International Studies, BA

Marc C. McLeod, PhD, Director

Objectives

The international studies major enables students to act competently and conscientiously within an increasingly interconnected world. Students acquire multiple perspectives on global patterns and local contexts through a broad interdisciplinary curriculum, while having the opportunity to focus on a specific world region, international issue, or subject area. International studies majors also connect their classroom-based knowledge to real world situations through direct foreign experience, senior research projects, and internship work. An international studies degree equips students to pursue further study and internationally oriented careers in fields such as government, business, law, communications, development and education.

Study Abroad

The international studies major requires a learning program in a country other than the United States. The university offers approved study abroad opportunities through exchange, consortia, and independent programs. Each study abroad program will demonstrate high academic standards and insist on theoretical and practical interaction where students strengthen their understanding of the local culture and global situation of their country of choice. An acceptable study abroad experience for the international studies major includes a minimum of 15 quarter credits, or its equivalent in semester credits, provided that the student meets full time status in the chosen study abroad program.

Requirements

In order to earn the bachelor of arts degree with a major in international studies, students must complete a minimum of 180 credits with a cumulative and major/department grade point average of 2.00, including the following:

I. Core Curriculum Requirements

ENGL 110 - College Writing: Inquiry and Argument 5
PHIL 110 - Introduction to Philosophy and Critical Thinking 5
HIST 120 - Origins of Western Civilization 5
ENGL 120 - Introduction to Literature 5
MATH 107 or MATH 110 or above 5
Lab Science 5
Fine Arts (one approved 5-credit course) 5
PHIL 220 - Philosophy of the Human Person 5
Social Science I 5
Social Science II (ECON 271 required) 5*
Theology and Religious Studies Phase II (200-299 ) 5
Ethics (upper division) 5
Theology and Religious Studies Phase III (THRS 311 , 331 , 332 , 333 or 334 required) 5*
Interdisciplinary Course 3 to 5
Senior Synthesis 3 to 5

*Included in major GPA

II. College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

Modern Language 115, 125, 135 or equivalent (15)

HIST 121 - Studies in Modern Civilization 5

NOTE:

1. All students with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences must demonstrate competency through the level of 135 in a language other than English. This competency is ordinarily achieved by successful completion of the three-course sequence: 115, 125, and 135. Because these courses are a college requirement, no courses in the sequence may be taken on a pass/fail, correspondence, or audit basis. Placement into other than the beginning course of the sequence is achieved by acceptable performance on the Modern Language Competency Examination. See the Modern Language Department for details on the examinations. International students educated to age 16 in a language other than English may request a waiver of this first-year language requirement. 2. Students educated to the age of 16 in schools outside the United States may use HIST 231 as a substitute for HIST 121 .

III. Major Requirements

A minimum of 65 credits in international studies, including:

Area I: Foundational: 35 credits:

INST 200 - Introduction to International Studies 5
INST 325 - International Political Economy 5
Modern Language above 135: (*15)

NOTE:

(ECON 271 is a prerequisite for INST 325 )

Choose one of the following two courses:

NOTE:

*Students who place out of second year language must take 45 credits of international studies major electives, listed below.

Area II: Major Electives (30)

Choose a total of thirty credits of approved electives from the lists below. At least ten credits must be chosen from the humanities list and ten credits from the social sciences list. Fifteen of the thirty elective credits must also be in courses with a regional studies (RS) designation, and at least five of these fifteen regional studies credits must have a non-Western designation (RS-NW). Note that regional studies electives also meet the humanities and social science elective requirements. (30)

Humanities: (minimum of 10 credits required):

Choose from the approved courses below (see department listings for non-INST course descriptions ):

