International relations is the study of or practice of understanding the relationships between different nations and cultures. It typically includes global politics, law, and economics, and it can be a tool for promoting actions like trade, negotiations, cooperation, and productivity. Whether relations between international entities are positive or negative, they can benefit or hinder the economy, environment, quality of life, human rights, political climates, and other issues for one or all parties involved.
Anyone who wants a better understanding of how the world works can benefit from studying international relations. From the way you vote to where you volunteer to the career you choose, it can impact your future and the mark you leave on the world. Not only that, but studying international relations can help improve many skills like your ability to analyze a situation, your negotiation skills, and your decision-making skills. If you want to make the world a better place in any capacity, studying international relations is a great place to start.
Learning about international relations can lead to almost any type of career, and many people who study it go on to work for government agencies, like the Department of State, Department of Commerce, or Department of Homeland Security. You can work as a diplomat, political analyst, lobbyist, or intelligence specialist. If you're interested in a career in communications, you could go on to work for an international news agency, like the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, or the Washington Post. You can use your studies to explore a career in the business world, working for a corporation with international ties, like General Electric, Exxon Mobile, or Amazon. Other potential career opportunities include working for an international nonprofit, like Oxfam International; working for intergovernmental organizations, like NATO or the United Nations; and working for research centers, like Brookings Institution.
Courses on Coursera can help you learn about the moral foundations of politics and the major political theories of history and how they affect politics today. A course on international women's health and human rights is a good starting point to learn about the problems women around the world face on a daily basis. Additional courses on Coursera will help you learn about the role of the United Nations in global diplomacy, terrorism and counterterrorism, and international humanitarian law among other topics.