International relations/ studies/ affairs

<p>Guys, what's the difference between international relations, international studies & international affairs major? I'm quite confused. What do you study in each of the major?</p>

<p>I did research but they seem to vary between schools =/</p>

<p>Thanks =)</p>

<p>IR and IS are closely associated, sometimes overlapping, but the former is a strongly defined subfied under political science, while the latter seems to be more interdisciplinary, with wider breadth, notably involving more cultural/ethnographic work than you might see in mainstream American IR. </p>

<p>I’m not really familiar with the term international affairs. My gut reaction to it is that it sounds more in line with diplomacy/policy-work than academia, but that can’t be right if it’s being offered at the undergrad level. It’s possible that some school is calling their named department one thing while doing more like the other; that would explain the variance you found in your own research. Might be wise to look at descriptions for each school.</p>