Below is a list of the learning outcomes of the program in the context of the Western Degree Outcomes https://teaching.uwo.ca/curriculum/wdo.html

The list draws on Learning Outcomes from both History and Political Science as specified by the respective departments as well as specific learning objectives outlined in the IR core/required courses.

1. Knowledge

a) Students will demonstrate knowledge of theoretical and methodological approaches from both history and political science, including qualitative and quantitative research methods.

b) Students will demonstrate disciplinary knowledge of the history of international relations, its actors, organizations, and ideas.

c) Students will critically engage with theories, concepts, and historiographies of international relations and demonstrate an awareness of how culture, policy, history, and power conditions influence knowledge formation in IR.

2. Literacies and Interdisciplinarity

a) Students will articulate, evaluate, and defend arguments and interpretations in International Relations.

b) Students will demonstrate the ability to navigate interdisciplinary sources and perspectives with a broad conception of their relevance to International Relations.

c) Students will recognize and explain patterns, currents, and changes in International Relations by drawing on and critically assessing evidence from multiple disciplines and cultural perspectives.

3. Communication

a) Students will communicate information clearly and coherently in written and oral formats.

b) Students will acquire the ability to present information and interpretations in International Relations to diverse audiences in a variety of formats, including policy analysis, editorial commentary, and negotiation simulations.

c) Students will demonstrate the ability to work, communicate, listen, and engage with peers and experts in productive discussions of IR questions and debates.

4. Resilience and Life-Long Learning

a) Students will make meaningful connections between the study of International Relations and their own values, positions, and goals.

b) Students will engage with diverse perspectives on global issues, assess their own limitations, and understand the need for continuous and resilient self-reflection.

5. Global and Community Engagement

a) Students will situate their learning about IR in global contexts and develop awareness for the diversity of worldviews and cultures.

b) Students will acquire global outlooks through theoretical study and reflection, and optional participation in Western’s Global & Intercultural Engagement Honour (https://international.uwo.ca/learning/global_at_home/honour/) , internships, or study abroad opportunities.

c) Students will explore connections between International Relations and our community, in London, through curricular, experiential, and extra-curricular social learning opportunities.

d) Students will engage international visiting experts to Western in the classroom and beyond in workshops, lectures, and symposia.

6. Critical Inquiry and Creative Thinking

a) Students will engage the study of International Relations with humility and empathy, recognize diverse perspectives, and critically assess their assumptions.

b) Students will reflect the deeply ethical implications of their program in epistemologies and a wide range of subject areas such as human rights, poverty, global justice, environmental sustainability, and mass violence.

c) Students will apply research skills, capstone experiences, field knowledge, and reflection to creatively improve judgment, decision-making, and problem-solving.

7. Professionalism and Ethical Conduct

a) Students will adhere to standards of professional and academic integrity, and judge their own ethical responsibilities to the past, present, and future of International Relations.

b) Students will demonstrate responsibility and accountability in their dealing with divergent views and the views of others with whom they disagree.

c) Students will acquire the ability to be sensitive to the conventions that promote respectful and productive intellectual exchange.