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International Studies - B.A.

International Studies - B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts in International Studies program is your ticket to a global career. With a focus on language, culture and politics, this program prepares you for a wide range of roles in fields such as diplomacy, international business, and non-profit organizations.

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Why a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies?

Those who are interested in careers aimed at resolving collective challenges are well-suited for a degree in International Studies. Students graduate from our program with a range of skills critical to professional success. Our graduates are able to conduct sophisticated research; provide clear and thorough analysis of complex dynamics; communicate that analysis in clear and professional writing as well as verbal presentation; work collaboratively for constructive outcomes; and offer strong solutions out of their research and analysis. These are transferrable skills, critical to a number of professions.

The degree prepares students for occupations in the public as well as private sector, including careers in: international issue advocacy ranging from human trafficking and human rights to food security and environmental impact; corporate policy in a global environment; and local private or public policy designs that bridge the local to the global. Corporations, non-profit organizations, interest and lobbying groups, local, state, federal, and international policy-making bodies, as well as research and educational institutions are professional home to individuals with international studies expertise. Begin your journey at Â鶹ÊÓƵ!

Program Information for International Studies - B.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies empowers students to make a difference on a global scale. Whether students are interested in human rights, economic development, international law, peace-building, climate change or some other global question, they are encouraged to understand international problems from a range of perspectives and see more clearly how they can make an impact on them.

The International Studies major is multidisciplinary, which enables students to explore issues from a combination of perspectives, including Africana studies, communication, economics, geography, history, peace and conflict studies, political science and sociology.

Study abroad is available and encouraged. The program has permanent arrangements for study in Geneva, Switzerland and Florence, Italy, with more customized opportunities possible.

Because of their broad exposure to global issues, program graduates go on to rewarding careers in almost every imaginable sector, including international organizations, non-profit agencies, law, advocacy, journalism, business and government.

Admissions for International Studies - B.A.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Â鶹ÊÓƵ students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Â鶹ÊÓƵ may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Describe their own agency as global actors.
  2. Explain how a multidisciplinary understanding of international problems can reshape long-standing approaches to those issues.
  3. Identify and utilize appropriate research tools for analyzing an international problem.
  4. Articulate in writing ways in which the cumulation of coursework and problem-analysis skills speak to specific career aspirations.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
INTS 10504THE NEW PANGAEA: YOUR ROLE IN OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY (DIVG) 3
INTS 30001"TRUE FACTS": MAKING SENSE OF YOUR WORLD 3
INTS 30101WORLDS OF WEALTH AND POWER 3
INTS 30301HUMAN SECURITY 3
INTS 30501ORDER AND RESISTANCE 3
INTS 40799CAPSTONE IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (ELR) (WIC) 13
Major Electives, choose from the following: 218
AFS 23002
BLACK EXPERIENCE II: 1865 TO PRESENT (DIVD) (KHUM)
AFS 23310
NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
AFS 32050
AFRICAN LITERATURES (DIVG)
AFS 35200
AFRICAN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS
AFS 37020
THE MODEL AFRICAN UNION (ELR)
CCI 20001
INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA ADVOCACY
COMM 42000
MEDIA, WAR AND PROPAGANDA
COMM 45678
SOCIAL MEDIA AND GLOBALIZATION
COMM 45756
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 45760
MEDIA AND NATIONALISM
CRIM 37511
IMMIGRATION: LAW, CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD)
CRIM 46800
INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY
CRIM 46802
TERRORISM AND COUNTERTERRORISM
ECON 32084
ECONOMICS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
ECON 42075
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
ENG 33015
AFRICAN LITERATURES (DIVG)
ENG 34011
WORLD LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (DIVG)
ENG 35105
LITERATURE, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
ENGR 27210
INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY
ENGR 47211
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY II
ENVS 22070
NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS)
FDM 35012
SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION
GEOG 31070
POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
GEOG 34070
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
GEOG 41077
WATER AND SOCIETY
GEOG 41800
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
GEOG 42070
SEMINAR IN ETHNIC, LIFESTYLE AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES
GEOG 44010
GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
GEOG 46060
FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
HIST 11051
WORLD HISTORY: MODERN (DIVG) (KHUM)
HIST 31035
THE GLOBAL COLD WAR
HIST 31082
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND BLACK POWER MOVEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
HIST 31104
MIGRATIONS TO AMERICA, 1607 TO PRESENT (DIVD)
HIST 31114
TRADITION AND REVOLUTION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (DIVG)
HIST 31131
HISTORY OF COLONIAL AFRICA, 1880-1994
HIST 31132
HISTORY OF POST-COLONIAL AFRICA
HIST 41060
COMPARATIVE FASCISM
INTS 30570
PALESTINE AND ISRAEL (DIVG)
INTS 40089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE (DIVG) (ELR) 3
INTS 40092
INTERNSHIP (ELR)
INTS 40095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
INTS 40096
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION
INTS 40560
HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (DIVG)
PACS 32030
INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION (DIVG)
PACS 41010
RECONCILIATION VERSUS REVENGE: TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE (DIVG) (WIC) 1
POL 30810
POLITICS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
POL 30840
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
POL 39592
GENEVA INTERNSHIP (ELR)
POL 40540
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT (DIVG)
POL 40620
POLITICS OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS (DIVD)
REL 31075
RELIGION AND WOMEN
REL 41010
RELIGION, VIOLENCE AND TERROR
RPTM 45047
GLOBAL ISSUES OF TOURISM TRADE
SOC 32565
SOCIOLOGY OF SEXUALITIES (DIVD)
SOC 32569
MINORITIES IN THE UNITED STATES (DIVD)
SOC 42359
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
SOC 42558
WEALTH, POVERTY AND POWER
SOC 42560
SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD
Any American Sign Language (ASL) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Arabic (ARAB) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Chinese (CHIN) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any French (FR) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any German (GER) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Greek (GRE) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Hebrew (HEBR) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Italian (ITAL) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Japanese (JAPN) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Latin (LAT) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Russian (RUSS) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Any Spanish (SPAN) Upper-Division course (30000 or 40000 level)
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below)14-16
6
3
9
6
6-7
6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)33
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

