Study Guide
The Study Guide is designed to inform students in the Committee on International Relations (CIR) about the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree requirements, procedures, and rules that govern the study of international relations at the University of Chicago.
- General Information and Requirements
- The One-Year MA
- Joint and Dual Degrees
- The M.A. with Specialization
- Conclusion
General Information and Requirements
Academic Standards: The Committee on International Relations adheres to high academic standards when evaluating the scholarly performance of its students. Students enrolled in the program are expected to complete their work according to the ethical standards dictated by the University of Chicago including the proper attribution of the works of others. Failure to properly acknowledge the works of others is cheating or plagiarism. Such action will lead to severe sanctions including academic probation and expulsion from the program.
Degree Requirements: Students are responsible for satisfactory completion of all degree requirements contained within this Study Guide. Students should therefore familiarize themselves with CIR policies. Any departure from the requirements contained in the Study Guide must be approved by the Committee's Chair through petition. To earn the M.A. degree, CIR students must:
- Complete nine graduate-level courses (30000-level or higher).
- With the following exception, all courses must be taken for a quality (letter) grade. In lieu of one quality grade, students may take a pass grade in either INRE 49700 (Independent Research), or English 33000 (Academic and Professional Writing). Eight quality grades are required for graduation.
- The student must maintain a 2.70 GPA across all graded courses. If the overall GPA falls below 2.70 at the end of any quarter, the Dean of Students of the Division of the Social Sciences may place the student on probation. If the student does not raise the GPA to at least 2.70 by the end of the quarter of probation, the Dean has the discretion to dismiss the student from the University.
- Seven of the nine courses must be approved by CIR (i.e., on the CIR course list).
- Three of the courses must be in the division of Social Sciences (Business and Law are outside the Division). Courses offered by other schools or divisions and cross-listed by a department in the Division of the Social Sciences count as social science courses.
- Fulfill the CIR course distribution requirements.
- The student must take three courses (each) in at least two of the four Fields of Study.
- The student must maintain a 3.00 GPA across the six courses taken to fulfill the distribution requirement.
- It is expected that all students enroll in INRE 43000 CIR Core Seminar: IR Theory
- Receive a grade of pass in Perspectives on International Relations, a required noncredit autumn quarter course.
- Receive a grade of pass in the required noncredit M.A. paper workshop that meets in the winter and spring quarters.
- Complete an M.A. paper with the approval of a faculty reader and a preceptor reader.
- File an Application for a Degree no later than the first day of the quarter in which the student intends to graduate.
Courses
International relations courses are organized into four fields:
- International Relations Theory, Security, & History
- International Political Economy and Development
- Regional Studies and Nationalism
- Human Rights, Environment, & International Law
Approved course listings are available in the CIR office at the beginning of each quarter. At the beginning of each quarter, CIR preceptors will meet with students to advise them on registration and review their progress toward fulfillment of program requirements.
INRE 49700 - Reading and Research in International Relations: This is an optional course, supervised by a CIR faculty member, that allows students to engage in focused reading and writing on a subject not covered by the standard course offerings. The student and the selected faculty member arrange the content of the course, frequency of meetings, and grading requirements. The student must submit to a CIR preceptor a brief statement of the research project, a tentative bibliography, and a Reading and Research Topic Approval form signed by the faculty member. Normally students take INRE 49700 if they wish to pursue advanced topics not available within routine course offerings.
To gain permission to register for INRE 49700 students must submit all required forms and supporting material to their assigned CIR preceptor. Students must petition the CIR chair for approval before arranging a course with a faculty member who is not on the Committee. Students may alternatively take INRE 49700 for the guidance necessary to complete the M.A. paper free from the demands of normal courses. In this case, students do not receive a grade until the M.A. paper is completed. Only the thesis faculty reader can provide the grade for this course. Students are responsible for making sure that their faculty reader notifies the CIR office of the assigned grade (either quality grade or pass/fail). Students may register for INRE 49700 only once.
Students must petition the CIR Chair for approval to have INRE 49700 count toward fulfillment of the course distribution requirement.
