<p>whats the difference between an IR degree and an international affairs degree or a international studies (such as at JHU)</p>
<p>bump this sucker</p>
<p>IR is technically a subdiscipline of political science, whereas IA includes lots of things like international development and regional studies that are more interdisciplinary. In practice however, they're essentially interchangable. International studies is somewhat more vague and could imply a more 'cultural' focus, or it could just be a name. My guess: it doesn't really matter that much.</p>
<p>I agree with Samonite16. In terms of majors or graduate programs, IR and IA are pretty much interchangeable. Take a look at the course offerings in IR or IA at each school for a better idea of how each program differs.</p>