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International Relations

Types of Degrees International Relations Majors Are Earning

Those studying International Relations may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	18
Bachelor’s Degree	7,153
Master’s Degree	4,416
Doctor’s Degree	95

What International Relations Majors Need to Know

Coursework for International Relations build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that International Relations graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in International Relations emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a International Relations program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to International Relations careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, International Relations graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by International Relations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	—
WinBUGS	Analytical or scientific software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for International Relations graduates include:

• Instructor
• College Professor
• Public Policy Professor
• Political Science Adjunct Professor
• Political Science Faculty Member
• Government Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Government Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• International Relations Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Political Science Adjunct Instructor
• Government Professor
• Adjunct Political Science Instructor
• Political Theory Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to International Relations graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	58.9%
Bachelor’s degree	23.8%
Master’s degree	5.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.9%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Some college courses	1.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in International Relations?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.1% women and 41.9% men among International Relations graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,793	58.1%
Men	4,891	41.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of International Relations graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,516	47.2%
Asian	904	7.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,772	15.2%
Black or African American	757	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.1%
Two or More Races	552	4.7%
Race Unknown	287	2.5%
International Students	1,879	16.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do International Relations Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of International Relations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$52,048
4 years	$67,113
5 years	$78,479

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $78,479 — roughly 51% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online International Relations Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for International Relations. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	8	9
Master’s	14	12
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in International Relations Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, International Relations graduates earn a median of $67,113 four years after completion — roughly 77% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
International Relations and National Security Studies	45.09
International Relations and National Security Studies, Other	45.0999
National Security Policy Studies	45.0902
American Government and Politics (United States)	45.1002
Political Economy	45.1004
Political Science and Government, General	45.1001
Political Science and Government, Other	45.1099
Canadian Government and Politics	45.1003

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.