Making the world a safer place
Ready to explore the cultures, history and politics that shape our world? Prepare to work across boundaries in an interconnected, global society? Earn a degree in international security and diplomacy from Bridgewater.
What to Expect
- The program combines political science, history, economics, and international relations to provide a well-rounded understanding of international security issues, diplomacy, and the mechanics of international cooperation and conflict resolution.
- The department’s faculty are active and award-winning scholars who take teaching seriously and work closely with students to plan their courses of study and their careers.
- Opportunities to gain valuable internship experiences at government agencies and nongovernmental organizations.
Courses
International Security and Diplomacy courses place students within the broadest context of human activity and orient them to the roles they play in the world as a single place.
Introduction to Global Politics
PSCI-230
Introduces students to the world as a site of political activity. Topics include sovereignty, power, globalization, war, multilateral institutions, the environment, trade, development, poverty and a variety of current events.
United States Foreign Policy
PSCI-356
Examines the continuity and changes in the contexts, structures, processes, actors and issues of U.S. foreign policy in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Issues in Global Politics
PSCI-370
Major themes, questions, problems and events in global politics as chosen by the instructor. Students will engage in written and public discourse concerning topics that are global in scope and important to understanding politics in the twenty-first century.
Specific requirements for this major can be found in the College Catalog.
Required Courses Meet the Faculty
Careers
“Jobs in international security and diplomacy are in great demand in an increasingly globalized world. We will always need diplomats, security professionals and employees with non-governmental organizations to help to solve conflicts around the world,” said Dr. Kevin Pallister, Associate Professor of Political Science.
Learn more about employment and advancement in the field of political science from the American Political Science Association.
Career paths include:
- Government Services
- Law Enforcement
- International Organizations
- Law
- Museum and Archival Work
- Religion
- Secondary and Higher Education
Graduate Schools:
- Clemson University (History)
- The George Washington University (International Development and Business)
- Indiana University (Hispanic Literature)
- Northwestern University (Politics/International Relations)
- University of Chicago (Middle Eastern Studies)
- University of Pittsburgh (Security and Intelligence Studies)
- University of South Carolina (Public History)
“I don’t think I could have gone anywhere that would have better prepared me for finding and then pursuing my career. I love BC; the professors are great.”
Tony Nesselrodt Jr. ’24
At BC, Nesselrodt discovered a passion for learning about history and politics, and his professors helped point him in the direction of how he could pursue a career that helped make a difference. Read more about how this major is preparing students for careers in government and international security.
BC2DC
Through the Washington Center’s Academic Internship Program, you’ll be matched with an internship related to your interests, participate in career workshops and networking events to develop your professional skills and complete an academic course in the evening.
Study Abroad
Find new ways of learning through the lens of other cultures. You won’t just earn credits while having new experiences, you’ll also have a transformational, global perspective. The department offers distinctive experiences, including trips to the United Nations, South Africa, Belgium, France, and Britain.
Additional Programs
As a major in international security and diplomacy, you are strongly encouraged to explore a minor in your area of interest.
