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Studies & Degrees in International Affairs

International affairs is the study of how states, international organisations, companies and non-governmental organisations deal with one another. In many universities the same field is called international relations or global studies. It is an interdisciplinary subject: students combine political science with economics, history, law, geography and languages. At Florida State University, for example, students of the International Affairs programme choose approved courses from twelve participating departments, among them economics, history, law, modern languages and political science.

Typical topics are foreign policy, international security, conflict resolution, international law, the world economy and development. Most programmes ask students to specialise, by theme, by world region or both, and to reach a working level in at least one foreign language.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees in the United States. International affairs is a major within a four-year Bachelor of Arts. At the University of Colorado Boulder the major requires a minimum of 49-51 credit hours: introductory courses, a functional area (18 credit hours), a geographic concentration (9), economics and methods (6-8), an off-campus experience such as an internship or study abroad (3) and a senior seminar. Students must also reach third-year university level in a language that fits their geographic concentration.
  • Spain. The official degree is the bachelor's degree (grado) in Relaciones Internacionales, of 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid it lasts four years, is taught entirely in English and on campus, includes a second foreign language and offers 40 places. Spanish master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
  • Master's degrees. Florida State University offers a Master of Science or a Master of Arts in International Affairs; for the MA, six of the 31 required credits must be in history, modern language, philosophy or religion, and the degree ends with a comprehensive exam, a directed research project or a thesis. The American Graduate School in Paris teaches a two-year M.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy in English, which ends with the defence of a master's thesis; no French is required to enrol.
  • Doctorates. A PhD, usually in political science or international relations, is the route to university teaching and research.

Business schools also teach the international side of management, and in the SpainExchange directory this subject is grouped under business.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 16 active schools for international affairs: eight in the United States, four in Spain, two in France and one each in Turkey and Denmark. The US list includes Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Northeastern University, the University of Colorado Boulder, Suffolk University, the University of Maine and Florida State University. In Spain it includes the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, EAE Business School and ESEI International Business School in Barcelona and EIG in Granada. Elsewhere it includes the American Graduate School in Paris, Kadir Has University in Istanbul and International People's College, a folk high school in Helsingør, Denmark, which offers non-formal courses rather than degrees.

English is the usual language of instruction, including at Comillas and at the American Graduate School in Paris. When comparing programmes, look at the language requirement, the regions and themes on offer, and whether an internship or a period abroad is part of the degree.

Careers

Graduates work in diplomacy and the civil service, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, multinational companies, journalism and research. Florida State University describes its programme as preparation for international careers in government, business, non-governmental and non-profit organisations, journalism and research. Comillas states that its degree prepares students to work in international organisations and multinational companies.

There is no single occupation for which official statistics cover all these graduates. For one related occupation, political scientists, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 6,100 jobs in 2025, says that a master's degree is typically needed, and projects employment to decline 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Entry to a diplomatic service is normally through a competitive public examination set by each country.

Frequently asked questions

Is international affairs the same as international relations?

In practice, yes. Universities use both names for the same interdisciplinary field; Comillas calls its degree Relaciones Internacionales, while CU Boulder and Florida State University use International Affairs.

Do I need to speak a foreign language?

Usually. CU Boulder requires third-year university-level proficiency in a world language, and the Comillas degree is taught in English and includes a second foreign language.

How long does the degree take?

A bachelor's degree takes four years in the United States and in Spain, where it has 240 ECTS credits. Master's programmes vary: the M.A. at the American Graduate School in Paris takes two years.

Can I study international affairs in Spain in English?

Yes. The bachelor's degree in Relaciones Internacionales at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas is taught entirely in English in Madrid.