Foreign Politics
Available as a minor
The foreign politics minor allows students to examine issues and institutions that shape the global political landscape.
Students may choose to take courses that interest them most, from global political economy to human rights. Special studies in the politics of Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are offered. Many of our graduates currently work as lobbyists, lawyers, judges, professors and political advisors.
Curriculum & Courses
Sample Course Offerings
POLI 224: Comparative Political Systems: Africa
Student posing by portraits
POLI 231: International Politics
POLI 247: Theory in International Relations
Student Experiences
James Owusu eyes a career protecting natural resources in Ghana
Addressing Global Plights Through Foreign Politics
Leah Weinstein '18 declared a religious studies major and a foreign politics minor by her sophomore year at Roanoke. Professors in those departments "prepare their students to immediately contribute to an ever-changing, global society," says Weinstein. "Each professor brings a set of skills and experiences that make the courses thoughtful and engaging. We live in a harsh, dark world and the classes I took definitely emphasized that, but it also taught me that there are always individuals and organizations who can work justly to change society."
Political Religions
Roanoke students traveled to central Europe to study how Fascism, Marxism and Nazism in the 20th century harnessed human passions in "political religions," leading to totalitarian, murderous regimes.
Learn By Doing
Students create Israel Palestine Peace Month
Roanoke's special arrangement with international study programs gives our students the opportunity to study at universities across the globe — including Japan, South Korea, the Czech Republic, China, Romania, Morocco, India, Denmark, Israel and more.
Public Affairs Society Encourages Discourse, Critical Thinking
The 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 of – and 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
Our grads have been accepted to top graduate programs.
Foreign Politics grad recruits astronauts for NASA
Anne Roemer's job as manager of astronaut selection for NASA's Johnson Space Center is out of this world. At a job fair, Roemer '97 struck up a conversation with someone who worked at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which led to a job offer from NASA. In 2016-17, she helped select NASA's next 12 astronauts out of a pool of over 18,000 candidates. Roemer credits her experience in the Honors Program at Roanoke with helping her to develop strong verbal and written communication skills that are critical to her work at NASA today.
Faculty
News
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Damien Fellows ’26, an international relations student, spent eight weeks in South Korea, where he balanced intensive learning classes with cultural activities.
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The report, written by Dr. Liz Ackley and four student researchers, offers a detailed picture of health trends among elementary school students in Roanoke City.
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Summer Scholars is a competitive program that offers paid research positions and enables students to do a deep dive into an original topic.
Events
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Join President Frank Shushok Jr. and Rev. Kelly Shushok for a conversation on how respect shapes leadership, civic life, education and everyday encounters across differences!
- Date:
- January 21, 2026
- Time:
- 7 - 8:30 p.m.
- Location:
Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea
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This interactive workshop, the first of a two-part event, is intended to train researchers to better communicate their work with people outside of their field. Folks from all programs are encouraged to attend!
- Date:
- March 27, 2026
- Time:
- 4 - 6 p.m.
- Location:
Antrim Chapel
