Other links:
Other links:
Undergraduate programs in IR are structured around the number of courses that students take for completing the requirements of a Major, a Minor, an Interdisciplinary Major, or a Concentration.
Students can also crosslist a certain number of courses from other Departments, once this has been approved by both Departments, in each of the programs.
The Major is the department’s flagship programme. It provides students with a holistic under-graduate training in International Relations, introduces them to major subfields such as International History, Security Studies and Foreign Policy Analysis, trains them in academic skills and critical thinking, and allows them to compose part of their programme in line with their personal preferences by choosing electives. The programme prepares students for a variety of career options, including but not limited to international business, government, international civil service, non-governmental organizations, diplomacy, risk analysis, and journalism. Those interested in pursuing post-graduate training in International Relations or related fields are particularly advised to take this option.
Students can take the Major as part of three degrees offered at Ashoka University:
To pursue a Major in International Relations, a student must complete a minimum of 13 courses.
| 2 Gateway Courses | International Relations Theory
International History |
| 3 Core Courses | War and Strategy
Foreign Policy Analysis Introduction to Research Methodology |
| 8 Electives | Including up to 3 cross-listed courses |
An ideal time table for the Major in International Relations looks like the following sequence.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| International Relations Theory | International History | Foreign Policy Analysis | War and Strategy | Introduction to Research Methodology | (Research Methodology 2) | (Thesis) | |
| 8 electives | 5 electives | ||||||
Students taking the three-year BA complete semesters 1 to 6 in the table (52 credits in total). For the four-year BA, students add semesters 7 and 8 that contain 5 electives (20 credits), with the optional research component for those keen to obtain the BA Honours with Research. This research component consists of one mandatory course, Research Methods II (IR-2057 for 4 credits), and the thesis (8 credits).
In the fourth year, IR Majors have the option to pursue a supervised research project, culminating in an undergraduate thesis of 15,000-20,000 words. The thesis consists of 12 credits, divided between a research prospectus (4 credits) that you submit at the end of the Research Methodology II course and the final thesis (8 credits).
Students in UG2023 (graduating in 2027) and UG2024 (graduating in 2028), who wish to write a thesis must finish the mandatory Introduction to Research Methodology (henceforth IRM) course prior to Year 4, and ideally in the Spring semester of Year 3. The IRM class introduces you to the fundamentals of research methodology, such as ‘constructing a research question’, the logics of case selection, ideas of causality and constitution, and finally, specific methods such as discourse analysis, ethnography, and quantitative text analysis. At the end of the class, you undertake a research project of your choice, and submit a final essay based on your findings. The IRM module enables students to design coherent and robust research proposals for the 4th year IR thesis. However, even students who choose not to opt for the thesis option will gain a grounding in the basics of research design and methods.
After taking the IRM course, those students opting for the thesis take the Research Methodology (henceforth RM2) course in the Monsoon semester of the 4th year. The RM2 course is more of a deep dive into the intricacies of research design and will be designed keeping the students’ research projects in mind. It enables students to develop their own research projects, and learn skills such as conducting a literature review, data collection, and analysis. At the end of the RM2 course, students submit the first chapter of their thesis as the final assignment. This consists of a basic introduction, literature review, and a discussion of theoretical framework and methods. Students also make a presentation based on their first chapter to the department at the end of the semester. This will account for 4 of the 12 credits of the final year thesis. Furthermore, it allows students to focus on the empirical aspect of their research in the final (Spring) semester.
At the end of the Spring semester, besides submitting their final thesis, students give a presentation of their work. The thesis is graded by your supervisor and a secondary grader from the department.
UG25 students pursuing a minor can write an undergraduate thesis with the department in their fourth year (2025-2026) via the Ashoka Scholars Programme (ASP). In order to be eligible for the programme, they need to have completed 1 Gateway Course and IRM prior to Year 4. The department will publish a call during the Spring semester outlining the ASP application process.
Students may also opt to pursue a Minor in IR. This programme enables students of other disciplines to pursue their interest in International Relations.
For the Minor, students must complete 6 courses.
1 Gateway Course Either International Relations Theory or International History
5 Electives Including up to 2 cross-listed courses
Students may also opt to pursue a Concentration in IR. This programme enables students of other disciplines to pursue their interest in International Relations.
For the Concentration, students must complete 4 courses.
