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International Relations

Available as a major

International relations trains you to examine complex global issues from a variety of perspectives, including political science, business, history, sociology and literature.

The international relations program at Roanoke offers you one-on-one career coaching to help you define your goals and pursue them effectively. Roanoke's special arrangement with colleges across the globe gives you extensive world travel opportunities. Through Roanoke's distinctive Lutheran College Washington Semester program, international relations students have interned on Capitol Hill, at the State Department and at non-profit organizations in the nation's capital.

Curriculum & Courses

I.R.-223: Comparitive Political Systems: Middle East
I.R.-352: Human Rights Policy
I.R.-353: U.S. Foreign Policy

Tess Harrington '24 and Ellie Roberts '24  in a classroom

What Makes Roanoke Different?

Roanoke's Henry H. Fowler Public Policy Program has hosted speakers ranging from presidents, prime ministers, national commentators, Supreme Court justices, renowned scholars and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Students have the chance to hear firsthand from global leaders and learn about issues facing the world.

Jen Psaki at Roanoke College

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki sat down with journalist Howard Kurtz for a conversation on "Civil Discourse and Democracy" on Nov. 12, 2019. Psaki served in high-level posts in two presidential administrations.

Mara Liasson at Roanoke College

NPR national political correspondent and FOX News panelist Mara Liasson shared her insights about the landscape of the media and the electorate in a Nov. 2, 2022, talk entitled, "Implications of the Mid-Term Elections: A View of Democracy in America."

President Jimmy Carter at Roanoke College

The 39th president of the United States made a headline-generating visit to Roanoke College on April 10, 1984. President Jimmy Carter delivered a talk entitled, "Conflict and Consensus: America Today." 

General Clapper at Roanoke College

The nation's fourth director of national intelligence offered his expertise on the complex and evolving field in a talk entitled, "Intelligence Needs for the Future." Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper's address took place on March 22, 2018. 

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at Roanoke College

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who made history as the first woman to serve on the high court, headlined Roanoke College's 2009 commemoration of Constitution Day. Her talk on the subject of judicial independence took place on Sept. 17, 2009.

Roanoke students have the opportunity to travel broadly with faculty and most of our students take advantage of this.  All of our faculty lead month-long trips where they teach and travel with students. 

Students in a boat on a river

Students travel to Uganda with Professor Joshua Rubongoya for May Term. They learn about politics in Uganda from an expert on the subject. 

A group of students travel to Israel with Dr. Snow

Roanoke students traveled with Dr. Snow to Israel and the West Bank to study the Arab-Israeli conflict and how it affects the lives of the diverse inhabitants of the region.

Student Experiences

Cameron McDonald’s education at Roanoke College has taken him to the other side of the world and back.  

The international relations major, who’s also earning minors in multiple languages, had opportunities to travel to Japan for May Term and to take part in an in-depth research project in Korea — a trip that led to him being quoted in the Chosun Daily newspaper and invited along with his fellow students to visit with Prince Yi Jun. 

McDonald ’24 also competed with Roanoke’s award-winning Model UN team and co-led a geopolitical analysis project that won first place in an international competition. His senior year, he was picked for the Washington Semester program, allowing him to live, intern and study full-time in the nation’s capital. 

McDonald has his sights set next on law school and a career working in immigration advocacy and reform. His hope is to play a part in lightening the burden for other global travelers. “I just hope to spread a little bit of kindness in the world,” he said.

Cameron McDonald in Japan walking down a busy pedestrian street

Learn by Doing

Roanoke's Model UN club participates in several simulations per year and travels abroad. Model UN and the Model Arab League offer students the ability to research deeply into the politics of the world, to meet with like-minded students, to hear from diplomats and scholars and hone their professional and leadership skills. 

Model UN was, honestly, the most amazing experience of my life.

Emily Cranford '22

three students at a tableThe Public Affairs Society at Roanoke College offers students the unique opportunity to encourage public discourse between the various disciplines of the public affairs department, such as political science, criminal justice, and international relations. The organization aims to promote awareness, as well as participation, in public issues that affect students in any and every major on campus. It offers students the unique opportunity to encourage and partake in public discourse; something that not every club can offer.

Careers & Outcomes

Logos for the US Department of Treasury, the Peace Corps, American Waterways Operators, Spanish Embassy and United States Congress

One language has never been enough for George Kendall ’23. The international relations major and magna cum laude graduate found himself continually inspired to explore, discover and foster understanding with other people around the globe. 

That passion was supported at Roanoke College with language courses — Kendall earned a minor in German — and an opportunity to spend a semester immersed in Leipzig, Germany.  

The experiences sharpened his skills and showed him what he was capable of, setting the stage for a new adventure when he was awarded a Fulbright, one of the most prestigious opportunities in international education.  

The honor meant that Kendall headed to Germany again after graduation to devote a year to teaching and serving as a cultural ambassador. Throughout the Fulbright application process, he was supported by experienced advisors within Roanoke’s Office of Major Scholarships and Fellowships. 

“That support was instrumental for me,” Kendall said. “I don’t think I would have gotten anywhere without it.” 

George Kendall

Adrian Gillem ’15 came to Roanoke from the U.S. Virgin Islands with a passion to learn more about the world around him. Now, he leads an international team of engineers as a senior program manager for Microsoft, a job he landed less than seven years after graduating. 

In college, Gillem was an international relations major, Model U.N. representative and International Club mentor. While still a sophomore, he earned a prestigious, federal Gilman Scholarship and a Freeman-ASIA Scholarship to conduct research in Japan that he later presented at a conference

He also worked on campus in the Information Technology Department — discovering a new passion that he’d blend with his international relations background to shape his career path. Prior to joining Microsoft, Gillem worked for Fortune 500 firm Booz Allen Hamilton as an IT strategist and developer, leading work in D.C., Japan and South Korea. 

His interdisciplinary education taught him that his skills weren’t limited to one field. “I can be an IT professional who can extend my career into international relations through the work I do,” he said.

Adrian Gillem

Faculty

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News

  • Are you a student involved in research? Are you interested sharing your research in 90 seconds with a public audience to win up to $100? 

    Date:
    April 18, 2024
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International relations allows you to examine complex global issues from a variety of perspectives, including political science, business, history, sociology and literature.
The international relations program at Roanoke offers you one-on-one career coaching to help you define your goals and pursue them effectively at every stage of your academic career.

Roanoke's special arrangement with colleges across the globe gives you extensive world travel opportunities. Recently, international relations students traveled to Japan, South Korea, the Czech Republic, China, Romania, Morocco, India, Denmark and Israel.

Through Roanoke's distinctive Lutheran College Washington Semester program, international relations students have interned on Capitol Hill, at the State Department and at non-profit organizations in the nation's capital. Students have also volunteered or completed internships in the Roanoke Valley with immigration lawyers, refugee resettlement services, Feeding America, ESL programs and more.

We offer a major in international relations.