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"Many of the present relationships of international life are only the eroded remnants of ones which, at one time, were relationships of uncompromising hostility. Every government is in some respects a problem for every other government, and it will always be this way so long as the sovereign state, with its supremely self-centered rationale, remains the basis of international life."...............George F. Kennan

"Science is the search for truth--it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent, to do harm to others. We need to have the spirit of science in international affairs, to make the conduct of international affairs the effort to find the right solution, the just solution of international problems, not the effort by each nation to get the better of other nations, to do harm to them when it is possible."...............Linus Pauling

In the midst of all the confusion, violence, and change you see every day on television or in the newspapers, do you ever wonder just where the world is going? If you do, you're in good company, because most of the people in the world engaged in international affairs ask themselves the same questions. The objective of the International Relations program at Franklin is to help students make some sense of the apparent chaos around them in today's world and to help prepare them for possible careers in the diplomatic service, international organizations, general government service, international banking, international business, journalism, law, teaching, and related fields, or for graduate studies in international relations, political science, economics, history, or business. International Relations Majors have the advantage of a fully interdisciplinary program of studies that requires them to do advanced work in the fields of politics, economics, history, and language and thus to become competent in several areas of fundamental importance in understanding and analyzing world political and economic developments.

Course requirements allow flexibility, so that students can pursue in depth those areas they find most challenging, while at the same time they will develop broad competence in the areas that make up the major, namely, area studies, international economics, foreign policy or diplomatic history, comparative politics or international relations theory, international law or international organizations.

Within the framework of the liberal arts program that aims at developing students' critical and analytical understanding and thus, their ability to cope with continually changing problems that require new approaches and new solutions, the specialization in International Relations provides solid professional skills and knowledge. In co-ordination with the academic travel program, focused on international organizations, politics, economics, and history, and the speakers' program, which provides first-hand experience and insights into world affairs, the International Relations program brings students into contact with people and organizations directly involved in the very activities they are studying about. The International Relations Club also provides opportunities to students to participate personally in planning and organizing such events on a regular basis. In the past few years Franklin has hosted discussions on the situation in ex-Yugoslavia, the changes in Russia, international economic issues, Italian politics, and similar issues and problems of current interest.

Requirements for the Major in International Relations

Students who wish to major in International Relations must successfully complete courses in three distinct groups:

a. Core requirements of Franklin's liberal arts program.

b. Pre-requisites to the major.

c. Major requirements.

The specific requirements are as follows:

a. Core requirements of Franklin's liberal arts program:

1. SEM 100 Contemporary Issues and the Classics

2. ENG 100 English in the Humanities

3. HIS 100 Western Civilization, Part I and

HIS 101 Western Civilization, Part II

HIS 104 World History, Part I and

HIS 105 World History, Part II

4. One semester course in Computer Science.

5. One semester course in Mathematics.

6. One semester course in Science.

7. One semester course in Mathematics or Science.

8. One semester course in Literature.

9. One semester course in Studio Art or Art History.

10. One semester course in the Social Sciences.

11. Language study through two courses at the 300 level in one of the languages taught at Franklin different from the student's mother tongue or the language in which the student did his or her high school studies.

12. Students must participate in academic travel in each semester of their freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Transfer students may have to participate in academic travel also in their senior year, depending upon their transfer status. A minimum of four successfully completed academic travels is required for graduation.

13. Students must have attained at least 126 academic credits (including 6 academic travel credits), of which a minimum of 60 credits must have been attained at Franklin in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum of 30 credits in the major must be completed at Franklin.

14. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 must be maintained in all of the student's work at Franklin to qualify for the B.A. degree.

b. Pre-requisites for the Major in International Relations:

1. POL 100 Introduction to Political Science

2. POL 101 Introduction to International Relations

3. POL 104 Government and Politics of the United States

4. ECN 100 Principles of Economics (Macroeconomics)

5. ECN 101 Principles of Economics (Microeconomics)

c. Major requirements in International Relations:

(Please note that "successful completion" of courses listed under "Major Requirements" entails a minimum grade in the course of "C".)

