September 21 will mark the official launch of IE University’s new Bachelor in International Relations program with a 35-member inaugural class representing 17 different nationalities.

The first Bachelor in International Relations class is a thriving and truly international group of 35 students representing over 16 countries around the world: Argentina, Austria, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, and the USA. Students admitted to the program have excellent academic records and valuable international experience. The program faculty is as international as the overall student body, with 19 professors coming from 8 different countries, such as the United States, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Canada, etc.

The Bachelor in International Relations – Class of 2016 – By the Numbers:

35 Students – 17 Nationalities – 54% International Students – 60% Women – 3 languages spoken on average

The Bachelor in International Relations is a rigorous and innovative degree taught fully in English, and aimed at satisfying the rising worldwide demand for highly-skilled, well-informed graduates, who are capable of meeting the professional challenges of a rapidly changing global environment. Like the IE Master in International Relations, the bachelor program focuses on the intersections between the public and private sectors on a range of international politics and business issues. In addition to mandatory language training and hands-on practical learning, the program will also require students to gain significant international exposure through study abroad programs and internship opportunities.

The new four-year degree is designed to provide undergraduate students with a thorough knowledge of international affairs, combined with solid foundations of business and management, in order to help them bring breadth and depth of understanding to the workplace. This broad multidisciplinary background is intended to produce graduates with an integrated global vision of fields like political science, foreign policy, economics, business, management, international law, international security, history, philosophy, and language. The program aims to produce global leaders with a profound understanding of the complexity of world affairs, who are capable of applying critical thinking and effective leadership skills to a wide range of issues in both the public and private sectors alike. It employs a unique practice-based approach and seminar-type discussions in the IR Lab. Students will learn to analyze interconnections between peoples, societies, governments, corporations, and multilateral organizations beyond the classroom, while being trained in conflict resolution, crisis simulation, strategic thinking, policy-making, public speaking, and news writing.

This post was first published on the International Relations Blog.

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