International Political Economy:
Undergraduate Minor

International Political Economy (IPE) is ideal for students anticipating international careers especially in the earth resources industries. The IPE Program at Mines was the first program in this discipline in the U.S. designed with the engineering and applied science student in mind, and remains one of the very few international engineering programs with this focus.

IPE is the study of the interplay among politics, the economy, and culture. In today’s global economy, international engineering and applied science decisions are fundamentally political decisions made by sovereign nations. Therefore, IPE theories and models are often used in evaluating and implementing engineering and science projects. Project evaluations and feasibilities now involve the application of such IPE methods as political risk assessment and mitigation.

The IPE Program at Mines includes courses focusing on Latin America/the Americas, Asia Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East/Islamic World; courses with a global focus; and foreign language study.

The IPE undergraduate minor is also a gateway to the Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Program in International Political Economy. The Combined Program leads to either a master’s degree (Master of International Political Economy of Resources, MIPER), or either one or two Graduate Certificates (15 credit-hours each) in International Political Economy. Please go to the LAIS Graduate section of this Web-site for further details.

Sample Courses:
LAIS 447 Global Corporations
LAIS 449 Cultural Dynamics of Global Development
LAIS 450 Political Risk Assessment
LAIS 459 International Field Practicum

Program Advisor: Dr. James Jesudason

Requirements for the IPE Minor
  • Non-Foreign Language Option
  • Foreign Language Option