1. Area Studies Group: Two courses from among the following:

a. POL 202 Government and Politics of Western Europe

b. POL 203 Government and Politics of Eastern Europe

c. POL 250 Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Europe.

d. POL 307 History and Politics of Russia

e. POL 290 Government and Politics of the Middle East

f. POL 305 Dynamics of European Integration

2. International Economics Group:

a. ECN 341 International Economics

AND ONE of the following:

b. ECN 303 Development Economics

c. ECN 310 Comparative Market Systems

d. ECN 315 Economic Transition in Eastern Europe and China.

e. ECN 328 International Banking and Finance

f. ECN 350 Industrial Organization in the European Union

3. History and Foreign Policy Group: Two of the following courses:

a. HIS 313 Diplomatic History of Modern Europe

b. POL 253 United States Foreign Policy

c. POL 315 War and Contemporary Politics

d. HIS/POL 210 The Cold War

4. International Law and Organizations: One of the following courses:

a. POL 310 International Law

b. POL 321 International Organization

5. Theory Group: One of the following courses:

a. POL 400 Comparative Politics

b. POL 401 Theories of International Relations

6. Senior Thesis Requirement:

a. POL 499 Senior Thesis

In brief, these requirements (Note that all listings of requirements reflect the present status of the major and are subject to change.) offer at the same time the opportunity to achieve a high level of knowledge and experience in the disciplines represented and a high degree of flexibility to be able to pursue particular areas of interest within the major. A possible four-year course of studies for a student majoring in International Relations could look as follows:

MODEL FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Freshman Year:

First Semester: 1. ENG 100 Writing in the Humanities

2. HIS 100 Western Civilization, Part I

3. SEM 100 Contemporary Issues and the Classics

4. POL 100 Introduction to Political Science

5. ITA, FRE, or GER 100 Introductory language course

Second Semester: 1. HIS 101 Western Civilization, Part II

2. CPT XXX Computer Science course

3. ITA, FRE, or GER 101 Introductory Language course, Part II

4. MAT XXX Mathematics course

5. POL 101 Introduction to International Relations

Sophomore Year:

First Semester: 1. ECN 100 Principles of Economics I (Macroeconomics)

2. POL 104 United States Government and Politics

3. AHT 105 Art History Survey

4. ITA, FRE, or GER 200 Intermediate language course, Part I

5. MAT XXX Mathematics course

Second semester: 1. POL 102 Introduction to Political Philosophy

2. POL 307 History and Politics of Russia

3. ITA, FRE, or GER 201 Intermediate language course, Part II

4. POL 203 Government and Politics of Eastern Europe

5. ECN 101 Principles of Economics II (Microeconomics)

Junior Year:

First Semester: 1. LIT 100 Introduction to Literature, Part I

2. ECN 341 International Economics

3. ITA, FRE, or GER 3XX Advanced language course

4. POL 202 Government and Politics of Western Europe

5. Science course

Second Semester: 1. ITA, FRE, or GER 3XX Advanced language course

2. ECN 328 International Banking and Finance

3. POL 253 United States Foreign Policy

4. POL 321 International Organization

5. HIS 253 History of Modern Britain or elective

Senior Year:

First Semester: 1. POL 400 Comparative Politics

2. POL 315 War and Contemporary Politics or POL 290 Government and Politics of the Middle East

3. POL 305 Dynamics of European Integration

4. HIS 313 Diplomatic History of Modern Europe

5. PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology or LIT, AHT, HIS or language elective

Second Semester: 1. POL 401 Theories of International Relations

2. POL 310 International Law

3. ECN 310 Comparative Market Systems or ECN 303 Development Economics or Elective.

4. POL 499 Senior Thesis

5. Elective

Please note that the above proposed four-year program of studies is based on a maximum exposure to the fields of international relations studies and related material and thus obviously goes well beyond the minimum requirements for the major. Those students who have strong interests in other areas or who would like to take minors or double majors in other areas can substitute quite a few of the above recommended courses and still easily meet the minimum requirements for the major in international relations.

