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Other International Relations

Types of Degrees Other International Relations Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other International Relations may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	83
Master’s Degree	474
Doctor’s Degree	6

What Other International Relations Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other 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 Other 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

Abilities most relevant to Other 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, Other 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 Other International Relations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
WinBUGS	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
ContextMiner	Data mining software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other International Relations graduates include:

• Political Science Professor
• Geopolitics Teacher
• International Relations Teacher
• Adjunct Political Science Professor
• Political Science Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• University Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Instructor
• Government Teacher
• Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Public Administration Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• College Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other 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 Other International Relations?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 67% of Other International Relations degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	186	33.0%
Men	377	67.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	341	60.6%
Asian	32	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	80	14.2%
Black or African American	31	5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	18	3.2%
Race Unknown	18	3.2%
International Students	40	7.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other International Relations Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other International Relations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Other International Relations Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Other 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
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	3	5
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{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 Other International Relations Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other 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 Affairs	45.0901
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.