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Political Economy and Development (PED)

"This photo was taken in Downtown Calgary, Canada, during my PICS-funded Arctic Internship Fellowship," Maggie Chu, BA International Studies ‘14

In this sub-plan, students take courses that help them reason about the global economy and about comparing the political economies of nation-states and regions. Among the topics covered are international economics, political and economic development, regulation of economies, international trade, political contestation over economics, government budgeting, comparative labor economics, and political-economic history.

Prerequisite: ECON 101 (Grade of C or better)

Language Requirement: Sixth term proficiency.

Core Courses (7 credits):

  • INTLSTD 301: Topics in International Studies
  • INTLSTD 401: International Studies Advanced Seminar

Research Methods Course (3 credits): One research methods course chosen from the following list:

  • ECON 401: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
  • ECON 451: Intermediate Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics
  • POLSCI 300: Quantitative Empirical Methods of Political Science
  • POLSCI 391: Introduction to Modeling Political Processes
  • POLSCI 490: Game Theory and Formal Models
  • SOC 210: Elementary Statistics
  • STATS 206: Introduction to Data Science (NEW)
  • STATS 250: Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis
  • STATS 280: Honors Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis

Note: Completion of the Methods requirement is recommended prior to enrolling in INTLSTD 301.

Regional Course (3 credits): One geographic emphasis course devoted to a single world region or country that is related to foreign language of study.

PED Courses (12 credits): Four courses, chosen from an approved list, to gain knowledge in sub-plan area.

  • At least one course must be an ECON course on approved sub-plan list. (Note: these courses may have additional prerequisites.)
  • At least one course must be at the 400 level.
  • Must include at least two academic subjects.

Note: Approved sub-plan course lists may be found on the PICS Courses page.

Three electives (9 credits): The electives are designed to allow students to further personalize their major. Students will elect three advanced courses which will be expected to build upon the theme of their sub-plans. The selected courses should thus contribute to the coherence of the student’s overall concentration. Students may select additional sub-plan, regional, or relevant study abroad courses, however there is no preapproved list of electives. Because there is no preapproved list, students must seek and obtain the approval of elective courses—on a course-by-course basis — from a PICS advisor. It is strongly advised that this approval be obtained before taking the class.

Donia Human Rights Fellows Program

The Donia Human Rights Center (DHRC) is pleased to offer the Donia Human Rights Fellows Program to U-M undergraduate juniors and seniors who have declared a major in International Studies and who have demonstrated their interest in and commitment to the study and practice of human rights during their time at the University of Michigan.