2

Students will meet with the International Studies advisor during the close of the third or beginning of the fourth semester to plan their path through electives in a way that offers coherence given their interests and goals.

3

Students may substitute a different study abroad experience with permission from the program coordinator.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:

  1. Intermediate I and II of the same language
  2. Elementary I and II of a second language
  3. Any combination of two courses from the following list:
  • Intermediate I of the same language
  • ARAB 21401
  • ASL 19401
  • CHIN 25421
  • MCLS 10001
  • MCLS 20001
  • MCLS 20091
  • MCLS 21417
  • MCLS 21420
  • MCLS 22217
  • MCLS 28403
  • MCLS 28404
1

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the programs offered by Â鶹ÊÓƵ; or (3) demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

2

Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.

Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
INTS 10504 THE NEW PANGAEA: YOUR ROLE IN OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY (DIVG) 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Two
INTS 30001 "TRUE FACTS": MAKING SENSE OF YOUR WORLD 3
INTS 30101 WORLDS OF WEALTH AND POWER 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Three
INTS 30301 HUMAN SECURITY 3
INTS 30501 ORDER AND RESISTANCE 3
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
Major Electives 6
Foreign Language 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
Major Electives 6
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
Note: Students are encouraged to undertake a study abroad experience during junior or senior year.  
Major Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
Major Elective 3
General Electives 12
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
Note: Students are encouraged to undertake a study abroad experience during junior or senior year.  
INTS 40799 CAPSTONE IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (ELR) (WIC) 3
General Electives 12
 Credit Hours15
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for International Studies - B.A.

Graduates of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s B.A. Degree in International Studies are well-prepared for global careers in diplomacy, international business, non-governmental organizations, and cultural exchange. The program’s interdisciplinary focus on global issues, languages, and regional studies equips students with the skills to navigate complex international landscapes. Graduates often pursue roles such as foreign service officers, international development specialists, global communications managers, and policy advisors, contributing to fields like global governance, international trade, and cross-cultural relations.

Examples of Possible Careers
  • Government, including diplomacy, national intelligence and security agencies, as well as positions in Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security
  • Law
  • Business, including finance, communication and multi-national corporations
  • International organizations, such as the United Nations and its affiliated agencies
  • Non-governmental organizations in such areas as human rights, economic development and immigration