Although requirements will vary from college to college, international relations majors are usually expected to take courses that will develop their proficiency in writing and speaking, courses in modern history and economics and political science.
International relations majors often specialize in a particular geographic region, like the Middle East, or thematic area, such as resource management and the environment. Students may also study languages of that region, or sciences related to their thematic specialization, such as geology or biology.
Graduates with a major in international relations have a wide variety of potential career paths to follow, including jobs in various aspects of international trade, immigration and intelligence services. The major requires the development of intellectual skills that are also useful in a variety of other fields not related to international relations specifically, such as journalism, management and general administration.