International Politics and Economics Learning Goals
The International Politics and Economics program educates students about international economic and political dynamics, foreign languages and culture, and a specific geographic region of the world. Drawing upon the program's two main disciplines, IP&E majors study the fundamental theoretical concepts of economics and political science as well as the economic and political dimensions of their geographic region.
The principal components of this education are:
- Knowledge of major paradigms in economics and political science (in particular, comparative politics and international relations)
- Interdisciplinary understanding of a specific geographic region
- Competency in the foreign language that corresponds to this geographic region
- Study abroad
- Senior work
Goals and Assessment
- Disciplinary Training: Students must demonstrate familiarity with the disciplines of economics and political science by completing six courses within each discipline. These courses introduce students to these fields' methodology, theories, and key analytic concepts.
- Geographic Region: Students must demonstrate knowledge of a region of the world by completing courses that focus on their geographic region of interest, and by studying abroad in their respective region.
- Foreign Language Training: Students must demonstrate competency in a foreign language by meeting the language department's requirements for study abroad, and (usually) studying content courses in that foreign language while abroad.
- Study Abroad: Students must study abroad for at least one semester in their region of interest and chosen language.
- Senior Work: Students must demonstrate their ability to conduct independent work by completing a Senior Seminar/Tutorial in which they write a lengthy paper based on independent research. Qualifying seniors may also write a Senior Honors Thesis.