Grades
CIR students must take at least eight courses for quality grades. Students may take INRE 49700 OR English 33000: Academic and Professional Writing ("The Little Red Schoolhouse") for a pass option. Students may not take any other courses for a pass grade.
Students may not register formally for any course to audit, even with the permission of the instructor. Therefore, CIR students may not receive a grade of "R." The University bills students for all registered credit courses, including those taken for pass as well as for quality grades. Courses taken for pass do not count toward computing the GPA. (Please note that there is no extra tuition charged for Perspectives in International Relations or the M.A. Workshop.)
A course for which the student receives the grade of incomplete ("I") will not count toward the distribution requirement or degree until the student completes the course and the Registrar and the CIR office records a final grade for their records. The "I" remains on the transcript along with the final letter grade.
Students may not take graduate courses at another academic institution and have them count toward the degree. No transfer credits are accepted including any courses taken at the University of Chicago in the Graham School as a graduate student at large.
M.A. Paper
The program requires each student to write an M.A. paper. Before beginning work on an M.A. paper, the student must secure formal approval of the topic from faculty reader(s) and the student's preceptor by submitting a written 3-5 page proposal and preliminary bibliography to them. Faculty and preceptors indicate their approval by signing the M.A. Paper Topic Approval Form. The student then submits that signed approval form along with the written proposal to the CIR Student Affairs Administrator who places it in the student's official department file. Students must have the approved topic on record with the department before the beginning of the quarter in which they plan to graduate.
Non-CIR faculty readers are permitted only if the student successfully petitions the Chair for approval.
The M.A. paper should use theoretically informed analysis or interpretation to explore a significant problem, event, issue, process, relationship, or institution in international relations. It should be approximately 35-45 pages in length. Theses over 14,000 words, including footnotes and excluding bibliography, will not be accepted. The Committee strongly recommends Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations and The Chicago Manual of Style as guides to the proper format for research papers.
The student must submit a final bound copy of the M.A. paper to the CIR office before graduation. The Committee recommends Velo-Binding.
M.A. Paper Workshop
The CIR preceptors conduct a noncredit M.A. Paper Workshop aiding students develop appropriate paper topics, paper drafts, research techniques, and writing. The workshop is conducted as a research seminar, including formal presentations and peer review. Each student is required to participate in the workshop. Students register for the workshop as a noncredit (no fee) course. Students take the workshop across their second and third quarters (winter/spring) in residence.
Convocation
Students must file an Application for a Degree with the CIR office no later than the first day of the quarter in which they expect to graduate. Check the CIR Convocation Deadlines [PDF] for the administrative requirements and deadlines concerning your degree.
By the fourth week each quarter, the CIR office generates a Degree Progress Report for each student who has applied for a degree for that quarter. The student affairs administrator places the individual Record of Progress Toward a Degree in each student's mail folder in Pick 313 by the fourth week of the quarter of intended convocation. In the summer, the document is mailed to the student.
If the student does not correct any deficiencies by the required deadlines, his/her name will be deleted from the convocation list for that quarter. The student will be assessed a removal fee by the Office of the Bursar (currently $50). If a student applies for a degree three times, but still fails to satisfy all requirements, a fourth application will not be accepted until after the student meets all requirements and pays all outstanding fees. This rule and the convocation deadlines are firm. They are set by the Dean of Students and the Registrar and cannot be modified by CIR.
Committee Honors
To recognize students with outstanding performance, the Committee awards the Master of Arts degree with honors. To be eligible for honors, the student must have a GPA of 3.70 or higher, receive a rating of honors on the thesis by two M.A. paper readers, and be approved for honors by the CIR chair who considers all aspects of the student's record. Because the Committee's decision to award honors is usually made the quarter after the student graduates, the honors distinction does not appear on the diploma. Once the decision is made, the CIR office notifies the Registrar and sends a congratulatory letter to the student. Within thirty days after the student receives the letter, the honors distinction will be recorded on the transcript by the Office of the Registrar.
