The field of international relations recognizes few traditional academic and professional boundaries. It is, in essence, a cross-cultural, cross-specialty field of study which includes aspects of economics, political science, history, sociology, and many other disciplines.

As the name implies, international relations emphasizes the interrelations of the world's primary political institutions, the nation-state system. The International Relations student examines specific nation-states of the world and all of the ways they are interconnected: through political treaty, trade considerations, geographic or ethnic affinities, shared social, economic, or ideological goals, hierarchies of power and wealth, and other factors. The international relations discipline places increasing emphasis on those non-state entities whose power to influence nation-state decisions is growing rapidly - entities such as multinational corporations, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, and various social movements throughout the world.