International Relations & Security

Types of Degrees International Relations & Security Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international relations and national security graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	9,158
Master’s Degree	4,426
Graduate Certificate	511
Basic Certificate	98
Doctor’s Degree	73
Associate Degree	35
Undergraduate Certificate	5

What International Relations & Security Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to international relations were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for International Relations Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in international relations should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for International Relations Majors

international relations majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for International Relations Majors

As you progress with your international relations degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a International Relations & Security Major?

People with a international relations degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Investment Fund Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Political Science Professors	10.4%	$83,370
Political Scientists	2.7%	$117,570
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Security Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Supply Chain Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations & Security?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 9,158 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and national security in 2021, making it rank #58 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 62% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of international relations majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	649
Black or African American	604
Hispanic or Latino	1,498
White	4,868
International Students	862
Other Races/Ethnicities	677

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in International Relations. About 9.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Japan
• India
• Canada

How Much Do International Relations & Security Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median early-career salary of international relations and national security students with a bachelor’s degree is $35,647 a year according to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $30,239 (25th percentile) and $39,682 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in international relations, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $99,480 to $115,590 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to international relations. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to International Relations & Security

Some degrees associated with international relations may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for international relations careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.4%
Some College Courses	0.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	40.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.7%
Master’s Degree	19.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.9%
Doctoral Degree	29.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.6%

Online International Relations & Security Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 458 schools offered some type of international relations and national security program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	6	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	24	1
Bachelor’s Degree	46	6
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	128	22
Post-Master’s	8	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	18	2
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in International Relations & Security Worth It?

The median salary for a international relations grad is $115,300 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 189% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,508,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to International Relations & Security

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to international relations.

Major	Number of Grads
Political Science & Government	49,282
Economics	49,055
Sociology	38,475
General Social Sciences	18,997
Anthropology	11,415
Criminology	11,039
Geography & Cartography	8,526
Other Social Sciences	2,414
Urban Studies	1,507
Sociology & Anthropology	541
Archeology	339
Demography & Population Studies	88

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By RepubFan12 under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.