UCLA (POLI-SCI: INT'L RELATIONS) vs. BERKELEY (POLI-SCI:INT'L STUDIES)

<p>I've been accepted to both, but i'm still not sure which one. I panned to major in International Relations, but since there's none in either I chose, Poli-sci, with a concdntration in either one, UCLA'S website for int'l relations has very interesting info, but i dont know any info on CAL's int'l studies. Any advice?</p>

<p>International relations and international studies are not the same thing.</p>

<p>The IR subfield in Berkeley’s poli sci major: [Undergraduate</a> Program - Requirements for the Major](<a href=“Requirements for the Major | UC Berkeley Political Science”>Requirements for the Major | UC Berkeley Political Science)</p>

<p>Berkeley’s International and Area studies department: [Home</a> | IAS](<a href=“http://ias.berkeley.edu/]Home”>http://ias.berkeley.edu/)</p>

<p>i applied to other schools for International Relations, so would i be able to get the same
jobs after college with either degree?</p>

<p>thanks for the link</p>

<p>^ Yes</p>

<p>International Relations is a subfield within Political Science at Berkeley. (International studies is completely different- don’t major in that) </p>

<p>You would get the same job opportunities. It would say poli sci on your transcript but on your resume just note your specialization</p>

<p>thank you for your help,
is poli sci really a joke(as i read on there forum) at ucla?</p>

<p>Well Poli Sci is taken pretty seriously here because our grad department is really great and people are generally serious about politics. Some people take it just because the requirements are not that hard, though–and having those people in your class makes it seem like a joke.</p>

<p>I don’t know much about UCLA, I just remember not being very taken with their program when I applied a couple years back. Berkeley is better known for poli sci, for sure.</p>

<p>Poli Sci is great at Berkeley. There are some engineering/pre-med elitists that may look down on you saying that maintaining a high gpa in Poli Sci (or any other similar humanities course) is a joke compared to their majors, but forget them. Their fault for taking such grade deflated majors. Honestly, I’ve taken History 7B, 7A, Pol Sci 1, and Pol Sci 5, and Bio 1B. The amount of information I was presented in each class was roughly equal. Just the tests in Bio 1B were much harder. So just because it’s easier to get A’s in humanities classes doesn’t mean you’re not learning much. </p>

<p>For the most part, it’s a great program, it teaches you about VERY IMPORTANT issues relevant today, and it turns you into a good writer. And contrary to popular belief, poli sci classes aren’t by any means easy A’s. You need to know your crap and write really well to pull off that solid A. </p>

<p>It’s great prep-for law school (because of its emphasis on writing/presenting arguments).</p>

<p>I am in the exact same situation!!</p>

<p>I agree with gobears10, it’s definitely not easy. Every time some CoE person scoffs at my classes I roll my eyes back at them =______= Honestly can’t everyone’s majors just be equally good?</p>

<p>Bio1B is considered to be very very very easy… but I don’t look down on people who major in Poli Sci. It’s still a very legit subject.</p>

<p>academically berk for sure</p>

<p>our program is top 5 in the nation, while ucla’s only has a couple of political science theories and arguments</p>