International relations at UNL prepares students for careers in academia, government, and policy. Our students go on to work in diverse fields and have secured job placements at institutions and firms such as U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), US intelligence agencies, Arizona State University, and Exact Sciences.
Our faculty specialize in human rights (Hillebrecht, Kohen), nuclear proliferation (Mehta), national security (Goodhart, White), international conflict (Mehta, Miller), and international law (Hillebrecht). In addition to gaining expertise in these substantive areas, students in our program gain critical methodological skills, such as econometrics and quantitative data analysis, qualitative research design, and neuroimaging. Our international relations faculty also encourage interdisciplinary work, and our students often take courses in law, history, and psychology. Students in IR might choose to also focus in Political Psychology, and some participate in the cross-departmental Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs graduate specialization.
Core Faculty
Andrew Goodhart, Assistant Professor
Courtney Hillebrecht, Professor and Department Chair
Alice Kang, Professor
DG Kim, Assistant Professor (starting Fall 2025)
Ari Kohen, Professor
Rupal Mehta, Associate Professor (on leave)
Ross Miller, Associate Professor
Haoming Xiong, Assistant Professor (starting Fall 2025)
Tyler White, Associate Professor of Practice