International Studies Minor

The purpose of this interdisciplinary minor is to provide students with an education that broadens their knowledge of the people of the world, international events, and the socio-economic and socio-political background to global affairs. To do this, it integrates area studies and the study of international problems viewed from a cross disciplinary perspective. New curricular efforts, including global perspectives in issues-oriented courses, are emphasized.

This minor provides a splendid foundation for careers in which an understanding of international economic, political, social, and cultural affairs is of importance; it also provides a foundation for graduate work in the field; and is an excellent complement to majors in the humanities, social sciences, arts and business.

Language Component (3 s.h.)

In addition to the six credits of an international language required by the university's world language requirement, students must take at least three additional credits in the same language. Students who demonstrate advanced level competency will be waived from this requirement.

Electives (12 s.h.)

These electives will include six credits in Area Studies courses that focus on the same regional area of studies:

  • Africa,
  • Asia,
  • Europe,
  • Latin America and Caribbean, or
  • the Middle East

(three of these six credits must be in Culture and Artistic Expression; and the remaining three credits in Area Studies courses must be taken in Social and Political Structures); plus three credits each in Global Issues courses and in courses with international focus.

All elective courses retain their prerequisites, corequisites, and restrictions (as applicable). Only the departments offering a course can issue exemptions from their corresponding restrictions or prerequisites. No more than six credits can be taken as electives from one alpha course code.

Program Requirements

Required Courses
INTL 100Introduction to Global Issues3
INTL 400Integrative Seminar in International Studies3
Language Component
Select one course from the list below.3
Area Studies Electives
Select the 2 requirements from the Area Studies Electives list (see below). Courses chosen must focus on the same regional area.6
Global Issues
Select one course from the list below.3
International Focus
Select one course from the list below.3
Total Credits21

Language Component

Intermediate American Sign Language I
Intermediate American Sign Language II
Intermediate Arabic I
Intermediate Arabic II
Intermediate Chinese I
Intermediate Chinese II
Intermediate French
Intermediate French II
Intermediate German I
Intermediate German II
Advanced German I
Advanced German II
Intermediate Greek I
Intermediate Greek II
Intermediate Hebrew I
Intermediate Hebrew II
Comprehensive Italian III and IV
Intermediate Japanese I
Intermediate Japanese II
Intermediate Latin I
Intermediate Latin II
Portuguese III
Portuguese IV
Intermediate and Heritage Russian
Spoken and Written Language Practice
Advanced Russian I
Advanced Russian II
Spanish III
Spanish IV

