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International Relations

The International Relations (IR) Program is a well-respected interdisciplinary undergraduate program within the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science that is hosted by Trinity College. In fact, Trinity’s IR program is the oldest and largest program of its kind in Canada and has been the model for innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate education at the University of Toronto. The program is designed to equip students with knowledge of the international system using the methods of historical, political and economic analysis. Trinity College and the International Relations Program have emerged as the intellectual hub of international affairs in Canada. IR draws upon the resources of the Departments of History, Political Science and Economics, the Rotman School of Management, and the Faculty of Law, and is part of the renowned Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

Why study IR? Prof. Tim Sayle, Director of the IR program, explains the benefits of the program’s interdisciplinary approach.

The IR program is open to all students in the Faculty of Arts & Science on the St. George campus, regardless of college affiliation. For first-year students, Trinity College offers the International Relations stream in the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program.

The following IR programs are available:

IR Specialist Gold Box IR Major Gold Box IR Certificate Gold Box

The IR program encourages students to take advantage of our location at the heart of a great university in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. Library resources on the University of Toronto campus are superb. Both Trinity’s John W. Graham Library and Robarts Library house extensive specialized collections.

In addition, the IR program supports students as they complement their structured core courses with a wide range of options. The University of Toronto makes it possible to develop additional language skills, concentrate on one or more regions, take in a wide range of co-curricular special events and opportunities, even study abroad to challenge yourself and gain a broader perspective.

GRADUATES OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PROGRAM

IR students are exceptional leaders and engaged members of the global community. The program has produced several Rhodes Scholars and Moss Scholars.

Notable alumni of the IR program include Bill Robson 1982 (President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute), Atom Egoyan 1982 (award-winning filmmaker), Martha Hall Findlay 1984 (former Member of Parliament and current president and CEO of the Canada West Foundation), Peter Braid 1989 (former Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities), Catherine McKenna 1994 (Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change), Ali Ehsassi (Member of Parliament for Willowdale), and Diana Juricevic 2001 (Chair of the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal).