The International Relations (IR) program is preparing to launch an updated curriculum that will change the structure and requirements of the IR major.
The change, which has been in the works for over two years, was brought about by the IR Executive Committee (IREC), led by IR Program Director and Associate Political Science Professor Malik Mufti.
The new program decreases the IR core requirements from seven to five. Focused coursework within the student's area of interest, or concentration, will increase from four units to seven.
"We're tremendously excited by this curriculum reform," Mufti said, "and [we're] confident that it will further strengthen the quality and reputation of this flagship program at Tufts."
IREC's proposal was approved on May 10 by a unanimous faculty vote.
Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser said that the changes brought some coherence to a "far-flung" major that had lost much of its focus.
"Periodic change is necessary in academia," Glaser said.
The new program will incorporate culture, U.S. foreign policy, and seminar requirements into student concentrations. The goal of this new system is for students to focus on themes within their chosen concentrations and reach a deeper understanding of a specific aspect of international relations.
Many of the concentrations, which were formerly known as clusters, will also change. Regional and economic concentrations will remain, and new concentrations will replace the other clusters. The new concentrations include: Global Health, Nutrition and the Environment; International Security; the United States in World Affairs; and Identity and Ideology.
Despite overwhelming support from the faculty and administration, changing the IR curriculum was a long process. The IREC had to discuss its plans with the IR faculty and the departments that comprise the program, as well as the Director's Leadership Council, the student liaisons to the IREC, before deciding to take on the challenge.
The proposed changes were then submitted to the Arts and Sciences Curricula Committee and voted on by the entire Arts and Sciences faculty. "I tip my cap to Professor Mufti for this effort," Glaser said.
Although the faculty supports the updated program, some students are unclear about what the changes mean, and many others are completely unaware of their existence.
Kahran Singh, a freshman and prospective IR major, was not aware of the new IR program.
"I guess freshmen just don't know about the changes," he said.
The IR program's Academic Planning Guide for 2006 still lists the old requirements for the major. According to Mufti, the new curriculum has not yet been perfected and will not be put into universal effect until complete.
"We still have the task of refining one or two of the new concentrations and of assigning course listings for each of the new requirements," Mufti said. "That should take most of the semester."
The class of 2010 will have the choice to either stay with the original IR program or to join the new program, according to Mufti.
"Students don't need to worry about finding out in midstream that their requirements have changed," Mufti said. "All students who began under the old guidelines will be allowed to complete their majors under those same old guidelines if they like."
