International Relations Program

• Home


• The Concentration
• Considering IR?
• Concentrating in IR
• Study Abroad
• Transfer Credit
• Honors
• Key Dates


• Courses & Requirements
• IR Requirements at a Glance
• The Core
• The Tracks
• Regional Focus
• Research Methods
• Electives
• Capstone: Senior Seminar
• Language Requirement
• Independent Study
• Senior Seminars 2008-2009
• X-LIST 2008-2009
• Concentration Worksheet
• Concentration Forms
• BANNER


• Frequently Asked Questions


• People
• Advisors
• Contact Us
• Alumni News


• Opportunities/Resources
• IRDUG
• Brown Journal of World Affairs
• Office of Int'l Affairs (OIA)
• Fellowships at Brown
• Watson Institute Internships
• International Scholars Program
• Research at Brown (RAB) Grants
• Brown Internship Award Program (BIAP/AIP)
• Pembroke Center Research Grants/Internships
• Career Development Center


• Events & News at the Watson Institute

Last updated on Nov. 21, 2008

The Tracks

A. Global Security

This track focuses on issues of war and peace in international relations and the politics and diplomacy of foreign policymaking. Critical security issues are investigated not only as conflicts among states but as effects of new global actors, trans-border flows, and complex networks. It includes the increasingly important role of international, transnational, and non-governmental organizations at both the regional and global levels. The global security track is intended for students interested in getting a general overview of the key theoretical approaches and major issues of international relations. It allows considerable flexibility in choosing courses primarily, though not exclusively, in the disciplines of history and political science and from those sponsored by the IR Program. Note: Not all courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose one of the following keystone courses:

Keystone Courses

B. Political Economy and Development

The Political Economy and Development track focuses on the interaction of political and economic processes at the international and domestic levels. It provides a set of courses primarily in economics, political science, and sociology that allows students to understand the rapidly changing world of political economy. The track covers such issues as the evolution of international trade and finance regimes, the impact of globalization, the challenge of development in the Global South and in the former Communist countries, and trends toward integration in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Note: Not all of the courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose one of the following keystone courses:

Keystone Courses

2. Students choose two additional courses from any of the following:

Anthropology (ANTH)

Development Studies (DEVL)

Economics (ECON)

International Relations (INTL)

Political Science (POLS)

1020                 Politics of the Illicit Global Economy  

C. Politics, Culture, and Identity

This track arises out of the Watson Institute's Politics, Culture, and Identity Program (PCI), which focuses on the comparative study of sociocultural shaping of politics and the politics of culture. The PCI track combines a foundation in anthropology with cutting edge scholarship from numerous disciplines, including the humanities. The track seeks a transnational and contextualized understanding of the way institutions, social movements, and communities produce knowledge about the world. It focuses on the fluid, constructed, and politicized character of identity, international norms, policies, and crises. It also draws on courses that discuss the important roles that religion, race, ethnicity, class, nationalism, and gender play in political life. Note: Not all of the courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose one of the following keystone courses:

2. Students choose two additional courses from any of the following:

Africana Studies (AFRI)

D. Global Environment/Global Health

The Global Environment/Global Health track encompasses the broad array of environmental, health, population, and urbanization issues relevant to contemporary international politics. The GE/GH track provides students with the opportunity to investigate the international dimensions of environmental change, resource use, disease patterns, and population trends and the economic, regulatory, institutional, and symbolic practices that shape global and local struggles over the environment and health. Students are encouraged to bridge disciplines and supplement their GE/GH track courses with courses in environmental science, public health, international law, public policy, economics, anthropology, and sociology. Note: Not all of the courses listed below are offered every year.

1. Students choose the following keystone course:

Keystone Course

ANTH 1020  AIDS in International Perspective

ANTH 1310   International Health: Anthropological Perspectives

ENVS  0510   Problems in International Environment Policy

2. Students choose two additional courses from any of the following:

Environment

International Relations Program
Watson Institute for International Studies, Room 130
Brown University, Box 1970
Providence, RI 02912-1970
401 863.3318   401 863.3808 fax   IRProgram@brown.edu   Copyright 2005