Frequently Asked Questions

1)     Are there any prerequisites for the International Studies (IS) major?

Yes. Students must complete INTLSTD 101 with a grade of C- or better.
Students must be enrolled in their fourth semester of language (or placed out).
Students planning on electing the Political Economy and Development sub-plan must first complete ECON 101 with a C or better so that they are eligible to enroll in one upper-level ECON course as part of their sub-plan requirement. Please note that a C or better in ECON 101 is an enforced prerequisite to enroll in the 300-level ECON courses approved for the PED sub-plan.

2)      How do I declare an International Studies major?

To Declare: Students must be enrolled in or have completed INTLSTD 101. Additionally, students pursuing the PED sub-plan must be enrolled in or have completed ECON 101 in order to declare. Students should fill out the International Studies Major Declaration Form to officially declare the International Studies major. Advisors will be in contact with you once your declaration is processed and will follow up with any questions.

3)      May I count 100 level courses toward the major?

100-level courses may not be counted toward an International Studies major.

4)      What are the requirements for the International Studies Honors Plan?

Students who have declared a major in International Studies and are admitted to the additional Honors sub-plan must have an overall GPA of 3.5, a major GPA of 3.5 or higher, and complete a senior Honors thesis.

During their junior year, students interested in writing a thesis will enroll in INTLSTD 390 to prepare for senior year. Typically, INTLSTD 390 will be offered in both the Fall and Winter terms. INTLSTD 390 should be completed with an A minimum grade to ensure the skills and ideas needed for a successful thesis are developed. Enrollment in and/or completion of INTLSTD 390 is required for admittance to the Honors sub-plan. Students apply for the Honors sub-plan in the Winter term of their junior year. Admission decisions will be announced shortly after the end of the Winter term. Students taking INTLSTD 390 before their junior year may be admitted provisionally, with final admission contingent on maintaining the required GPA through the end of junior year. The PICS Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, & Honors Education will meet once with students at the end of their junior year, to review requirements, answer questions, and discuss research practices and principles.

Applications to the Honors sub-plan will be evaluated on the following criteria:

•  Overall and major GPA, 3.5
•  Overall performance in INTLSTD 390
•  Quality of the research proposal
•  Success at obtaining a faculty advisor

During their senior year, students will enroll in INTLSTD 498 during Fall term and INTLSTD 499 during Winter term, both led by PICS’s Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, & Honors Education. The instructor will regularly meet with students as a collective and individually during their senior year. Each student will have an oral thesis defense in a meeting with the faculty member serving as the thesis advisor and the Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, & Honors Education.

The thesis will be a minimum of 50 pages long. Students are responsible for obtaining a faculty expert to serve as a thesis advisor. The advisor and topic must be approved by the honors committee. The Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, and Honors Education will determine student grades on the thesis and the level of honors earned in consultation with the faculty member serving as the thesis advisor.

5)      How many courses can be shared with a double major?

The Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS) does not have a limit on the number of courses that can be shared double counted with a second or third major. Please Note: A maximum of one course may be shared between the requirements of a minor and a major.

6)      May I take a course towards my International Studies major or minor P/F?

All courses going toward your International Studies major or minor require a letter grade with exclusion of fifth-term or sixth-term language.

7)      What is the minimum grade I can receive in a course going towards my International major?

C-.

8)      Is it possible for me to apply alternative credits (e.g. an internship, transfer credits, independent study, or non-LSA courses) toward an International Studies major?

In some cases it is, but each request will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. PICS offers independent study courses, INTLSTD 391 and INTLSTD 491. The research proposal needs to be approved by the PICS Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, & Honors Education before you can enroll in INTLSTD 391 or INTLSTD 491. You must provide a one-page written proposal of the academic goal and plan for the study and a written agreement between you and the faculty member who will sponsor your study. Please include a description of the study, clearly articulated expectations, interim deadlines, and a final deadline for completion of the study. The PICS course number for approved internships is INTLSTD 399. Requests for internship credit must be petitioned for credit toward the major. Please email is-advising@umich.edu for more information.

Transfer credits must post to your official U-M transcript at 200 level or above and be pre-approved by a PICS advisor for International Studies major requirements. To seek approval for a course you've taken or are thinking of taking, please follow the standard course approval instructions (for either sub-plans or electives) detailed below.

9)      What counts as a regional course?

A regional course should focus on a single world region as it connects to your language of study. Upper-level language courses beyond the sixth-term language requirement that have a focus on culture, history, arts, etc. and may work as a regional course as well as relevant study abroad courses. Regional courses must be approved by a PICS advisor. Please email is-advising@umich.edu for approval.