Area Studies Electives 

Cultural and Artistic Impression
Select 3 credits from the following:3
Cultures of the Middle East
Cultures of South Asia
Cultures of Latin America
Introduction to Arab Culture
Twentieth-Century Arabic Literature
Asian Art
African Art: Sub-Saharan
Renaissance Art in Italy: The Sixteenth Century
Introduction to Arab Culture
Contemporary Chinese Cinema and Society
Introduction to Chinese Culture
Contemporary Chinese Cinema and Society
Popular Music and Modern Chinese Culture
Images of Muslim Women in Twentieth Century Literature and Culture
Survey of Brazilian Literature
Victorian Popular Fiction
Contemporary African Literature
Introduction to French Culture
French Film
Francophone Film
French Civilization from Napoleon to World War II
Survey of French Poetry
Francophone Literature
France from World War II to the Present
French Study Abroad
Introduction to French Culture
Myths and Images of Women in French Literature
Major Currents of Modern Thought in French Literature
French Film
Francophone Film
German Civilization
Modern German Prose Fiction
Russian Culture and Civilization
Reading Asian Cultures
Special Topics in Italian Cinema and Intro to Subtitling
French Film
Francophone Film
Special Topics in German Literature and Culture
German Expressionism
Greek Art
Special Topics in Italian Cinema and Intro to Subtitling
20th Century Italian Literature
Reading, Writing, Translating Early Modern Italy
Reading, Writing, Translating Modern and Contemporary Italy
Special Topics in Italian
Italian Study Abroad
Italian Humanism and Renaissance
Contemporary Italian Cultural Studies
Italian Literature of the 19th Century I
Italian Literature of the 20th Century I: A Changing Italy
Italian Women Writers
Perspectives on Latin America
Image and Identity: Representation of Latin American Women in Film and Fiction
International Cultures and Cuisines
Asian Philosophy
Voices of the Past and Present: Portugal
Voices of Past and Present: Brazil
Luso-Brazilian Culture
Buddhism
Asian Texts
Hinduism
Taoism
Asian Religions
Islamic Religious Traditions
African Religions
Religion in Latin America
The Holocaust: Religious Perspectives
Special Topics in Russian Culture and Civilization
Women in Russian Literature
Voices of the Past and Present: Spain
Voices of the Past and Present: Latin America
Cultural Studies: Spain
Spanish Study Abroad
Cultural Studies: Latin America and the Caribbean
Spanish Film and Fiction
Contemporary Spanish Novel
The Latin American Essay and Crónica
Short Stories and Cross-Cultural Processes in the Spanish-Speaking World
El Quijote
Senior Seminar
Puerto Rican Literature and Thought
Social and Political Structures
Select one of the following:3
Geography of East and Southeast Asia
Land and Life in Latin America
Geography of Sub-Sahara Africa
Geography of the Middle East
Economic Development of Sub-Saharan Africa
Emergence of European Civilization, 1500-1914
Contemporary Europe
African History
Introduction to the Modern Middle East
Early Latin American History
Modern Latin America
Modern Japan: A History of Japan From the Meiji Through the Showa
Introduction to Indian Civilization
Introduction to Chinese Civilization
Modern Chinese Civilization
Communist Revolution in China
History of Russia to 1917
Russia Since 1917
Chinese Social History Through Literature
History of Brazil
Women and Gender in the Middle East: Past and Present
The Nazi Third Reich
The Holocaust, 1939-1945
Revolutions in Latin American History
Development of Japanese Character and Culture
Government and Politics of Africa
Government and Politics of China and Japan
Contemporary Western European Politics
Government and Politics of India and South Asia
Government and Politics of Latin America
Government and Politics of the Middle East
Government and Politics in the Post-Soviet States
International Relations in Asia
Total Credits6

Global Issues

Anthropology of Globalization
Non-Western Contributions to the Western World
Environmental Biology and Related Controversial Issues
Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment of Business
Globalization, Communication and Media
Worlds of Dance
Principles of Geography
Planet Earth
Earth and the Environment
The Human Environment
World Geography
World Resources and Industries
Economic Growth and Development
Comparative Economic Systems
Major Film Movements
World Film Before 1945
World Film After 1945
World Literature: The Coming of Age Theme
World Literature: Voices of Tradition and Challenge
African, Asian and Caribbean Literature in English
Transnational Feminisms
Emergence of the Modern World
Globalization and World Development
Global Economies and Markets
International Environmental Issues
Crime and Globalization
Languages of the World
Introduction to Music in World Cultures
Global Environmental Politics
Globalization and Security
Religions of the World
Religion and Social Activism
Study in World Religions
Study in World Religions
Sociology of Aging
Sociology of Rich and Poor Nations
Environmental Sociology
Sociology of Population

International Focus

Cultural Anthropology
Global Textiles
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Art
Human Geography
International Economics
Special Topics in Comparative Literature
Comparative Studies of Global Families
International Financial Management
Introduction to Roman Law
Introduction to International Business
International Marketing
International Retailing
Comparative Legal Perspectives: Israel and the United States
Introduction to International Justice
Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
Wildlife Trafficking
International Prisoners' Rights
Genocide
Introduction to General Linguistics
Language and Culture
Comparative and Historical Linguistics
Cross-Cultural Behavior and Management
Comparative Politics
International Relations
International Organizations
Politics of Development and Modernization
Comparative Legal Perspectives: Israel and the United States
International Law
Urban Sociology
Social Inequality
Religion, Culture, and Society
Special Topics in Global Art Cultures