Required Courses: 10 Credits

• HIST 100 - World History 3 Credit(s)

•  

• POLS 130 - Introduction to Comparative Politics 4 Credit(s)

• or

• POLS 140 - Introduction to International Relations 4 Credit(s)

•  

• ECON 302 - The Global Economy 3 Credit(s) (Sophomore standing required)

Intercultural Experience: 3-15 Credits

International Studies majors are expected to complete an intercultural experience, and can do so in one of the following ways:

INTS XXX - Study Abroad
or
An Intercultural or International Internship

Modern Language Requirement: 0-3 Credits

Students are required to demonstrate an intermediate level mastery of a modern foreign (non-English) language. Students may do so in one of three ways:

By successfully completing one of the following courses:

• FREN 203 - Oral and Written French I 3 Credit(s)
• SPAN 203 - Oral and Written Spanish I 3 Credit(s)
• ARAB 203 - Oral & Written Arabic I 3 Credit(s)
• By successfully completing a modern language course at the intermediate level (or higher) at another accredited college or university;
• By otherwise being certified, in writing, by the Department of Modern Languages as possessing intermediate level mastery of a modern foreign (non-English) language. Note: the language placement exam is administered by the Department of Modern Languages and that department will make final determinations as to what test results indicate competency at the intermediate level.

Elective Courses: 18-22 Credits

Students must choose six courses from the elective lists below.

Note(s)

General Notes

• International Studies students might want to consider adding a minor in Asian Studies, Africana Studies, French Studies, Spanish Studies, or Arabic Studies, or adding a major or minor in one of the participating departments (for departments offering IS courses, see the elective list below).
• No more than two courses can count both toward the International Studies student’s minor or second major. Cognate requirements (i.e. the IS modern language requirement) are excluded from this rule.
• Intercultural experiences must be approved by the IS Program in order to count toward the major. IS students should consult with their adviser to make arrangements.
• A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for all courses in the major.
• At least 18 credit hours of the courses that count toward the major must be upper division (at the 300 or 400 level). Also, a maximum of 3 upper division credit hours from the international experience can count toward the 18 hour total.

 Notes on the Intercultural Experience

• Qualifying study abroad opportunities include the following (subject to approval by the IS Program):
  • A full-semester of study in another country. Programs are available in England, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, Taiwan, and elsewhere. Students can contact the International Education & Programs Office at (315) 267-2507 for more information.
  • A short term, faculty-led travel course; in recent years students have gone to Croatia, England, France, Mexico, Tunisia, and many other locations.
• Qualifying intercultural or international internships (subject to approval by the IS Program) are available with many organizations and businesses, including the U.S. Department of State, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the World Bank, congressional committees on international affairs, and the World Health Organization. Students can contact the Experiential Education Office at (315) 267-2702 for more information.
• As you are planning your intercultural experience, verify with the International Studies Coordinator if any courses could count towards the elective requirements.

Notes on the Elective Courses

• No more than three of the six courses can be from any one department.
• No more than three can be from any one of the three specified areas.
• Elective courses may not duplicate core requirement courses.
• Some of the courses listed below have prerequisites; students should consult the College Catalog.
• All 300-level History courses require sophomore standing and 400-level courses require Junior standing.
• The Elective Course lists are regularly expanded; please visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/majors/internationalstudies.cfm for current offerings.