Internationale Betrekkingen en Internationale Organisatie | Bacheloropleidingen | Opleidingen | Onderwijs

Are you interested in international issues? Would you like to study and work in an international environment? The IRIO Bachelor programme is a great stepping-stone to an international career.

In this three-year Bachelor's degree programme you will explore political questions on an international level. You will focus on international relations, especially on the role of international organizations.

During the programme, you will approach issues in the field of international relations from three perspectives: political, economic and legal. In addition, you will receive thorough training in a modern foreign language. You will acquire a broad understanding of international relations.

Within the programme you can compile your own profile by choosing optional modules. This offers many options to dive into an aspect you may be especially interested in, for example by choosing a minor. You can also opt for courses at other Faculties or Universities, in the Netherlands or abroad.

As the programme is taught in English, a good grasp of the English language is essential!

The Bachelor's degree in International Relations and International Organization is a quota study (numerus fixus). This means that only a limited number of students are accepted every year.

Are you interested in international issues? Would you like to study and work in an international environment? The IRIO Bachelor programme is a great stepping-stone to an international career.

In this three-year Bachelor's degree programme you will explore political questions on an international level. You will focus on international relations, especially on the role of international organizations.

During the programme, you will approach issues in the field of international relations from three perspectives: political, economic and legal. In addition, you will receive thorough training in a modern foreign language. You will acquire a broad understanding of international relations.

Within the programme you can compile your own profile by choosing a minor. This offers many options to dive into an aspect you may be especially interested in, for example Development Studies. You can also opt for courses at other Faculties or spend a semester abroad.

As the programme is taught in English, a good grasp of the English language is essential!

The Bachelor's degree in International Relations and International Organization is a quota study (numerus fixus). This means that only a limited number of students are accepted every year.

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To study IRIO, you need to have a broad interest in international news and the different perspectives on international issues, as well as a critical personality - you ask questions until you have all the answers. Also, independence and flexibility are assets useful in dealing with the curriculum.

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Along my studies my faculty actively cultivated in our classrooms reasoned debate, principled dissent, and incisive collaborative engagement with various issues

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In 2015, I started my undergraduate studies in the International Relations and International Organisation programme. In this holistic and pluri-disciplinary programme, I have been successfully trained - both theoretically and methodologically - to further pursue the set of problématiques that drive me intellectually.

Along my studies, apart from the commitment to excellent research and instructive teaching, my faculty actively cultivated in our classrooms reasoned debate, principled dissent, and incisive collaborative engagement with various issues. The university prepares students to understand, adapt to and respond to contemporary challenges, providing an inclusive and multicultural environment where boundaries are continuously contested and redrawn through creative exploration, informed conversations, and world-class scholarship. Groningen offers a platform where academic experience is not only about getting an education, but also about acquiring a self, fostering an independent mind, building personal networks, and cultivating an active stance towards the daunting problems of our globalized age.

Read more about Dan Mocanu and ask him your question about studying in Groningen

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– Dan Mocanu
This programme combines my interest in history, geography and politics

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After finishing school in Hungary, I took a gap year and was looking for programmes that combined my interest in history, geography and politics. The possibility of studying in English, along with the reputation and competitiveness of the university, convinced me to choose IRIO in Groningen.

So far, the programme has lived up to my expectations. The biggest differences between secondary school and university are freedom and self-responsibility. Most of the students in the programme are passionate about their studies. Groningen is the best place to be a student: the city is always buzzing, and I love the way everyone cycles. It gives a really friendly feeling to the entire city.’

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This programme helps you understand how a policy should work and how an organizational structure should facilitate this policy

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I chose IRIO as I am passionate about making the world a better place. The course units that interested me most were those dealing with policy or theory. The interdisciplinary nature of the programme gives you the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to enter the world of policy-making at an international level.

The IRIO programme helps you understand how a policy should work and how an organizational structure should facilitate this policy. If you can comprehend how these function, you will be equipped to work in this world.

The knowledge I have gained during my degree has come into play in various parts of my life. For example, I am Chair of the Board of Clio and Treasurer of our alumni association, Mitrany. These board posts have enabled me to develop practical skills and learn to work in a team. After I graduate, I would like to work for a consultancy or the government.

