Degree: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Major: International Studies
Program Overview
By completing a major in international studies, students develop expertise in a region of the world, including one of its languages, and in a transnational topic. They also become familiar with a variety of international issues and frameworks. They use this expertise and knowledge to understand and analyze the dynamics and complexity of the human world.
Popular transnational topics include international security and diplomacy, global environment, international development, global health, international business, intercultural communications, global arts, and international law. Common languages to study are Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish.
Students majoring in international studies earn a BA degree. The major is useful for careers in the arts, business, engineering, government, health, law, media, and the nonprofit sector, among other fields.
Undergraduate Policies
For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.
Accelerated Master's Programs
Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.
Program Requirements
Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the general requirements for bachelor's degrees and the Unified General Education Requirements. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the school-specific requirements associated with this major.
The major in international studies requires a minimum of 33 credit hours, chosen from approved topical and area studies courses, plus satisfaction of a language competency requirement. Each student will prepare a program of study that includes course selections meeting the seven requirements below. Two courses from each other major or minor can count simultaneously toward the international studies major if they fit the requirements. Courses taken to satisfy the language competency requirement are exempted from this rule, and several international studies courses contribute to the completion of general education requirements.
Requirements for the Major:
Course List Code | Title | Hours |
| Being Human: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| Introduction to Modern World History | |
| Introduction to International Relations | |
a | 6 |
b | 6 |
c | 6 |
INTL 399 | International Studies Colloquium d | 3 |
Total Hours | 33 |
Language Competency:
In addition to the 33 credit hours of international studies course work, students must demonstrate competency in a language other than their native language. This may be done by:
- completing a language course at the 300-level or above
- completing four semesters in a single language
- demonstrating to the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures a non-native language competency equivalent to that attained by completing a 300-level or above course
Honors: Honors are awarded to students who meet three requirements: an exceptional senior project (grade of A), a 3.3 overall GPA, and a 3.7 GPA in international studies courses (area focus, topical focus, and electives).
There is no minor in international studies. International studies can be a secondary major.