1 Gateway Course Either International Relations Theory or International History
3 Electives Including up to 1 cross-listed course
The Department of International Relations also offers an Interdisciplinary Major in History and International Relations, organised in conjunction with the Department of History. The credit requirements are as follows:
The requirements for completing the Interdisciplinary Major from the Department of International Relations are as follows:
3 Core Courses
Three-year programme 5 electives of which 3 can be cross listed.
Four-year programme 7 electives of which 5 can be cross listed
Department of International Relations Handbook
Ashoka University’s department of International Relations offers a range of undergraduate programmes. Students get a foundational understanding of international and regional institutions in world politics. It is both rigorous in its requirements and flexible in how they can be met.
The department of International Relations is a storehouse of renowned faculty where each professor is an expert in their own field. Having done my minor and capstone thesis in this subject, I can say with conviction that every course has a lot to offer in terms of knowledge, personal anecdotes and critical thinking. Being a complete newbie in the subject, I fell in love with it all thanks to the insightful discussions and debates that were part of every IR course!
Hargun Sethi
ASP 2021
History and IR are subjects that go hand-in-hand. The way the interdisciplinary major at Ashoka is structured truly allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds and gain a complete education. The well thought out course structure is supported by amazing faculty that make sure students get the best education.
Karantaj Singh
ASP 2021
Ans: Yes. Without writing a thesis you will be awarded a BA Honours degree (72 credits), and if you choose to write a thesis you will be awarded a BA Honours with Research degree (72 + 12 credits).
Ans: You need 6 courses to finish a Minor in IR. You need 4 courses to finish a Concentration in IR.
Ans: You need to complete 8 IR courses for the three-year and 10 IR courses for the four-year Interdisciplinary Major. These include:
Ans: Yes, you can finish the minor within three years. However, it is important to plan your courses accordingly. Please keep in mind that before taking most courses in IR you must fulfill the 1000-level course requirement. The Department advises you to take at least one 1000-level gateway course in your second semester at Ashoka University.
Ans: Students need to take one 1000-level gateway course, either International Relations Theory or International History, to meet the requirements of the IR Minor.
Ans: No. You must complete at least one 1000-level gateway course in a prior semester before you take higher-level courses.
Ans: Yes, for the purposes of the Minor or the Concentration, if you have met your mandatory 1000-level requirement, another 1000-level course can be counted as an elective.
Ans: Yes. After completing the two gateway courses, you should also complete the three 2000-level core courses before the end of your third year. Prior to enrolling in the final core course, Introduction to Research Methodology (IR-2053), in their sixth semester, IR Major students must complete two gateway courses (International Relations Theory, International History) and two core courses (that is, War and Strategy, and Foreign Policy Analysis).
For the ideal time table for the IR Major, please refer to page 8 of this handbook.
Ans: No. Once you have taken one gateway course you can enroll in other IR courses (both core courses and electives), provided that you meet any specific prerequisites set by the course instructor.
Ans: If you have completed your mandatory 1000-level requirement, you can take courses of any level. However, please note that for electives the course instructor may set specific prerequisites. It is advisable to inquire with them about this in advance.
While choosing your courses, do keep in mind that the levels indicate the level of difficulty. In general, it is better to opt for the higher-level elective courses after completing lower-level courses.
Ans: The requirements are as follows.
Ans: No, cross-listings may change between semesters. If you took a course that was cross listed in the semester that you took it in, it will count towards your degree.
Ans: Third- and fourth-year students are eligible to become TAs. The department calls for applications prior to the start of each semester. Interested students should look out for the call and apply following the instructions provided.
Ans: No. Unfortunately, the Major in IR is accessible only to UG2023 (those graduating in 2027) and after.
Ans: No. The thesis programme is accessible to students in their final year of undergraduate studies. Interested students should keep in mind that to access the programme they should complete Introduction to Research Methodology prior to the start of the fourth year.
Ans: In the case of the IR Major, students must complete Introduction to Research Methodology by the end of the third year. This does not apply to students opting for the Minor or the Concentration. However, UG25 students interested in pursuing a fourth-year thesis should complete Introduction to Research Methodology in the Spring 2025 semester.
Ans: You can contact the IR Student Representative, Ananya Madan at ir.rep@ashoka.edu.in and the Department Manager, Pratima Kadian, at pratima.kadian@ashoka.edu.in.
