Minor with International Affairs Concentration:
Degree Requirements:
Required courses:
ECN 101 Principles of Microeconomics| The course examines how individuals and firms make choices within the institution of free-market capitalism. Individuals decide how much of their time to spend working and what to buy with the earnings of their labor. Firms decide how much to produce and in some cases what price to charge for their goods. Together these choices determine what is produced, how it is produced, and for whom it is produced in our economic system. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 2 (Social Science). 3 credits. |
| This course extends the study of consumer and producer choices to discover how they affect the nation's economy. Macroeconomics deals with the economy as a whole as measured by the key variables of inflation, unemployment, and economic growth. Emphasis is on both Keynesian and classical theories and how they predict what monetary and fiscal policies can be used to affect these variables and reach national economic goals. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 2 (Social Science). 3 credits. |
| This course introduces the theory and practice of international economic relations. It includes, not only the history and purpose of trade and the traditional theory of the gains from trade, but also the more modern theory of trade with imperfect competition. The history and nature of the institutional structures of trade (World Trade Organization) are covered. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisites: ECN 101 and 102. 3 credits. |
| The course will examine global theories that explain patterns of world interaction, cooperation and conflict, and the process of globalization. It places international events into historical context and emphasizes the interrelationships among global institutions and culture. Citizenship at the global, national, and local levels will be emphasized. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 2 (Social Science). 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to expose students to the study of concepts and theories of international relations. It will provide students with a conceptual approach to understanding the principal actors in the international system and a systematic analysis of advanced international relations theories, namely realism, liberalism, radicalism, constructivism, and feminism. Topics addressed include international relations theory, history of international relations, the global system, the state and the individual, global organizations, non-governmental organizations, international law, war and strife, international political economy, and transnational issues. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. 3 credits. |
One course from the following:
DSP 322 The 20th-Century World| An exploration of key moments that profoundly changed world history in the twentieth century including the Russian Revolution, Chinese Revolution, the impact of decolonization in India, the end to the Cold War in 1989, and 9/11. This course will be aligned with the colloquium theme of revolution by exploring the nature and process of change. The class sessions will center on discussion of readings, films, news events, and colloquium events. Students will write a paper and give a presentation on change using a current event related to their majors. Fulfills general education requirement: Disciplinary Perspectives. Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing. 3 credits. |
| The course will chart the ways in which the French Revolution and the industrial revolution in Europe shaped the political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual development of Europe in the nineteenth century. The major themes of the course include the development of the political ideologies that emerged as a result of the French Revolution, industrialization, nationalism, the development of class societies, gradual democratization in parts of Europe, the beginning of the women's movement, challenges to liberalism, and finally, the causes of World War I. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. 3 credits. |
| An introduction to the main political, social, economic and intellectual developments in twentieth-century Europe. The major themes of the course include the experience of the two world wars; the development of fascist and communist regimes under Lenin and Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler; the weakness of the western democracies after World War I; the Holocaust; the Cold War; the Communist Bloc; the end to colonialism; the European Union; the development of the welfare state, and the new nationalism. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 1 (History).Writing Process. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. 3 credits. (This course is cross-listed with PSC 207) |
| A study of French history from 1750 to the 1980s. The course provides an overview of the political, social, economic, and cultural history of France from the late eighteenth to the late twentieth century. The course will address a variety of themes from the standpoint of France's place in European history as a whole but also in terms of the uniqueness of the French experience. Some of the themes covered by the course will include: France's revolutionary tradition; the development of a democratic society; the French pattern of gradual industrialization; the persistence of the French peasantry; the socialist movement and syndicalism; the evolution of the radical right; imperialism; French communism; intellectual movements in literature, philosophy and the arts; France and Europe in the post-war period; women in French society; and the role of minorities in France. The course will also examine the ways in which these themes relate to issues confronting contemporary France. Fulfills general education requirement: Liberal Studies Area 1 (History). Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. 3 credits. |
| Latin American civilization from the emergence of independent states, relationships with the United States and the modern regional distinctions. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor. 3 credits. |
| A seminar on the history of South Africa especially from the 1920s to the present. Topics include colonization, conflicts between European settlers and natives, the development of capitalism, the dynamics of black South Africans under apartheid, and the bloody struggle for and against national liberation in the early 1990s. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. Prerequisites: Junior standing or permission of the instructor. HIS 273 is recommended. 3 credits. |