Leave of Absence and Resumption of Studies Time Limits
Students who wish to take a leave of absence must discuss their plans with a CIR preceptor and request a formal leave of absence from the University through the department's Student Affairs Administrator. The CIR chair and the Social Science Dean of Students must approve the leave. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. The leave of absence may be approved for up to one academic year. To request an extension of a leave of absence beyond one academic year, a student must contact the CIR Student Affairs Administrator before the first week of the quarter in which the student is scheduled to resume studies.
International students are expected to maintain full time student status by registering for three classes each quarter to maintain their visa status. They must consult with the Office of International Affairs before deciding to take a leave of absence. Students who wish to resume studies to complete their degree, and are more than 12 months from their last quarter of matriculation, must discuss their plans with a preceptor.
A Resumption of Studies Form, which may be secured from the CIR Student Affairs Administrator, must be approved by the CIR chair and the Social Science Dean of Students for students who have not completed their degree within two-years of matriculation. Requests to resume studies are considered on a case-by-case basis. Students are expected to complete all program requirements in the time specified in the Resumption of Studies Approval. Failure to complete all aspects of the program in the time specified will result in forfeiture of any future opportunity to complete the degree.
The One-Year M.A.
One-year students must satisfy the minimum requirements outlined on page 1 of the Study Guide. Students must submit the M.A. paper proposal to the Committee for approval by the time of registration for the third quarter of residence. The proposal should be approved by the seventh week of the winter quarter, in order to secure faculty support. Before this deadline, students should have discussed their proposals with a Committee faculty member and obtained his or her signature on the M.A. Topic Approval Form indicating approval of the topic and consent to supervise the student's work. Even if students plan to graduate in the summer (as many do), they will need to find a faculty reader by the end of winter quarter.
Joint and Dual Degrees
The Committee on International Relations offers three joint degree programs: B.A./M.A., M.B.A./M.A. , and the J.D./M.A. In addition, there is the option of a dual M.A./M.P.P. in CIR and M.A. in Public Policy Studies. Joint and dual degree students must satisfy all CIR degree requirements, including course distribution requirements and attendance at an M.A. workshop for one quarter.
- Joint B.A./M.A. - Joint B.A./M.A. is only open to currently enrolled University of Chicago undergraduate students. Students apply during the autumn quarter of their third year of undergraduate study and are considered alongside the complete pool of regular CIR applicants. Joint B.A./M.A. applicants are not required to submit GRE scores. Students enter CIR in the autumn quarter of their fourth year.
B.A./M.A. students must satisfy all normal CIR program requirements, including the M.A. Workshop, Perspectives in International Relations, course distribution, etc. If the student's undergraduate major requires a B.A. thesis, then the student must write two separate theses: one for the B.A. and one for the M.A. The same paper cannot be used for both.
Students in the one-year program or the B.A./M.A. program need the approval of one CIR faculty reader and a preceptor reader.
B.A./M.A. students may double-count up to three courses for both CIR and their undergraduate program. A preceptor must approve any such double counting. Advisors in the College have a worksheet to aid students in planning their coursework.
B.A./M.A. students are also subject to an additional time constraint. Students must complete all degree requirements, including the M.A. thesis, before the end of the summer quarter following their entry into CIR. If the student does not finish the thesis by this deadline, then the student will be eligible for convocation for a B.A. degree only, thereby forfeiting the M.A. - Joint J.D./M.A. - Students must apply to both the Law School and CIR separately either simultaneously or during the first quarter of Law School. While Law School admission requires the LSAT, GRE scores are required for CIR applications.
Students take nine courses in their fourth year, three of which are typically Law School courses and six are in the Division of the Social Sciences. Students must otherwise meet all normal CIR program requirements as outlined above.
Students in the J.D./M.A. joint degree program may have their M.A. papers approved by two faculty readers - one CIR faculty reader and one reader from the Law School. - Joint M.B.A./M.A. - Students applying to the joint M.B.A./M.A. submit their materials to the Graduate School of Business (GSB) clearly indicating that they are interested in a joint M.B.A./M.A. with CIR.
