BA in International Relations Courses: Eligibility, Admission 2025, Fees, Entrance Exams 2025, Syllabus, Top Colleges, Career Scope: Job Profiles and Salary

BA stands for Bachelor of Arts. There are various fields, including English, Hindi, History, Journalism, and Psychology, available for BA study. In India, the training can be started as soon as you pass your 12th grade. Colleges typically provide a three-year Arts programme in a variety of fields like design, mass communication, and hospitality. You can pursue a BA (Hons) or BA General course through correspondence, or distance learning as well.

International Relations is the study of the interconnectedness of Politics, Economics and Law on a global level. The field is all about developing and maintaining relations between countries to ensure peace and prosperity prevail in every part of the world. The topics covered by its curriculum include viewpoints on humanity, development, poverty, cross-border activities, etc. Government agencies that deal with international relations and issues may hire graduates of international relations courses. While focusing on issues like the environment, trade, security, economy, politics and human rights, among other things, their responsibilities would be to ensure good relations and peace between states.

The demand for BA International Relations has recently grown. Students often pursue this course because-

• BA in International Relations course can be pursued by candidates who wish to pursue a career in the field of International Relations.
• Candidates who are preparing for UPSC CSE and wish to take Political Science and International Relations as their optional subject can pursue this course.
• Those who wish to join the Ministry of External Affairs or other foreign services can opt for this course.

Traditionally, the study of international relations primarily dealt only with political history. But today, a standard Masters programme in International relations is a dynamic mix of political science, economics, foreign policy, anthropology and sociology. Students pursuing this course are also encouraged to take up an additional foreign language. Students who finish this course go on to have careers as diplomats, teachers, researchers and analysts for multinational companies. Many top foreign correspondents and journalists pursue this course. Students also choose to pursue further studies abroad or work in NGOs. Students planning to study the course abroad should do extensive research before narrowing down on a school. Some schools require candidates to have prior knowledge of economics before applying. Hope this information helps. Please feel free to revert. Wish you luck.

If you are planning to study International Relations then let me tell you that it is very interesting and dynamic .  You will learn important insights into the complexities of our interconnected world by exploring the particulars of international politics, economics and social dynamics. This knowledge develops a feeling of global citizenship in addition to providing you with the analytical capabilities to navigate global difficulties. Additionally, earning a degree in international relations (IR) provides you access to a wide range of job options in sectors like academics, government, NGOs, journalism, international organisations and diplomacy. Beyond job opportunities, studying IR fosters professional and personal development by improving research, communication and critical thinking abilities. In the end, choosing International Relations gives youthe opportunity to make a significant impact on resolving urgent global concerns and constructing a society that is more peaceful and prosperous. 

The ability of International Relations to offer a thorough understanding of world politics is the main justification for studying IR.

Hope this helps! All the best

Yes you can pursue BA in International Relations course after studying in Science stream in Class 12. The course is open to students from all streams. Though it is usually pursued by candidates from Arts stream as they would have studied related subjects such as Political Science and Economics. Make sure that you have secured more than 50% marks in Class 12. This is the minimum marks required for you to fill in the application forms for colleges. Since, BA in International admission is provided on the basis of merit having a good academic record can help you to secure admission in good colleges.

No there is no age limit to pursue BA in International Relations so you can apply for this course at any age. Most colleges and entrance exam conducting bodies do not prescribe any maximum or minimum age limit to pursue this course. Though some colleges, especially private colleges may have their own eligibility criteria.

Common University Entrance Test (CUET) UG is an entrance examination conducted for admission to undergraduation programs offered by various central, state, private and deemed universities. Candidates willing to take admission to undergraduation programme in streams like Science, Humanities, Commerce, Law and Management must appear for the CUET UG exam when conducted.

The entrance examination assesses candidates at various levels: Language, domain knowledge and general aptitude. CUET UG is conducted annually in computer based mode. CUET UG scores are accepted by more than 300 universities across India. 

Yes. There is a negative marking in the CUET exam. For each wrong answer, one mark is deducted. Negative marking will not be applicable in case of unattempted questions. The marking scheme as per NTA is given below.

i. Correct answer or the most appropriate answer: Five marks (+5)
ii. Any incorrect option marked will be given minus one mark (-1).
iii. Unanswered/Marked for Review will be given no mark (0).
iv. If more than one option is found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to only those who have marked any of the correct options.
v. If all options are found to be correct then Five marks (+5) will be awarded to all those who have attempted the question.

vi. If none of the options is found correct or a question is found to be wrong or a question is dropped, then all candidates who have attempted the dropped question will be given five marks (+5) marks.