For descriptions of the COURSES in the International Relations Program click here.

For information on FACULTY teaching in the International Relations Program click here.

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MINI INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PHOTO QUIZ

1. From which war does "the drama of war" photo come?

__a. The Persian Gulf War.

__b. The Bosnian Civil War.

__c. The American Civil War.

__d. The First World War.

__e. The Vietnam War.

2. Who are the two "villains" in this photo?

__a. Lenin and Stalin.

__b. Gilbert and Sullivan.

__c. Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.

__d. Castro and Brezhnev.

__e. Mussolini and Hitler.

3. Who is the "hero" in this photo and where is he speaking?

__a. J. F. Kennedy in Berlin.

__b. George Washington in New York.

__c. Margaret Thatcher in London.

__d. Winston Churchill in Boston.

__e. Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

4. Who are the three gentlemen in the "Quest for Peace" photo?

__a. Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin.

__b. The Marx Brothers.

__c. Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Wilson.

__d. Franz Josef, Wilhelm II, and Nicholas II.

__e. Rabin, Arafat and Clinton.

5. Who is the man of the "past?"

__a. Tom Cruise.

__b. Napoleon Bonaparte.

__c. Julius Caesar.

__d. Adolf Hitler

__e. Ronald Reagan.

6. Who is "Recent Enemy I?"

__a. Ayatollah Khomeini.

__b. Hirohito.

__c. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

__d. Boris Yeltsin.

__e. Sadam Hussein.

7. Who is "Recent Enemy II?"

__a. Francois Mitterrand.

__b. Mahatma Gandhi.

__c. Silvio Berlusconi.

__d. George Bush.

__e. Helmut Kohl.

8. Who is the "Italian Diplomat?"

__a. Nicolo Machiavelli.

__b. Al Capone.

__c. Victor Emmanuel III.

__d. Giuseppe Garibaldi.

__e. Frank Sinatra.

9. Who is the "American Diplomat?"

__a. Louis Armstrong.

__b. Benjamin Franklin.

__c. Clare Booth Luce.

__d. Abraham Lincoln.

__e. Averill Harriman.

10. (extra points) Who is the knight in armor?

__a. Prof. Mottale.

__b. Prof. Schlein.

__c. Prof. Terzi.

__d. Dean Zanecchia.

__e. All of the above.

The Correct Answers to the Quiz: 1. (d); 2. (e); 3. (a); 4. (c); 5. (b); 6. (e); 7. (d); 8. (a); 9. (b); 10. (e). Each correct answer is worth one point.

How to Interpret Your Score:

Ten points: You might as well confess! You've been unmasked as a C.I.A. agent!

Eight or nine points: Come on, you're working on your Ph.D. Back to the library with you!

Six or seven points: What are you waiting for? With your interests and background, you should already be an International Relations Major.

Four or five points: You have lots of potential. Now it's up to you to do something with it.

Two or three points: Clearly you don't seem to get beyond the comics and sports sections of the newspaper if you ever open one, but don't panic, even you may be salvageable. It's not too late.

One or zero points: There are two possibilities in your case. Either you were joking or you are obviously better qualified for other majors and should definitely avoid International Relations.

Testimonials from famous International Relations Majors at Franklin College:

"The most important thing that we have learned from studying International Relations is to make connections; not only those between the separate disciplines of history, politics, and economics, but also those between what we have learned and current issues.

The prospective International Relations student, or one who is undecided, should not be clouded by the popular misconception that what is learned in this major is only applicable to 'government work.' On the contrary, the study of International Relations gives one an in-depth insight into how the business, legal and economic worlds operate and affect one another and are, in turn, affected by politics and history. An understanding of these forces can be absolutely indispensable in any career."

Derek "the Distinguished" Wilkinson, U.S.A., Class of 1995

Tore "the Viking" Svanberg, Norway, Class of 1995

Where can you get further information on the International Relations Major or related courses or disciplines?

1. Prof. Melvin Schlein (mschlein@fc.edu)

2. Prof. Morris Mottale (mmottale@fc.edu)