When I began studying International Affairs, I would describe it to my grandmother (who was confused by the name) as "Political Science for the whole world." Political Science examines governmental structures and people's actions within and about these governments. These actions are collectively known as politics. The science aspect of political science is based on the assumption that governmental structures and politics follow observable patterns of cause and effect and a method of inquiry to discern these patterns. As a result, political scientists use traditional approaches to scientific inquiry to attempt to explain and predict (with probabilities) political patterns of cause and effect.

International Affairs extends the scope of this topic (e.g., government and politics) to include all governments and politics globally. By doing so, International Affairs scholars assume that patterns of politics can be observed across the globe (spatially) and throughout human history (temporally).  At its most fundamental level, International Affairs focuses on three key components: the international system, states, and the patterns of interaction among states within the international system.

Though Module Two will provide more details, the international system is considered to be both the physical world (e.g., continents, oceans and seas, humans, plants, and animals, etc.) and the more social world (e.g., systems built by humans such as governments, trade networks, and community affiliations). The second component is states. Americans commonly understand states as sub-national governments (e.g., Mississippi, California, and Kansas). In international affairs, however, this term is used to apply to countries of the world (e.g., Brazil, China, the United States, and Russia). Finally, as mentioned above, this study area seeks to discern behavior patterns of cause and effect within and across states within the international system. For your part, this course will challenge you to create hypotheses throughout the semester about what best explains past global political events and what you believe may most likely happen next.

In 2001, the University of Georgia created a new School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). This school has three departments: Political Science, Public Administration & Policy, and International Affairs. The Department of Political Science has been at UGA since 1941 as part of UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. When SPIA was created, however, it grew into this new school, and many professors within the school transferred into the new departments. Suppose an undergraduate is studying within the Department of Political Science. In that case, they can focus on American government and politics, law and courts, and/or political theory and earn either a Bachelor of Arts (AB) or a Bachelor of Science (BS). Political Science also offers graduate students MAs and Ph.Ds. The Department of Public Administration (one of the top programs in the nation) trains graduate students only in researching and implementing public policy (offering MAs and PhDs). The third department within SPIA is the Department of International Affairs. There are also some interdisciplinary majors (e.g., see Criminal Justice).

The Department of International Affairs offers students either a major or a minor in International Affairs. The minor requires 15 hours, while the major requires 21 hours. In addition, International Affairs offers two master’s degrees (Master of International Policy and a Master of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs) and a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Affairs. We currently have 24 faculty members in the department who specialize in various topics, including international conflict, human rights, political institutions, extremism, political economy, and the environment. Here is more information about our faculty members, but I cannot state emphatically enough that this department is filled with brilliant, caring, and highly successful scholars of International Affairs. Details of the major or minor requirements are listed here or can be explained by the SPIA advisers (contact information here). 

As for content, International Affairs offers it all. After all, the world is our focus. You can specialize in certain regions of the world (this tends to be done by Comparativist seeking to understand whether or not neighbors share something in common). You can also focus on a specific issue and then compare this more broadly (e.g., healthcare, education, the rise of right-wing political parties, etc.). If you choose an issue area, you can either examine it comparatively (why does this state have a large right-wing political party and this one does not?) or you can examine the interaction across states (e.g., how does the right-wing party in that state interact with others elsewhere?). The real trouble is deciding what not to study in International Affairs. For example, in my International Law class, we even covered how states *try* to regulate outer space exploration. There are no limits to our curiosity in terms of content to study.  

In terms of skills, an International Affairs major offers a wide variety of skills. You will necessarily cull through vast information about the world: theories, names, dates, people, etc. To do so effectively, you must become adept at thinking critically (i.e., what matters and what doesn't from what I am reading?). Moreover, you must work through the material to analyze the past and/or predict the future. To do so, you must collect data and use it in a manner that shapes an argument. This is much, much harder than it sounds. Finally, you must not let the popularity of one conclusion sway you from the one supported by the data. This last component requires a strong sense of purpose. If you are interested in doing these things, here are some ideal jobs for you upon graduation: