire critical thinking skills along with the credentials required for legal practice, allowing you to provide solutions that address issues on a global scale.
The Dual Degree in Economics and International Relations is a rigorous and challenging program where students obtain solid economic foundations combined with global geopolitics, powered by advanced analytical technologies and tools.