Examples:

Language: Spanish    Region: Latin America

ANTHRCUL 319 - Latin American Society and Culture; STDABRD 303 - CGIS: Environment and Sustainable Development in San Jose, Costa Rica

Language: French    Region: Western Europe

Courses: FRENCH 369 Literature, History, and Culture of Modernity; WOMENSTD 317 Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe, 1500-1800

10)    How does study abroad credit count toward my major?

First, you have to receive U-M credit at the 200-level or above. If your study abroad program is arranged through the Center for Global and Intercultural Study (CGIS) then this should not be an issue, but if your program is organized by another university, you must arrange for that university to transfer the credits; and for U-M to accept them. We encourage you to make sure this is all arranged before you commit to any given non-U-M study abroad program.

1)    How would I get a course approved for inclusion in a sub-plan?

With the many choices available on the list of approved courses for sub-plans, most students are able to find the courses they both need and want to take. Nevertheless, if you come upon a course that you think is appropriate for your sub-plan, but it is not on the approved list, we’ll review it. To request a course review, you will need to fill out the online PICS Course Approval Form. The PICS director will review your request and get back to you shortly.

2)     What if none of the sub-plans fit exactly what I am looking for, may I create my own sub-plan for the major?

No.

3)    May I choose more than one sub-plan?

           No.   

1)    May I take more than one language in the same region to reach the six semester requirement?

Students may appeal the sixth term of a single language (although six terms of one language is strongly recommended in most cases) and substitute a minimum of four terms of one language combined with two terms of language relevant to their defined program to total six terms of language study. Each case is reviewed individually and students must make a compelling case. For example, if a student has a special interest in Africa and this is reflected in the student’s previous coursework, and he/she has four semesters of French and wishes to add two semesters of an African language, this may be permissible. Similarly, if a student has a great interest in the Middle East a combination of Hebrew/Arabic may be permissible. Other possible combinations are Spanish/Portuguese if a special interest in Latin America can be demonstrated. However, a combination of Spanish and Italian or French is not permissible. Please note that if you are planning to satisfy the PICS language requirement through using two different languages (4+2 terms) you must obtain pre-approval. Questions regarding this should be directed to your PICS advisor.

2)    What is sixth-term language proficiency?

All International Studies majors must attain six-term proficiency, in a language other than English, during their course of study. To clarify what constitutes language proficiency, please see the PICS Undergraduate Student Handbook or connect with a PICS advisor for more information.

3)     Does my language have to match my region?

Yes. If your language of study is Spanish, for example, you may focus on any Spanish-speaking country or region. If you receive approval to study both Spanish and Quechua (an indigenous language of the South American Andes), you would then be required to focus on the region of South America in which both Spanish and Quechua are spoken.

1)    When should I plan to take INTLSTD 301 and INTLSTD 401? Am I required to take them in order?

We would like to see you take the core courses in order, but we understand that this is not always feasible and we do not require it. Take INTLSTD 301 and INTLSTD 401 in whatever order works best with your schedule, even if that means you take two of them concurrently. Keep in mind that the INTLSTD 401 advanced seminar is restricted to junior standing students or above.

2)    What semesters are INTLSTD 101, INTLSTD 301, and INTLSTD 401 offered?

INTLSTD 101, INTLSTD 301, and INTLSTD 401 are offered in the fall and winter semesters of each year. These courses are also sometimes offered in the spring and/or summer terms. Please review the PICS Courses page to review what is being offered this semester.

3)    Is there a way for me to get a course approved as INTLSTD 301, and INTLSTD 401?

No. You'll have to take an INTLSTD 301 and INTLSTD 401 course. INTLSTD 301, with varying topics, is offered each fall and winter term. There are several INTLSTD 401 seminars, with varying topics, offered each fall and winter term.

1)      How do I get a course approved as an elective?

Email the course title and course description to a PICS advisor advisor to is-advsing@umich.edu. Include a note with the language you’re studying, your sub-plan focus, and your U-M ID number. You may also schedule an advising appointment for elective course approvals.

2)    What kinds of courses may I take as electives?

There is no pre-approved list for electives. You may take additional sub-plan, regional, relevant study abroad courses, or courses approved for other IS sub-plans. Remember that all electives must be pre-approved by a PICS advisor.

3)    May I select courses from a different sub-plan and count them among my electives?

Yes, but all electives must be pre-approved by a PICS advisor.

4)    Is there a limit to how many 200- or 300-level courses I might count toward my elective requirement?

The only restriction is that you may not apply 100-level courses toward the satisfaction of your elective requirements.