Welcome to UBC International Relations! The International Relations Program Office is located at the Liu Institute for Global Issues (6476 NW Marine Drive), Room 305.
What is International Relations?
International Relations is the study of the global interactions between states, non-state actors, and economic and social structures and processes. International Relations is an interdisciplinary subject within the social sciences and humanities, enabling students to develop an in-depth understanding of global issues through an education grounded in many academic disciplines, but especially Economics, History, and Political Science
What programs are offered through IR?
International Relations is an interdisciplinary program currently offered at the undergraduate level. Students can pursue either the IR Major or IR Minor in conjunction with a Bachelor of Arts. A limited number of students are admitted to the IR Major each year. Students in the Major and Minor programs take courses from a variety of different departments due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program. There is no separate Department of International Relations at UBC.
Honours B.A.
The International Relations program does not offer an Honours B.A. However, students wishing to do an Honours degree in International Relations can do so in conjunction with the Honours programs of the departments of History or Political Science. Students must apply directly to one of these departments for admission into the Honours program during their second year.
Graduate Studies
The International Relations Program awards only the B.A. degree. Students who expect to do graduate work in International Relations after completing the B.A. are advised to consider the special Honours programs in History (with International Relations) and in Political Science (with International Relations) or to make sure they have at least 24 credits of 300-and 400-level courses in one of the core disciplines (Economics, History, Political Science).
Students with a B.A. who would like to study International Relations at the graduate level at UBC should apply directly to one of the relevant departments (e.g., History, Political Science or Economics).
Admission to the Major Program
Admission to the Major Program in International Relations is not automatic. Students who do not have a sufficiently high average cannot be admitted to the Major.
Admission is based on the average grade obtained for all post-secondary course work attempted. The average is calculated on at least 54 credits. To be eligible to apply to the IR program students need to have completed one of the lower division IR requirements: Econ 101 and 102, Hist 102 or 103, or Poli 260. However, it is strongly recommended that students complete all of these courses before applying to the program. Students may complete their IR language requirement in their 3rd or 4th year. Arts One students can only count their English credits towards the IR program. They will, therefore, need to fulfill all of the lower division Econ, Hist, and Poli requirements.
The precise minimum average needed in a given year depends upon how many students apply for admission to the major. Every year the IR program accepts 125 students into the major. Based upon past experience, we estimate that in the coming year the average necessary for admission will be somewhere in the B+ to A- range. Students with an average below 72% should not apply to the IR program and should consider an alternate major. Since many applicants are not admitted to the International Relations Major, all students are strongly urged to make sure that during their first two years of university or college course work they have satisfied the requirements for an alternative major.
Application Procedure
Application forms will be available after February 1 online and from the International Relations Program Office, Liu Institute Room 305.
Completed applications are due by May 15 prior to registration for third year. They should be completed online or handed in to the International Relations Program Office (Liu Institute Room 305) or mailed to International Relations Program, Liu Institute for Global Issues, 6476 NW Marine Drive, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2 or faxed to 604-822-6966. Applicants should arrange for transcripts from all post-secondary institutions they have attended, other than UBC, to be mailed to the above address. Failure to do so will delay consideration of your application.
Applicants will be notified by June 15 whether they have been accepted, rejected, or put on a waiting list.
