The Committee on International Relations (CIR) is a one-year

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

graduate program Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...

in the Division of Social Sciences at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

. It is one of the oldest

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such ...

graduate program in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

History

CIR was founded in 1928 by a group of University of Chicago

professors Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

, including

Hans Morgenthau Hans Joachim Morgenthau (February 17, 1904 – July 19, 1980) was a German-American jurist and political scientist who was one of the major 20th-century figures in the study of international relations. Morgenthau's works belong to the tradition o ...

and

Quincy Wright Philip Quincy Wright (December 28, 1890 – October 17, 1970) was an American political scientist based at the University of Chicago known for his pioneering work and expertise in international law, international relations, and security studies. ...

. While CIR is known worldwide for one of the most distinguished programs in the study of

international security International security, also called global security is a term which refers to the measures taken by states and international organizations, such as the United Nations, European Union, and others, to ensure mutual survival and safety. These mea ...

, CIR faculty and students are also well known for academic work in international political economy, international institutions,

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

comparative politics Comparative politics is a field in political science characterized either by the use of the ''comparative method'' or other empirical methods to explore politics both within and between countries. Substantively, this can include questions relatin ...

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...

and

regional studies Area studies (also known as regional studies) are interdisciplinary fields of research and scholarship pertaining to particular geographical, national/ federal, or cultural regions. The term exists primarily as a general description for what are, ...

Admissions

Applicants from CIR come from around the world; about 25 percent of

applications Application may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks ** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a c ...

and accepted

students A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...

are from outside the United States. Every year, CIR receives over 300 applicants for roughly 40-50 spots. In the admissions process, applicants are required to provide the standard CIR application, letters of recommendations, a

personal statement An admissions or application essay, sometimes also called a personal statement or a statement of purpose, is an essay or other written statement written by an applicant, often a prospective student applying to some college, university, or graduate ...

, a 10-20 page writing sample, and their GRE scores. International applicants from non-English speaking countries also have to provide

TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by more than 11,000 universities a ...

IELTS The International English Language Testing System (IELTS ), is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia a ...

scores as all coursework is conducted in

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances ...

. Applicants typically have a GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher and must have a BA degree (or similar) from an

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

. In addition to an applicant's academic background, relevant work experience and fit with the program are also taken into account. Applications are evaluated by an admissions committee which includes CIR preceptors and CIR faculty.

The program

The combination of intellectual diversity and analytical strength provide a stimulating environment for CIR students. The small size and intellectual rigor of the program ensure that students with differing perspectives will challenge each other and come to a more sophisticated understanding of the complicated interaction between the realities of

international politics International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

and

international economics International economics is concerned with the effects upon economic activity from international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the international institutions that affect them. It seeks to explain the patterns and ...

. The program provides excellent preparation for students, whether they choose to continue their graduate studies in leading doctoral programs, or decide to work in

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

or the

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

. Each CIR graduate student is assigned a preceptor based on their own disciplinary and research interests in

, such as

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, or

Coursework

Students take three credited courses per quarter, which constitutes a full-load at the University of Chicago. Of the nine total courses, two are required "Core" classes, including a course on

and another on international political economy. CIR students also take three mandatory non-credit classes, including two MA thesis workshops in the

Fall Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

and Winter quarters and a class taught by the CIR preceptors called "Perspectives on International Relations" in the Fall quarter. With the remaining seven credited courses, students are allowed to take any graduate-level course, with the following three restrictions: (1) seven of the nine courses must be on the CIR-approved course list, (2) at least three courses must be within the Division of Social Sciences, and (3) three courses must be taken in two of the four possible fields of study.

Fields of study

* International Security, Conflict Studies, and Contentious Politics * International Political Economy and Development * Comparative Studies in Political Institutions and Identity * Human Rights, Environment, and International Law * Research Methods in the Social Sciences https://cir.uchicago.edu/

MA thesis

CIR students must also complete a

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144 ...

under the guidance of their preceptor and a faculty adviser of their choosing. Students will be aided by the two required MA thesis workshop classes in the Fall and Winter quarters. Each thesis is expected to be between 35-45 pages in length and below 14,000 words.

MA with specialization

CIR students who wish to pursue a particular research topic in greater depth than is possible in one year may pursue the second-year specialization program. Specialization is best designed for students who plan to continue with graduate studies in a Ph.D. program at the University of Chicago or elsewhere. Specialization is competitive; on average 10-12 students apply, and 2-4 are accepted.

Joint degrees

CIR offers joint degrees with different programs and schools at the University of Chicago. * BA/MA - offered only to current University of Chicago

undergraduates Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry- ...

entering their senior year * MA/MA - with the

Harris School of Public Policy Studies The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, also referred to as "Harris Public Policy," is the public policy school of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located on the University's main campus in ...

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

/MA - with the

University of Chicago Graduate School of Business The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Chicago Booth or Booth) is the graduate business school of the University of Chicago. Founded in 1898, Chicago Booth is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and is associated with 10 N ...

* JD/MA - with the

University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...

Notable faculty

Bruce Cumings Bruce Cumings (born September 5, 1943) is an American historian of East Asia, professor, lecturer and author. He is the Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in History, and the former chair of the history department at ...

* John Mearsheimer *

Robert Pape Robert Anthony Pape Jr. (born April 24, 1960) is an American political scientist who studies national and international security affairs, with a focus on air power, American and international political violence, social media propaganda, and t ...

Eric Posner Eric Andrew Posner (; born December 5, 1965) is an American lawyer and legal scholar who has served as a counsel for the Department of Justice Antitrust Division since 2022. As a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School, Posner has ...

* Paul Staniland * Bernard Wasserstein * Charles Lipson * Dali Yang

References

External links

CIR Website

AM/MA-CIR
- Dual Degree Committee on International Relations (CIR) {{Authority control University of Chicago Schools of international relations in the United States Realist think tanks 1928 establishments in Illinois