CUET UG general test will cover the topics from the following:

• General Knowledge, Current Affairs
• General mental ability, Numerical ability
• Reasoning (Simple application of basic Mathematical concepts, quantitative arithmetic, algebra geometry, mensuration and statistics)
• Logical and analytical reasoning

Candidates preparing for the general test of CUET UG are advised to stay updated with the current affairs by reading the newspapers and magazines. Candidates must gather study materials to prepare for the syllabus of General test and practice ample questions to become familiar with the type of questions asked in this section. Download the CUET UG question paper now.

BA International Relations and BA Political Science are interrelated courses that have overlapping concepts. Political Science is a broader domain and International Relations borrows certain concepts from it.

Here are some basic differences between BA International Relations and BA Political Science.

The distance BA in International Relations and online BA in International Relations are the same courses offered in different modes of education. Though a BA in International Relations is more popular compared to these two courses, it is expected that over the years distance and online modes will gain more prominence. In distance BA in International Relations course, you can directly appear for semester exams without attending classes. In online mode, you will attend classes in online mode. Your semster exams will also be conducted in online mode.

There are many good books on International Relations. Some of which are as follows:

Diplomacy is the means by which nations interact and manage their affairs. It is one of the key aspects of foreign policy of any country. The primary aim of diplomacy is to protect the interests of the nation and promote practices favorable for it while ensuring peaceful relations with other nations. Diplomacy is one of the major topics in any course related to International Relations. Diplomacy can be classified into various types such as coercive diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, economic diplomacy, public diplomacy etc. based on its area of focus.

There are many colleges that provide BA International Relations course with an affordable fee structure. Some of which are as follows:

Several colleges offer good packages to the students and alumni of BA International Relations course. Please note that the placement package depends on the college's ranking, students's academic performance and calibre along with various other factors. Some of these colleges are as follows:

Yes you can become a teacher after pursuing a BA in International Relations. Some teaching positions especially in the primary sections are open to all graduates. In some schools graduates in International Relations can also become Political Science teachers or Social Studies teachers. If you have pursued a D.Ed or B.Ed courses and have cleared TET exam then you stand a better chance of getting selected by schools. You can also become an tutor and can teach students either in offline or online mode.

IELTS Examination stands for International English Language Testing System, it is an entrance examination score accepted by various authorities, employers, university and other institutions to check the individual's capacity to effectively communicate, write and carry operations as required in English language. While there is no strict minimum age limit for students to appear in this examination, however it is recommended by the examination council for students to appear in this examination by 16 years and above. 

The examination is conducted into four differential sections - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Candidates acing in a four aspects score a decent score and are accepted by the respective authorities. The time duration for the entire examination is two hours and forty five minutes. 

One has to prepare thoroughly for the examination, knowing just the basic English won't be enough to crack this examination. 

To know more about the examination process, fees and more, candidates can refer to the official website.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized test evaluating your ability to use and understand English at the university level. It's widely accepted by universities and educational institutions globally, particularly in English-speaking countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, for admission purposes. The test comprises four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, each designed to assess your proficiency in key academic English skills.

If you're an Indian student aiming to pursue higher education at an English-speaking university abroad, demonstrating your English proficiency through the TOEFL becomes crucial. Many institutions require or strongly recommend specific TOEFL score ranges for admission. Obtaining a strong score showcases your ability to comprehend academic lectures, actively participate in discussions, and effectively communicate your ideas in writing – all essential aspects of success in an English-medium academic environment.

Both are the standardised tests required to test English proficiency of a candidate for applying abroad. IELTS is used for educational, immigration and occupational purposes, and is accepted by over 9,000 institutions across 130 countries worldwide majorly in UK, New Zealand and Australia. TOEFL also has worldwide acceptance now. TOEFL exam, questions are almost multiple choice, whereas, IELTS requires you to respond to a range of different question types such as short answer, gap-filling and short essay tasks. The IELTS is significantly shorter than the TOEFL exam, taking approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes versus four hours to complete the test. You may visit the respective websites to take the mock tests and understand the difference and which exam you want to take.

Yes, International Relations is a subdomain under Political Science. The scope of Political Science is vast. It can study about political structures, political thoughts and philosophies at a global level or restrict its area of study to smaller political entities. It is essential for the students of International Relations or International Studies to understand basic concepts of Political Science.