Social Sciences
International Relations and National Security Studies
Colleges award this field under 3 named programs, from International Relations and Affairs to International Relations and National Security Studies, Other.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 3 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- International Relations and Affairs
- Focuses on the systematic study of international politics and institutions, and the conduct of diplomacy and foreign policy. Covers international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, international law and organization, the comparative study of specific countries and regions, and the theory and practice of diplomacy.
- National Security Policy Studies
- Focuses on the theory and application of intelligence, diplomacy, military power, and related tools of statecraft to national defense policy formulation and power projection. Covers history, political theory, public policy analysis, civil-military relations, military and defense studies, homeland security, leadership, threat scenarios, regional and local issues, alliance and coalition issues, defense budgeting and economics, intelligence, and strategy.
- International Relations and National Security Studies, Other
- International relations and national security studies not listed above.
Also called International Relations, International Affairs, Foreign Policy and Diplomacy, International Relations and Affairs-Economics, International Relations and Affairs-History, International Relations and Affairs-Political Science
Also called National Security Studies, Strategic Studies
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
Managers, All Other
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Hiring change through 2035
- 4.9%
- Job openings a year
- 100,900
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyPolitical Science Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $98,070
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.5%
- Job openings a year
- 1,500
To get hiredDoctoral or professional degree
Explore this career ShrinkingPolitical Scientists
- Median pay
- $142,080
- Hiring change through 2035
- −2.0%
- Job openings a year
- 400
To get hiredMaster's degree
Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $34,869 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
Few of the careers connected to this field are measured as substantially in-person or active work. Compare the specific occupations to see how much time each one involves with people, equipment, and movement.
College options
Where to study it
Ordered by how many degrees each college awards in this field. Sort by any numbered column.
| College | Degrees a year | Earnings, first year out | Admit rate | Average annual cost after aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University DC | 511 | $45,627 | 44% | $22,000 |
| American University DC | 387 | $41,948 | 47% | $26,000 |
| Georgetown University DC | 283 | $44,920 | 13% | $18,000 |
| Florida State University FL | 276 | $30,421 | 25% | $10,000 |
| Florida International University FL | 253 | $35,234 | 59% | $11,000 |
| University of Georgia GA | 221 | $34,590 | 37% | $13,000 |
| Boston University MA | 189 | $38,920 | 11% | $12,000 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus VA | 184 | $45,350 | 17% | $13,000 |
| Tufts University MA | 153 | $46,957 | 10% | $15,000 |
| University of Southern California CA | 145 | $48,625 | 10% | $20,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA | 138 | $39,513 | 54% | $26,000 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA | 138 | $39,039 | 57% | $18,000 |
| Brown University RI | 137 | $37,882 | 5% | $6,000 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH | 133 | $31,674 | 51% | $10,000 |
| University of California-Davis CA | 125 | $32,132 | 42% | $12,000 |
| George Mason University VA | 120 | $39,409 | 89% | $15,000 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN | 117 | $28,104 | 80% | $12,000 |
| Michigan State University MI | 110 | $42,937 | 84% | $17,000 |
| University of Denver CO | 101 | $32,897 | 71% | $23,000 |
| Fordham University NY | 96 | $40,642 | 56% | $37,000 |
| William & Mary VA | 95 | $43,636 | 33% | $6,000 |
| Syracuse University NY | 94 | $37,488 | 42% | $21,000 |
| New York University NY | 88 | — | 9% | $17,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University MD | 80 | $57,526 | 8% | $4,000 |
| United States Military Academy NY | 73 | — | 14% | — |
| Yale University CT | 66 | $69,045 | 5% | $18,000 |
| University of California-Riverside CA | 64 | $26,867 | 63% | $13,000 |
| University of South Florida FL | 64 | $28,557 | 41% | $9,000 |
| Seton Hall University NJ | 62 | $36,354 | 79% | $27,000 |
| Stanford University CA | 61 | $60,442 | 4% | $3,000 |
| Tulane University of Louisiana LA | 55 | $35,401 | 15% | $20,000 |
| James Madison University VA | 53 | $38,400 | 76% | $16,000 |
| Occidental College CA | 50 | $38,329 | 40% | $28,000 |
| San Diego State University CA | 49 | $28,674 | 34% | $13,000 |
| San Francisco State University CA | 49 | $33,835 | 96% | $12,000 |
| CUNY City College NY | 49 | $31,183 | 58% | $7,000 |
| Middlebury College VT | 48 | $43,313 | 10% | $18,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania PA | 46 | — | 6% | $10,000 |
| Colgate University NY | 44 | — | 12% | — |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio TX | 44 | $37,456 | 88% | $9,000 |