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I want to know how to improve the world

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I started IRIO as an idealist. I wanted to know what makes the world go round and how to improve it. IRIO is an excellent way to explore world politics and all the things that are involved. For my Bachelor's thesis, I wrote on images and how they influence international relations – more specifically, how infographics convey climate change. I'm very interested in how International Relations are affected by the digital age.

I spend a lot of time on the internet and I love learning new things from YouTube, infographics and blogs, and I believe that many people all over the world are influenced heavily by what they see online. I managed to establish a link between infographics and politics: some infographics have led to major changes in policy, saving thousands of lives. When writing my thesis I learned a lot about discourse and how it can develop from the most insignificant 9GAG meme to very important political decisions. I find that fascinating.

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The strength of the IRIO programme is expressly this multidisciplinary approach which brings together people whose interests diverge from each other and gives a lot of room to critically assess different kinds of world views!

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I have always been intrigued by the way the world around me is constructed. Thus, it felt like a natural choice to opt to study the most complex social structure of them all: International Relations! Furthermore, IRIO was the right path for me because I took interest in too many things to decide definitively what I wanted to study. And the simple solution was therefore to study a subject which combines all these different dimensions from politics and law to economics. The strength of the IRIO programme is expressly this multidisciplinary approach which brings together people whose interests diverge from each other and gives a lot of room to critically assess different kinds of world views!

I came to Groningen because it is one of the few places in Europe where you can study IRIO as an English-spoken undergraduate programme. The fact that the programme is exclusive in this sense is actually quite fortunate as it attracts people from different backgrounds who all, nevertheless, share a common passion for world politics. What I find is that the learning process does not limit itself to the lectures and seminars but a great deal can be learned from interaction with fellow students as well, when it comes to for example different cultural habits (which are also by the way an eternal source for amusement as well).

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– Minja Sillanpää
IRIO is not just a single subject as such, but rather a mosaic of different disciplines

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Hi there! I’m Casper de Boer, a second-year IRIO student. I’m also following the UG’s Bachelor’s Honours College programme. This year, I am also the Editor-in-Chief of Checks&Balances, a magazine published by the IRIO study association, Clio.

Why IRIO?

So, how did I end up in Groningen in the first place? Quite spontaneously, actually. I decided to join a friend of mine on an open day, where I found out about the IRIO Bachelor’s programme. The programme’s multidisciplinary approach immediately struck a chord with me. IRIO is not just a single subject as such, but rather a mosaic of different disciplines, from history to economics and from law to political science. In Dutch we have a famous saying – ‘kijk verder dan je neus lang is’ – which, literally translated into English, means ‘look further than the length of your own nose’. I think that this is exactly what needs to be done in contemporary public debate. It is no longer sufficient to only present your point of view, to think only from the perspective of your profession and/or specialism. The globalized world of the 21st century requires us to push back the boundaries of our knowledge by combining different areas of knowledge, by listening to others and by developing as individuals through these experiences. IRIO has offered me the tools to do just this, by focusing on the various different aspects that constitute the world of IR. I learn something new about the ever-changing world around me every day, which gives me the feeling that I’m participating in an up-to-date, relevant programme.

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– Casper de Boer
Experienced and renowned professors supply high quality academic knowledge

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I came to Groningen because I was interested in a study program that was not offered at universities in Germany at that time. I knew little about the Netherlands and the Dutch education system, let alone the language. More importantly, I did not know anything about the city that I would call home for the following three years and yet I immediately felt at home..

Most of the inhabitants are students that gather on innumerable patios to enjoy a drink in the sun during a study break or spend a day in the Noorderplantsoen (Groningen’s most crowded park in the summer). Many of the university buildings are spread over the city center and so it is not unusual to be greeted by a fellow student or a professor while you are biking to your next class. In fact your bike will be your most valued companion throughout your time in Groningen.

All of this is of course an important part of the student life in Groningen, but what struck me most about my time here in Groningen was the quality of my academic experience. Experienced and renowned professors supply high quality academic knowledge and ignited my passion for academic research in my field of study. They provided me with important tools and skills that will be very valuable for my future career and personal life. Moreover, learning in a multicultural environment not only enhanced my academic performance; it also changed my view on many study-related topics and led me to become a more tolerant and open-minded person.

Read more about Isabell and her student life in Groningen .

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– Isabell Burmester
IRIO does have a focus on world politics and uses a theoretical approach, but it also addresses social sciences, economics, history, law and some other fields.

