More about our degrees
Learn more about your options in International Studies
BA, International Studies
The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in International Studies gives you the ideal balance between global cultures, economics, and politics in the present and as they have been constructed over time, that allows you to acquire critical skills for successful work in globalized and other culturally diverse settings.
The program includes a variety of opportunities for:
- Education Abroad to develop inter-cultural competency.
- Learn languages (Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish).
- Required and Elective courses to specialize in a topic or region of your interest.
- Internships to gain professional skills for your future careers.
- Research skills to prepare you for graduate studies.
More degree options
International Studies offers a two-course, cohort model honors program for qualified majors. It has the following distinctive features:
- Highly selective (with minimum overall and major GPAs plus application process).
- Cohort model with students and faculty working together through two quarters.
- You are expected to produce a high-quality, scholarly paper suitable for presentation at an undergraduate research conference or for publication in an undergraduate research journal.
Interested in learning more about the type of work that International Studies Honors students do? View past International Studies honors theses from the library website.
Current students: visit the International Studies intranet for eligibility, application process and more.
- If you complete any of the three University HONOR tracks, you will have satisfied the equivalent of HIST 1210, one of either INST 2300 or 2600, and 5 credits of International Studies electives.
- For more information on University Honors.
The minor degree in International Studies can complement many majors, from Political Science to Public Affairs, Communication and Media to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and more. You will complete 30 credits by:
Choosing three from the following foundational courses:
- INST 2000 - Global Cultural Citizenship.
- INST 2100 - World Geography.
- INST 2300 - Introduction to Comparative Politics.
- INST 2600 - Introduction to International Politics.
- HIST 2010 - Workshop in World History.
And completing 15 credits of approved elective courses, One of these electives (5 credits) must be a designated Non-Western Humanities (NWH) course.
Many of our students combine their International Studies degree with another major or minor.
You can take an International Studies BA degree with a specialization in different regions of the world.
Double Major with Asian Studies: Asian Studies is a a multi-disciplinary program that offers you opportunities to explore one of the oldest cultures and civilizations in the world and its modern presence through language and cultural learning.
Minor in Asian Studies: Explore one of the oldest cultures and civilizations in the world and its modern presence through language and cultural learning. Learn more.
Minor in African and African American Studies: Examine the importance of the intellectual and cultural history of the global African presence in the general scheme of world affairs. Learn more.
Minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies: Acquire an in-depth, interdisciplinary understanding of the culture, economics, environment, history, literature, and politics of Latin America. Learn more.
From High School (Advanced Placement)
- AP Comparative Government and Politics (score 3 or higher) may count towards INST 2300.
- AP Human Geography (score 4 or higher) may count towards INST 2100.
- AP Macroeconomics (score 4 or higher) may count towards ECON 2130.
- AP World History - Modern (score 4 or higher) may count towards HIST 1210.
From Community College or Other Universities
- View the two-year transfer plan. (link to program page).
- More information about transfer applications here. (link to undergrad transfers).