DWA is Occidental College’s nationally recognized International Relations major.  In addition to providing students with a firm foundation on various IR theories and issues, students are encouraged to draw in an interdisciplinary manner from a related major (among them politics, economics, film/documentary-making, critical theory, history, and religious studies).  Students are required to engage in substantial foreign language study. DWA hosts Occidental’s “Oxy-at-the-U.N.” program, which is unique in allowing undergraduate students to intern at agencies and arms of the United Nations. The John Parke Young Fund generously funds independent research projects developed by our students under faculty supervision. In cooperation with the Office of Global Affairs, DWA also hosts a lively series of guest lectures, brown bags, films, documentaries, and the John Parke Young Distinguished Speaker Series.

About the image: Occidental students have a long history of interaction with global politics, and the DWA major has been a particular focus for this engagement. This is reflected in the poster which hangs in the DWA office. This poster comes from the on-campus movement to have the college divest from South Africa (a movement that is now famous for having given Barack Obama his start in politics).  For more information, click here.