Minor

Language Requirement

Sixth-term proficiency in a language other than English must be obtained prior to graduation; therefore, students should begin the language sequence early.

Language study is a vital part of any liberal arts education and students who major in International Studies should be well prepared to work in environments overseas, or in companies or organizations that interact regularly with people from other countries. The PICS language requirement will benefit students in broadening their skills and their vision of the world. Language fluency signals a deep level of expertise and commitment to international affairs to potential employers and graduate admissions committees.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for further information about the sixth-term language requirement.

Credits

18 credit hours of coursework, exclusive of language courses.

Required Courses

1. A geographic emphasis composed of three courses devoted to a single world region or country. At least two of the three geographic courses must be 300-level or above.
2. A thematic emphasis composed of three courses devoted to a given theme or topic (e.g., international conflict and security, human rights, music and ethnomusicology). At least two of the three thematic courses must be 300-level or above.
   Geographic and thematic course selections must be approved by an International Studies advisor. Each three-course set must possess intellectual coherence, and there must also be a clear and logical connection between the focus of the selected geographic and thematic courses.
   Courses must be taken from at least two academic disciplines, with no more than one offered by a student’s major department. One course may be “double-counted” for both a geographic and thematic requirement.
   At least two courses must give primary attention to countries or world regions beyond the United States. A third course devoted to the same theme may give significant attention to the United States if there is a clear intellectual reason for doing so.
3. INTLSTD 401: International Studies Advanced Topics Seminar. The International Studies Advanced Topics Seminar is a variable content course designed to bring an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of a topic of international significance. This course should be taken after junior year and is considered a capstone course for the minor.

Study, internship, or research abroad experience is strongly encouraged, although not required.

Students design their own plan of study drawn from an extensive selection of courses from across campus. The list below shows examples of possible themes and regions, although the list is by no means complete. Students may also propose their own regional and thematic focus, which would require the approval of a PICS advisor. Students who have taken an approved course before declaring the minor should request on their proposal that it be counted toward the minor.