| A study of the history of Brazil from the colonial period through the present day. The primary focus will be on the period from the arrival of the Portuguese Court in 1808 until the "abertura," or re-democratization of the 1980s. Some of the topics that will be covered in the course include: 1) the historical development of the Brazilian nation-state and 2) the development of a Brazilian "national" culture. Thus recurrent themes will include political organization and participation, economic growth and development, nationalism, authoritarianism and re-democratization, social organization and stratification, cultural production, and race relations. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. Prerequisites: Junior standing or permission of the instructor, HIS 274 or 275 is recommended. 3 credits. |
| This course examines Mexican history from before the Spanish conquest to the present day. The approach is chronological, topical, and thematic. Critically engaging with a wide variety of course materials, students will gain specific factual knowledge about Mexican history, including major figures, events, and trends; explore how the histories of the United States and Mexico have grown increasingly entwined; and examine diverse aspects of Mexican history, society, and culture. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course provides and in-depth study of World War I. The topics covered include the causes of the war; the military history of the war; the social, economic, and cultural changes that resulted; the terms and consequences of the peace; and ways in which the memories of the war were constructed. Although the course will focus on Europe where most of the war was fought, students will also examine the impact of the war on Russia and Europe's overseas colonies. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and one prior history class or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This is an introduction to the study of comparative politics: the comparison of political systems in order to understand how and why these systems function differently. The course is built around three fundamental questions: What is comparative politics? What kinds of phenomena do we compare? What are the major theoretical approaches that guide our studies? We also examine distinctions between the "developing" and the "developed" worlds, and between authoritarian and democratic political regimes. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A survey of the developing nations of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This class explores why some countries are "developed" and others not. The course examines some of the major explanations for development, both economic and political. Following an overview of each of the developing regions, the class will analyze some of the major issues facing developing nations today. Topics include democratization, religion and politics, ethnic conflict, women and development, and revolution. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity.Writing Process. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| The course is designed as an introduction to Latin American politics. We focus on two major trends that have characterized the region throughout its post-independence history: episodic waves of political democratization and democratic breakdown, and a common but changing series of economic systems. We also examine the political role played by the military, the quest for political equality among various groups in society, and the evolving political and economic relationships between Latin America and the U.S. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. 3 credits. |
| Sometimes called the cradle of civilization, the Middle East is home to approximately 330 million people, vast oil resources, and the world's fastest-growing religion. It also faces formidable political, social, and economic challenges. In fact, it may well be the most contentious region in the world today. This course examines selected domestic and international political developments in the modern Middle East. We discuss Arabism, political Islam, secular-religious tensions within and between Middle East states, and state-society relations (e.g., opposition movements, human rights, gender issues). We also analyze international relations within and without the region, namely the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iraq-Iran conflict, and U.S. foreign policy toward the region (including the impact of the war on terrorism). We will supplement our readings and discussions with several films and periodic guest speakers (depending upon availability). An underlying theme of the course is the potential for democratization in the Middle East. Fulfills general education requirement: Intercultural Diversity. 3 credits. |
| This course examines key theories and contexts that shape American foreign policy strategy and important questions of foreign policy politics. It exposes students to foreign policy strategy as the means by which U.S. national interests and policies are formulated and to foreign policy politics as the roles played by institutions and actors within the foreign policymaking process. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course will examine contemporary conflict and the use of force in world politics. It introduces two schools of thought (security studies and strategic studies) and examines theories and concepts used to understand contemporary global security. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
One advanced-level foreign language course at the 300 level or above.
Completion of a study abroad program and internship or research track, as described below is also required.
Majors
must also complete either an internship or research track:
- Internship Track: earn at least 6 internship credits. This can be accomplished with an
international/foreign policy-related internship in the Washington Center
program, in a Study Abroad program, or in any other LVC-approved internship program
(INT 400).
- Research Track: students can earn at
least 6 credits of undergraduate research. This includes PSC 370 (Research
Methods in Political Science) or SOC 311 (Research Methods in Sociology) and at
least 3 credits of INT 460 (undergraduate research) in order to meet the
requirements of the research component. INT 460 requires students to
collaborate with a professor on a research project and is designed so students
can hone their research skills in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information.
The purpose of the research option is to assure that students develop research
methodologies in line with research objectives.
Study Abroad Requirement:
International Studies majors and minors
are required to participate in at least one approved off-campus program offered
by the Study Abroad office. This may include a semester of study abroad or an
approved alternative program, such as exchange programs, mini-terms, short-term
or summer programs. Courses taken in off-campus programs can be accepted for credit
to the International Studies major, but approval for such credit is contingent
on equivalent courses in the catalog. For a list of approved off-campus
programs, please see the study abroad section.