<p>how are the international relations courses at Harvard... i dont believe there are any majors that are explicitly international relations. What good IR-related programs does Harvard Have?</p>
<p>To my knowledge there are a couple of different ways to study international relations at H:</p>
<p>Within the Government concentration, there are 4 subfields from which concentrators must take at least one half-course each. These are: Political Theory, Comparative Government, American Government, and International Relations. As a Government concentrator, you could choose to (though you are by no means required to) focus on a special aspect of International Relations and study that further.</p>
<p>For specific IR courses, you can check the IR section of the Government classes in the Courses of Instruction:
<a href="http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/courses/Government.html%5B/url%5D">http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/courses/Government.html</a></p>
<p>Another option you have is to concentrate in Social Studies. Social Studies is an interdisciplinary concentration unique at Harvard that combines many different social sciences in a comprehensive study of social theory. The junior tutorial in Social Studies is organized into several different areas, one of which is International Relations. For your senior thesis, you may choose a topic of your choice that has some relevance to the study of IR, like Latin American Relations or... really whatever you want.</p>
<p>So you really haev a lot of options at H. When I first started the college app process, I looked at a lot of schools that had great IR programs, but I eventually decided on H because of the Social Studies concentration, and right now I'm thinking of possibly focusing on EU/European Relations for my senior thesis.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>There are also a whole host of IR related campus organizations to choose from that I'm sure someone else can talk in depth about.</p>
<p>wow, thanks so much for the great advice. After looking at the courses, and contingent upon my getting in to Harvard, ill probably major in government, because, as you said, I can have a concentration in international relations
Thanks</p>
<p>Here's a link to the list of faculty in the Gov department by speciality. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, there's a list of faculty specializing in international relations, with clickable links to their bios.</p>
<p>My son took his first class in intro IR today, which is taught by Steve Rosen, and said it was amazing. Here's a link to the course description (including a syllabus) - it's a Core course, but counts for Gov credit as well:</p>
<p>Rosen is director of the Olin Center for Strategic Studies, master of Winthrop House, and a member of the Board of Visitors for the U.S. Joint Forces Command, and of the China Futures Panel for the CIA. He was named one of four Harvard College Professors in 2002 in recognition of his undergraduate teaching.</p>
<p>Before becoming a professor at Harvard in 1990, Rosen was a professor in the strategy department at the Naval War College, a consultant for the President's Commission on Integrated Long-term Strategy, and director of political-military affairs at the National Security Council in the Reagan White House.</p>
<p>There are a number of other impressive faculty on the list as well, including Stanley Hoffman and Samuel Huntington.</p>
<p>cosar--</p>
<p>Hist A-12: Conflict and Co-operation? I shopped that--didn't take it because I've pretty much got the Rosen spiel down by now after stalking him for two semesters--but Rosen is amazing, and Gregg (the head TF) is great. I was in his section for American Foreign Policy. Gov 1730, War and Politics is also really good, better than AFP, although I don't know how much it overlaps with A-12.</p>
<p>Rosen and Huntington are also interesting oddities for being something like two of the three conservatives in the gov department; the TFs for Rosen's classes would always make snarky comments about the bias in the course material.</p>
<p>I'm interested in the government studies at Harvard but would like to combine it with economics, since I'm entrepreneurially inclined and would like the business part to permeate my studies. I'm also an international so I have really not much of a clue regarding lectures/courses at Harvard that would best fit my interests stated here right now. Any advice, comments or info on this would be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>Thats EXACTLY what I'd like to do, as well! And I'm international, too. </p>
<p>So it'd be great if someone could comment on the possibilities. Also, concerning study abroad, is it possible to qualify for advanced standing and still spend some time of the second year abroad?</p>
<p>Is it true that Harvard tries to discourage people to do advanced standing because of the loss of money? Because it seems to me that if someone graduates early, they could just fill his spot by admitting an additional freshman....</p>
<p>If you are interested in combining government with economics, look into the Social Studies concentration; it's designed for that kind of interdisciplinary study (also involving sociology, psychology, etc.).</p>
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<p>You mean only have 2.5 years at Harvard? I don't know why you'd want to do that. It might be possible, especially if you went abroad in the summer, but I think you would really be missing out.</p>
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<p>Is it true that Harvard tries to discourage people to do advanced standing</p>
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<p>Harvard does not discourage people from doing advanced standing. What it does do is encourage you to use the extra time to do something productive instead of just racing through college in three years. In other words, spend a junior year abroad without having to worry about credits; get a master's degree in your senior year; take a semester off to shoot a movie and still graduate with your class (as Natalie Portman did); etc. You're denying yourself tremendous opportunities if you just take a get-through-it-and-get-out approach to Harvard.</p>
<p>None of this has anything to do with money. Not only does Harvard not need to worry about one year's tuition, but as you point out, they have many qualified students they could admit to fill the space.</p>
<p>The "problem" is that there are myriad opportunities at Harvard to study abroad, and maybe I'd feel like I'm missing out if I DONT take the opportunity to study abroad at an excellent uni like Oxford, Cambridge, SciencePo in Paris etc, hence get a glimpse of uni life at other great places....</p>
<p>Also, my problem is that I'll be 20 (I'm an international) by matriculation time, so I'll be pretty old and the only opportunity to make this up would be by graduating after 3 years... I wonder if there are any people who do so?!?</p>
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Also, my problem is that I'll be 20 (I'm an international) by matriculation time, so I'll be pretty old and the only opportunity to make this up would be by graduating after 3 years... I wonder if there are any people who do so?!?
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<p>I'll be 20 too by the time I (hopefully) matriculate to college next year. Personally I don't think thats a big issue. In case you want to be an investmentbanker just make sure to get an entrance to a business grad school (preferrably in the top ties), land a summer job at any investment bank and go on from there. If not interested in that career path, I don't really see any other reason to stress college. A 24 year old harvard undergraduate is still very attractive.</p>
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<p>so I'll be pretty old </p>
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<p>The Rhodes Scholarship is the ONLY thing you might want to do after Harvard that will care about whether you're 25 vs. 22. Investment banks don't care. I graduated from Harvard at 24. It hasn't held me back at all. I mean, if you have four years of youth to enjoy, why not do it? You have another 50+ years to work.</p>
<p>actually I am quite interested in an i-banking career, so I think 24 is still ok. However, money is also a factor, as one doesn't just "lose" the 20-30k to Harvard but also a years worth of wages. </p>
<p>But I have to agree with you, Hanna, that the College experience is an invaluable part of our youth, especially at Harvard, so it does make sense to stay for the full 4 years if possible. </p>
<p>What are the most common or attractive Masters people pursue after they receive their Bachelor in Economics (after three years of advanced standing)?
Is it possible to do an MBA at the business school or is business experience a crucial prerequisite?</p>
<p>People usually do the master's in their major field or something that's closely related to their research -- economics, or possibly applied math. You can't start an MBA program unless you've gotten three years of business management experience during undergrad, which maybe two or three kids a year have (as entrepreneurs or through leadership in Harvard Student Agencies).</p>