The undergraduate degrees in international political economy prepare students to manage today’s increasingly complex international environment. Our interdisciplinary degree is also designed to efficiently accommodate study and internship abroad experiences.

Today, more careers increasingly require international knowledge and skills that transcend the confines of traditional disciplinary training. Our Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in International Political Economy degrees will develop students’ critical skill sets to meet the needs and demands of the international diplomatic and business sectors.

Careers in International Political Economy

The international political economy program offers an education focused on helping individuals succeed in the dynamic, global workforce. These skills include critical thinking, knowledge of multiple cultures, and cultural contexts, rigorous research skills, and the ability to communicate effectively in an array of environments. Our students take core classes from multiple disciplines, including government, economics, geography, literature, foreign language, and interdisciplinary classes, providing them with a broad perspective that makes them more competitive in the evolving job market. Students will be prepared for analytical and administrative positions in the public, nonprofit and private sectors.

Employment options include careers in the diplomatic corps; positions with international organizations including the United Nations, World Trade Organization and World Bank, and positions with multinational corporations as analysts and managers. The University’s Career Center is an important resource for students pursuing their career. Licensed counselors are available to provide strategies for mastering job interviews, writing professional cover letters and resumes and help students connect with campus recruiters, among other services.

International Political Economy at UT Dallas

International political economy students at UT Dallas have two undergraduate degree options. The BA student will take more area and history courses to prepare for diplomatic, governmental or nongovernmental organizations. Those seeking a BS degree will take more economics courses to prepare for employment in areas related to international business or government. Some students choose to continue their graduate education at UT Dallas, enrolling in the international political economy master’s degree program. Undergraduate and graduate students benefit from exposure to UT Dallas’ acclaimed faculty across multiple disciplines.

Beyond the University’s core curriculum, the BA requires 12 hours of major core, 24 hours of International Political Economy courses, 12 hours of area electives, 12 hours of a foreign language, and 18 hours of electives. The School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences also offers an 18-hour minor in International Political Economy.

Fast Track

The Fast Track program enables exceptionally gifted UT Dallas students to include master’s level courses in their undergraduate degree plans. Students who meet the requirements for admission to graduate school and the minimum GPA requirement for their major can take up to 15 hours of graduate level coursework that can apply toward their undergraduate and graduate level coursework. To take graduate courses in the Fast Track program upper-division undergraduates must have completed 90 semester credit hours and petition their associate dean for permission to take graduate courses.

About the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

Every new generation inherits a world more complex than that of its predecessors, which prompts a need for new thinking about public policies that impact people’s daily lives. In the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), we examine the implications of innovation and change for individuals and communities. The social sciences are where the world turns to for answers to the important issues of today and the future such as education and health policy, financial crises, globalization, policing, political polarization, public management, terrorism, and the application of geographical information sciences to study social, economic and environmental issues.

As an undergraduate in EPPS, you will have the opportunity to work with professors who are probing issues that will affect your future. You will develop the vital skills you need to thrive in a rapidly evolving, highly competitive job market. EPPS will prepare you for careers in government, non-profits and the private sector that enable you to make a real difference in the world of today and tomorrow. EPPS is at the forefront of leadership, ethics and innovation in the public and nonprofit sectors. Our students and faculty look forward to new opportunities to study and address the complex and evolving issues of the future. Research informs much of the instruction. The school has four centers of excellence:

• Center for Global Collective Action
• Texas Schools Project
• Institute for Urban Policy Research
• The Negotiations Center

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, political science, public affairs, public health, public policy, sociology

Master of Science: Applied sociology, criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, social data analytics and research

Master of Arts: Political science

Master of Public Affairs: Public affairs

Master of Public Policy: Public policy

Doctor of Philosophy: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, political science, public affairs, public policy and political economy

Certificates

EPPS offers the following 15-hour graduate certificates, which generally can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes:

• Economic and Demographic Data Analysis: focusing on the understanding and application of quantitative analysis of demographic and economic data.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS): focusing on the application of GIS in government, private sector and scientific areas.
• Geospatial Intelligence: focusing on the application of geospatial ideas and techniques to national security and other intelligence activity.
• Local Government Management: designed to broaden knowledge of important issues and approaches employed by professional local public administrators.
• Nonprofit Management: designed to provide an overview of the nature and context of nonprofit organizations and develop competencies needed by nonprofit managers.
• Program Evaluation: designed to provide students the opportunity to gain competencies in the design and implementation of program evaluations in fields such as education, health care, human services, criminal justice and economic development.
• Remote Sensing: focusing on remote sensing and digital image processing.