Minor in International Relations, Diplomacy & Law
The International Relations, Diplomacy & Law minor at Arcadia University enhances a wide range of majors, including Political Science, Law and Public Policy, Global Studies, Human Rights Advocacy, International Business and Culture, Criminal Justice, and Media & Communications. This minor provides Arcadia students with a strong understanding of political power and processes, practical knowledge of international affairs, and theoretical insights into international relations and law. It also equips students with essential skills in diplomacy, political and policy analysis, and critical thinking, preparing them for impactful roles in global and public service fields.
The minor helps students grasp the dynamics of power and political systems, gain practical insights into international affairs, and build a strong foundation in the theories of international relations and law. It also develops essential skills in diplomacy, policy and political analysis, and critical thinking.
Featured Courses
Politics of Russia and East Europe
In this course, you’ll explore the politics and foreign and security policies of Russia and Eastern Europe from the Bolshevik Revolution to today. You’ll draw on theories of comparative politics, international relations, foreign policy, and historical scholarship to understand the key drivers of Soviet and Russian foreign policy, including ideology, identity, and power.
International Human Rights
In this course, you’ll investigate the challenges the international community has faced in defining and protecting human rights since the end of the Cold War. You’ll analyze how humanitarian intentions are often used rhetorically, sometimes masking the neglect of actual human rights. You’ll also examine the nature and development of human rights, explore the complexities of humanitarian action, and consider ways to build a sustainable international human rights regime.
International Law
Gain a comprehensive understanding of the role and function of international law in the global system in this course, focusing on its history, structure, and capacity to reduce conflict. Explore the major areas of international law, with special attention to human rights and the laws governing armed conflict. Topics you’ll delve into include the use of force, arms control, detention and torture, terrorism, war crimes, and self-determination. Through readings, research, discussions, and simulations, you’ll apply legal concepts to real-world international issues.
Antiracist Immigration Law and Advocacy
In this course, you’ll examine how U.S. immigration law has long reinforced systems that prioritize white lives over others, especially Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized people of color (BIPOC). Antiracist Immigration Law and Advocacy guides you toward an antiracist approach to law that not only seeks to understand these inequities but actively works to dismantle them—particularly in the administration of humanitarian relief, such as asylum.
You’ll engage with intersectional and decolonial perspectives from Black, Indigenous, and Latine legal scholars and social theorists, applying these frameworks to critically analyze U.S. policies over the past 50 years in response to humanitarian crises in the Global South. Focusing on the U.S. treatment of BIPOC individuals displaced from Haiti, Central America, Venezuela, and Afghanistan, you’ll explore the historical development of humanitarian elements in immigration law, the current eligibility requirements for relief, and the role of gender, race, and class in access to this relief.
Through hands-on analysis of redacted real cases, you’ll complete the same steps as legal advocates and their clients to build petitions for humanitarian relief. This experience builds essential lawyering skills for antiracist advocacy, including proficiency in key forms of legal writing crucial for effective, equity-driven legal practice.
Model United Nations
Dive into the workings of the United Nations and other key international organizations in this extraordinary course, with a focus on international negotiations. You’ll study the structure and operations of the UN and explore relevant roles of other international organizations. Perhaps most excitingly, you’ll also travel to participate in a Model United Nations competition, where you’ll engage with student teams from across the globe.
