Highlights of the International Studies Program

Collaborative Research/Internship Tracks:
The LVC IS program is designed to provide students with the choice of developing their research skills or participating in an internship program.

Research Track: One existing possibility for students at LVC is building their research skills and collaborating with a professor on a research project. Students can receive course credits and hone their skills at collecting, analyzing and interpreting information by obtaining 3 academic credits of research methodology and at least 3 credits of undergraduate research.
Internship Track: If students wish to develop experience, they can choose to participate in at least 6 credits in a LVC approved internship program. IS majors can complete an international/foreign policy-related internship in the nation's capital while earning academic credits through the Washington Center or Philadelphia Center programs or any other LVC-approved internship program, which provide opportunities for professional exploration, intellectual development, and personal growth.

Study Abroad:
The International Studies program is designed to be a very flexible major and minor to accommodate and address several constraints faced by many of our students.

Flexibility: For example, many IS programs at other colleges have very strict study abroad components that require majors and minors to attend at least one semester of study abroad in an approved program. Some programs require students to study abroad for at least one full year. The LVC IS program requires students to study abroad, however, it allows for sufficient elasticity so majors and minors can attend any of the approved off-campus international programs that are offered by the LVC Study Abroad office; for example: any of the various semester long programs, exchange programs, mini-terms, short-term, or summer programs.
Academic Credit: Moreover, courses taken in any LVC Study Abroad program can count toward the major or minor in IS; however, such courses must have approved equivalent courses in the LVC catalogue. It is highly recommended that students obtain approval from International Studies program advisers prior to attending study abroad programs. This considerable amount of flexibility can hopefully be an attractive feature for students who are considering the major or minor and one that distinguishes the program from other institutions.

Complement other LVC programs:
The considerable flexibility also allows students to use elective hours in the LVC IS program to complement another minor or major or foreign language.

Two Concentrations:
The two concentrations in the present plan were created in order to provide sufficient choice for students between a more conventional track (International Affairs) and a more socio-cultural track (comparative culture). The IA track is a very traditional concentration in IS based on a core emphasis on institutions, politics, history, and economics. The GP track is somewhat more unique and could serve as an attractive feature for students because of its humanities core of art, English, philosophy, religion, and sociology.