Welcome to the BA (Hons) International Law

The B.A. Major in International Law and Institutions will prepare students to: understand the origins of international law as well as the history and current relevance of international institutions, identify the actors in international law-making, interpretation, and execution, including states, international organizations, NGOs, and civil society actors, understand the role of international agreements by focusing on how and when they are negotiated, interpreted, implemented, and enforced
Students will explore the strengths and weaknesses of international law as a mechanism for managing international relations and addressing international and global challenges, evaluate how states’ actions and social movements influence international law, interpret how international law shapes civil society and influences social change, and understand the intersection between international law and the operation of international institutions in international affairs.
At the core of this major is the relationship between international law and global governance through supranational institutions. Students in this major will study a variety of topics, including the efforts to regulate the conduct of war, develop human rights doctrines, respond to migration, define and protect the global commons, and regulate international investments, trade, and development.