RS = Course also fulfills major Regional Studies elective

RS-NW = Course also fulfills major non-Western Regional Studies elective

AIST 200 - Introduction to Asian Studies 5 (RS-NW)
ART 214 - Global Topics in Art History 5 (RS-NW)
ART 318 - Art Traditions of Japan 5 (RS-NW)
ART 319 - Arts of China 5 (RS-NW)
ENGL 359 - Russian Literature 5 (RS)
ENGL 361 - Literature of India 5 (RS-NW)
ENGL 362 - African Literature 5 (RS-NW)
ENGL 369 - Latin American Literature 5 (RS-NW)
ENGL 373 - Canadian Literature 5 (RS)
ENGL 423 - Irish Literature 5 (RS)
ENGL 430 - Japanese Drama 5 (RS-NW)
ENGL 441 - International Women’s Writing 5
ENGL 474 - Postcolonial Literature and Theory 5
GAST 200 - Introduction to Global African Studies 5 (RS-NW)
GAST 301 - African History: Prehistory - 1500 5 (RS-NW)
GAST 302 - African History: 1500 to 1800 5 (RS-NW)
GAST 303 - African History: 1800 - the Present 5 (RS-NW)
GAST 402 - Slavery: Comparative Perspectives 5
GAST 404 - African Intellectual Heritage: Global Perspectives 5 (RS-NW)
GAST 405 - The Atlantic Slave Trade 5
GAST 406 - Islam in the Global African World 5 (RS-NW)
GAST 407 - Christianity in the Global African World 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 308 - European Colonialism 5
HIST 315 - Europe 1914-1945 5 (RS)
HIST 316 - European and Colonial Cities, 18th-20th Centuries 5
HIST 317 - Community and Conflict in Europe since 1945 5 (RS)
HIST 320 - Russian History, 1861-1964 5 (RS)
HIST 363 - African History: 1800 to the Present 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 370 - Colonial Latin America 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 371 - Modern Latin America 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 372 - History of Mexico 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 373 - History of Cuba 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 374 - Revolution in Latin America 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 375 - History of the Caribbean 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 383 - Modern China 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 386 - History of Southeast Asia 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 387 - Modern Japan 5 (RS-NW)
HIST /INST 388 - East Meets West: A History of Travelers To and From the Asian World 5 *
HIST 389 - Modern Asia Revolutions 5 (RS-NW)
HIST 420 - Hitler and the Holocaust 5 (RS)
HIST 473 - Cuban History Research Seminar 5 (RS-NW)
HUMT 380 - Cultural Interface 5
INST 364 - Postcolonial Studies 5 *
LBST 323 - World Geography for Teachers 5
MODERN LANG French, Chinese, German, Japanese, Spanish 215, 225, 235 (these 200-level courses may fulfill major elective requirements only if in a language different from the one used to meet the major modern language requirement)
CHIN 315 - Chinese Culture and Civilization 5 (RS-NW)
FREN 315 - French Culture and Civilization 5 (RS)
FREN 325 - Introduction to French Literature 5 (RS)
FREN 415 - French Literature and Culture, 19th Century 5 (RS)
FREN 445 - French Literature and Culture, 20th Century 5 (RS)
FREN 450 - Methodology of Teaching French 5
FREN 452 - Development of Modern French 5 (RS)
FREN 460 - Québecois Literature and Culture 5 (RS)
FREN 463 - Topics in Contemporary French Culture 5 (RS)
FREN 465 - French and Francophone Cinema 5 (RS)
FREN 470 - Francophone African and Caribbean Literature and Culture 5 (RS-NW)
GERM 315 - German Culture and Civilization 5 (RS)
JPAN 315 - Japanese Culture and Civilization 5 (RS-NW)
ITAL 315 - Italian Culture & Civilization 5 (RS)
MDLG 391 - Special Topics 1 to 5 (non-US)
MDLG 392 - Special Topics 1 to 5 (non-US)
MDLG 393 - Special Topics 1 to 5 (non-US)
MUSC 205 - African Drumming 2 (RS-NW)
PHIL 341 - Buddhist Philosophy 5
PHIL 347 - African Philosophy 5 (RS-NW)
SPAN 315 - Latin American and Spanish Culture and Society 5 (RS-NW)
SPAN 325 - Introduction to Latin American and Spanish Literature 5 (RS-NW)
SPAN 405 - Methodology of Teaching Spanish 5
SPAN 416 - Latin American and Spanish Literature and Culture, 19th century 5 (RS-NW)
SPAN 426 - Latin American Literature and Culture 20th Century 5 (RS-NW)
SPAN 428 - Contemporary Spanish Literature and Culture 5 (RS)
SPAN 431 - Literature and Revolution 5 (RS-NW)
WMST 384 - Contemporary Latin American Literature 5 (RS-NW)

NOTE:

*INST 364 and INST 388 /HIST 388 may only count as an elective if not selected for the major foundational requirement

Social Sciences (minimum of 10 credits required):

Choose from the approved course list below (see department listings for non-INST course descriptions ):

RS = Course also fulfills major Regional Studies elective

RS-NW= Course also fulfills major non-Western Regional Studies elective

NOTE:

*ECON 272 is required for some 300 or 400 level ECON classes. Please consult with the Department of Economics.

**INST 230 /PLSC 230 and INST 260 /PLSC 260 may only count as an elective if not selected for the major foundational requirement

Courses satisfying requirements for university core cannot also satisfy requirements for the international studies major, except for ECON 271, THRS 311, 331, 332, 334, and senior synthesis or interdisciplinary core courses. Consult your international studies advisor prior to registering for senior synthesis and interdisciplinary core courses to determine whether they will also satisfy major elective requirements.