Prepare yourself for a career in our global society by studying international issues through the lenses of politics, economics, history, languages and anthropology.
As an international relations (IR) major, you’ll integrate the study of politics, economics, history and foreign languages to gain the skills you need to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
IR students spend at least a semester abroad for a first-hand introduction to a foreign society. A thesis and study in one or two languages are required.
Our IR program gives motivated students core skills in leadership and communication, analyzing issues and problems, and synthesizing different disciplinary approaches—all qualities needed for careers in a global context.
Common career paths include public service, non-governmental organizations, business, law and academia. Pomona is among the top 50 U.S. colleges and universities with career diplomat graduates.
What You’ll Study
- U.S. foreign policy
- Modern history course focusing on Europe, Asia, Africa or Latin America
- International economics
- One or two foreign languages
- Study abroad for at least one semester
Learning at Pomona
Wilson Center Cold War archives
Calla Li ’22 is a part-time intern at the Wilson Center’s Cold War International History Project in Washington D.C. where she virtually assists in the translation, organization and contextualization of Cold War-era documents in Russian and Chinese.
U.S.-South Korea Cyber Cooperation
For her course on international relations of East Asia, Erin Puckett ’22 researched bilateral U.S.-South Korea cyber cooperation, particularly related to North Korean cyberattacks. She is interested in state-sponsored cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns.
Studying Food and IR
For her Introduction to International Relations class, Virna Seminario ’23 chose to combine her love for food with her newfound passion for international relations to write about Japanese cuisine as a tool for power and influence.
Tensions in Timbuktu, Mali
Max Ober ’22 researched socio-economic and ethnoreligious tensions of Timbuktu, Mali and ways in which various policies relating to the decolonization of education could provide relief from cycles of poverty and violence.
I came into Pomona quite undecided, with an interest in politics, Spanish, and economics, and IR helped me feel like I didn’t have to sacrifice one of those interests in the pursuit of another. … The freedom the department awards its students to discover our interests and pursue them is empowering and makes me grateful to be an IR major.