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Hi! My name is Teun van der Horst, I am 21 years old and second-year student International Relations & International Organization (IRIO). Two years ago, after I finished secondary school, I attended a study that totally did not fit my liking, and afterwards felt a bit lost regarding all the studies that were out there. Of all the studies, I luckily found what suits me best, and hope to help you to achieve the same.

Outside classes and lectures, I like being sociable, creative and to engage with global developments. Last year I did the lay-out and some writing for our student association’s magazine, this year I give guest lectures on international developments to secondary or practical schools’ students, and draw/paint as a hobby.

Why IRIO?

For a long time I have been a bit envious of people having one ‘true calling’, a single interest in for example technical physics or a health science that (I presumed) guides someone’s study choice very easily. Now I know that that’s a rather wrong assumption, and that for people with many different interests there luckily is multidisciplinary education. IRIO does have a focus on world politics and uses a theoretical approach, but it also addresses social sciences, economics, history, law and some other fields.

However, apart from a broad interest, I am mostly fascinated by the global developments of politics, war, democracy and diplomacy. I like how my study offers a more nuanced, elaborated and scientific view on what we see regularly in the news, or on what happens in wars and international conferences. I think an interest in these subjects is an absolute must – every IRIO-student is engaged with the news and with politics, be it in an activist or scientific way.

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– Teun van der Horst
Being provided with the necessary tools

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When I was searching for the right degree programme, a combination between law, economics and political science, I stumbled upon IRIO. So far, it is my experience that IRIO is more than simply combining these subjects: it provides us with the necessary tools to understand how they are all connected in this complex world.

A personal challenge has been the responsibility of getting the weekly readings done, which requires some discipline, but also provides us with great freedom to make our own schedule. This comes in very handy considering that Groningen, which is as “studenty" as a place can get, offers everything you could ask for, including the friends from all over the world you are bound to make here!

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– Leander Lelouvier
Every issue has many perspectives

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I currently work as a business analyst at the gas trading company GasTerra. I work in the commercial department that sells gas to energy providers. As a business analyst I support the account managers in the sales process.

I like the dynamic environment in which GasTerra operates. Each day can be different in a rapidly changing market with many challenges. Every day I use the analytical skills I acquired during my studies. Knowing that every issue has many perspectives and involves interests is very valuable.

I chose to study IRIO because it is a broad interdisciplinary programme with an international focus. I loved the opportunity to specialize in a certain subject by choosing the most interesting research seminars, thesis subject and electives and an internship abroad. In addition, Groningen is a very lively city that has everything – nice coffee bars, nightlife and a brilliant student life. I am very lucky to still live in this beautiful city.

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– Ellen Ringnalda
An international environment of likeminded academics

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I chose the IRIO programme because I wanted to understand how the world around me works and, ultimately, to learn how to improve it. By learning how power structures work, how laws guide behaviour and how economic policies influence us, this programme seemed well-fit for me. Moreover, there is space to choose extra courses and to go abroad. Currently, I am writing my thesis on the effects of the euro area crisis on European Union policy and I am going abroad to South Korea next year.

Next to studying, I have participated in the vibrant student life of Groningen by doing a board year as the Chairman of Study Association Clio and by being involved in the Erasmus Student Network. These were all great opportunities to learn how to work in an international team. Studying IRIO in Groningen will submerge you into an international environment of like-minded, yet wholly diverse students and academics. With the experience and academic skills from Groningen, I hope to work for an international organization or an NGO.

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– Anton Wuis

Feiten & Cijfers

Titel/Graad: BA in Internationale Betrekkingen en Internationale Organisatie
Croho code: 50627
Type opleiding: Bachelor
Voertaal: Engels (100%)
Duur: 36 maanden (180 ECTS)
Start: SeptemberSeptember
Vorm: voltijd
Faculteit: Letteren

Web Class

Are you at secondary school and want to know what studying at university is like? The International Relations and International Organization (IRIO) programme is offering a web class! This online course from the University of Groningen is specially designed for secondary school students. Get to know IRIO by doing some reading and answering some essay questions or multiple choice questions. The course takes about 10 hours in total.

If you are interested in an IRIO web class, register here.

Studentprofiel

Why IRIO?

Why IRIO?

Web Class