Students take a reduced course load of 14 courses in the GSB and the full nine courses in CIR. Courses may not be double counted. Students must otherwise meet all normal CIR program requirements as outlined above.
Students in the M.B.A./M.A. joint degree program may have their M.A. papers approved by two faculty readers - one CIR faculty reader and one reader from the GSB. - Dual M.A./M.P.P. (CIR/Public Policy) - Students interested in a second Master's degree offered by the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago can apply separately to the Harris School, either before the start of the CIR work or during the autumn quarter of their residence in CIR.
After completing the CIR requirements, students continue their work in public policy for a separate degree. Students postpone their graduation from CIR until completing both programs. Students must otherwise meet all normal CIR program requirements as outlined above. More information is available from the Harris School.
The M.A. with Specialization-Second Year
The Specialization-Second Year Program has very limited admission and restrictive requirements. Before applying for the Specialization-Second Year, students should discuss their plans with their preceptor. There are two kinds of M.A. with Specialization:
- The Sub-Disciplinary Specialization is for students who want to conduct advanced research in one of the Committee's non-regional sub-fields (i.e., international relations theory, security, and history, development, international political economy, nationalism, international law, human rights, or the environment).
- The Regional Specialization is for students who want to conduct advanced research in a particular region: African studies, Latin American studies, East Asian studies, Middle and Central Europe and Eurasian studies, South Asian studies, Middle Eastern studies, and Western European studies.
The student who wishes to pursue an M.A. in International Relations with specialization must submit a proposal to the Committee by the end of the winter quarter. The specialization proposal should be four to six pages and must include:
- a cover letter with name, address, phone number, e-mail address and a statement of the nature of the specialization (i.e., specific sub-disciplinary field or regional focus);
- an M.A. proposal related to the objectives of the specialization including a tentative bibliography and a statement of research methods;
- a list of the six courses to be taken in the second year as the basis of specialization (Note: students should make an effort to determine what courses will be offered and plan accordingly); and
- a letter of sponsorship for the M.A. with Specialization Sponsorship signed by a faculty member of the Committee, preferably the M.A. thesis faculty advisor.
In addition, for the Committee to consider students for financial assistance for the second-year, all six grades for fall and winter quarters must be on record with the University Registrar. For unavoidable missing grades (i.e., for uncompleted multi-quarter courses), students must submit a written evaluation by the instructor that assesses the student's performance. Admission to the M.A. with Specialization requires a minimum GPA of 3.50 for the six courses taken in the first two quarters of residence.
The CIR Faculty Committee meets early in the spring quarter to determine which students will be recommended to specialize. By mid-quarter, the Social Science Dean of Students makes a final admissions offer based on the Committee's recommendations indicating any funding and the amount for the second year.
Students admitted to the Second Year Specialization must submit a significant draft of the thesis to their readers by the beginning of winter quarter of the second year of study. Failure to meet this requirement will result in academic probation.
The principal reader of the M.A. paper must be a member of the Committee. Non-CIR faculty readers are permitted only if the student successfully petitions the CIR Chair for approval. Students in the M.A. with Specialization program may have two faculty readers. At least one reader must be a CIR faculty member. The second reader may be a preceptor, another CIR faculty member, or by petition, a non-Committee faculty member.
The student pursuing a Sub-Disciplinary Specialization or a Regional Specialization is required to take a minimum of six regular courses during the second year. Second-year specializers must take at least six of their second-year courses for quality grades. Second-year students may take English 33000 for a pass option.
INRE 49800: Second-year Readings and Research (only open to second-year specializers) This course, taken each of the three quarters the second year, allows second-year students to engage in work devoted to thesis preparation in the form of independent study under the coordination of the student's faculty thesis supervisor. During the first two quarters through this course, the progressive work on the thesis is always graded on a pass basis. The final quarter the course must be taken for a quality grade based on the final thesis document.
Conclusion
The Study Guide is updated once each year, during the summer quarter, and as necessary during the academic year. It is the responsibility of the student to keep informed of any changes in the requirements, procedures, and rules governing the appropriate program of study. A hard copy of the Study Guide is available in the CIR office.
