International Studies, B.A.
Aims of the Program
This interdisciplinary program is administered by the Department of Political Science and is designed for:
- Those who hope to qualify for recruitment by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Information Agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce, other U.S. Government agencies engaged in international operations, or agencies of the United Nations or other international organizations. Preparation for the Peace Corps should include an international studies major, a skills major, and proficiency in a foreign language. The International Studies program provides a strong background for students who expect to obtain the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in international relations offered by the Graduate School of Baylor University.
- Those who contemplate missionary service. This program is designed to introduce the prospective missionary to cross-cultural political, economic, and social relations.
- Those who anticipate business assignments abroad or domestic positions in international trade and finance. The program affords preparation for such careers by providing emphasis on international and comparative economics, and it provides an excellent background for students who plan to obtain the Master of International Management (M.I.M.) degree offered by the Graduate School of Baylor University.
- Those who are preparing for careers in public relations or mass communications. This undergraduate program is especially appropriate for students who intend to undertake graduate study for Baylor’s Master of International Journalism (M.I.J.) degree.
- Those who wish to prepare for staff work with international foundations.
- Those who plan teaching careers in international education (overseas teaching or domestic teaching of international affairs).
- Those who expect to become officers in the United States Air Force, Army, Navy, or Marine Corps.
- Those who anticipate careers with the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, or other intelligence organizations of the U.S. Government.
- Those who do not plan an international career but seek a liberal arts education.
Information on Requirements for a Major in International Studies
- All specific and group requirements for the bachelor of arts degree.
- Requirements for the major: Thirty semester hours, fifteen of which must be at “3000” or “4000” level. The thirty hours in the major will include:
- Six hours of core courses.
- Nine hours of Regional Studies courses.
- Nine hours of Global Issues and Institutions courses.
- Six hours of additional courses from the courses listed for the major.
- There are two versions of the major:
- General version of the major requires one additional semester of modern language at “3000” or “4000” level beyond University requirements.
- Intensive version of the major requires two additional semesters of modern language at the “3000” to “4000” level beyond University requirements and study abroad or internship related to international affairs.
- Those students who plan to attend graduate school should enroll in at least two undergraduate economic courses ECO 2306 Principles of Microeconomics and ECO 2307 Principles of Macroeconomics. It is recommended that students enroll in PSC 4365 International Political Economics.
Requirements for a Major in International Studies
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Thirty-three to thirty-six semester hours including the following: | ||
| PSC 2315 | Fundamentals of International Politics | 3 |
| PSC 3304 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| Regional Studies | ||
| Six semester hours from Regional Studies. Hours may be taken from one region or from multiple regions from the following: | 6 | |
| Global Issues and Institutions | ||
| Six semester hours from Global Issues and Institutions. Hours may be taken from one section or from multiple sections from the following: | 6 | |
| Skills and Methods | ||
| Three semester hours from Skills and Methods. | 3 | |
| Introduction to Programming I | ||
| Introduction to Programming II | ||
| Introduction to Data Science | ||
| Information Technology | ||
| Research Writing: Political Science Methods | ||
| Public Service Internship | ||
| Washington Internship | ||
| Baylor in Washington Semester Internship | ||
| Baylor in Washington Semester Internship | ||
| International Studies Senior Seminar | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Persuasive and Argumentative Writing | ||
| Professional & Workplace Writing | ||
| Writing for Social Change | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Data Science | ||
| Nine additional semester hours from any of the courses listed in the sections above; may include a Readings Course or Special Topics Course with consent of Director | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| Required Courses in Other Fields | ||
| Select one version: | 3-6 | |
| General Version 1 | ||
Three semester hours of advanced (3000 or 4000 level) modern foreign language course. | ||
| Intensive Version 1 | ||
Study Abroad or Internship related to international affairs and six semester hours of advanced (3000 or 4000 level) modern foreign language courses. | ||
| Total Hours | 33-36 | |
- 1
The language selected must be offered as a major or minor at Baylor; only courses that will apply on the major or minor will count here. Courses taught in English will not apply here. To prepare to meet the advanced language requirement for the International Studies major, students should plan to take a modern foreign language for the basic B.A. degree language requirement. Courses may not count both here and in the International Studies major.
Regional Studies Subfields
Latin America
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| Indigenous Cultures of Modern Mexico and Central America | ||
| Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica | ||
| Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America | ||
| Modern Latin America | ||
| Inter-American Relations | ||
| An Introduction to Latin American Studies | ||
| Latin American Studies Seminar | ||
| Latin American Philosophy | ||
| Governments and Politics of Latin America | ||
| Government and Politics of Mexico | ||
| Latin American Culture and Civilization | ||
Asia and Russia
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| Societies and Cultures of East Asia | ||
| The Peoples and Culture of Asia | ||
| Seminar in Asian Studies | ||
| Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Asian Studies | ||
| Asian Economic Development | ||
| Modern China | ||
| Traditional China | ||
| Modern Japan | ||
| Russia to 1861 | ||
| Women and Gender in Chinese History | ||
| Asian International Relations | ||
| Government and Politics of Russia | ||
| The Governments and Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region | ||
| Governments and Politics of East Asia | ||
| Russia and the World | ||
| Ukraine in Europe | ||
| Topics in Asian Religions | ||
| Introduction to Russian Film: Culture and Identity | ||
| Introduction to Slavic and East European Studies I | ||
Middle East and Africa
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| Societies and Cultures of Africa | ||
| Archaeology of the Mediterranean | ||
| African Archaeology | ||
| Middle East History, 600-1798 | ||
| Modern Middle East History | ||
| West African History | ||
| Modern Africa | ||
| War and Peace in the Middle East | ||
| Women and Gender in Modern Africa | ||
| The African Diaspora | ||
| Introduction to the Middle East | ||
| Religion & Politics in the Middle East | ||
| Readings in Mid-East Studies | ||
| Governments and Politics of the Middle East | ||
| Topics in Islam | ||
Europe and the United States
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| National Security | ||
| Preparation for Commissioning | ||
| Science, Society, and Culture | ||
| Public Discourse and Foreign Policy | ||
| Panorama of French Theatre | ||
| Around the Francophone World in 45 Days | ||
| French Civilization | ||
| Contemporary France | ||
| Introduction to German Culture: Germany in the Making | ||
| Introduction to German Film: German Culture from Berlin to Hollywood | ||
| Introduction to Model Organization of American States | ||
| European Colonialism, 1400-1800 | ||
| Early Modern Europe | ||
| Nineteenth-Century Europe | ||
| Twentieth-Century Europe | ||
| Modern Germany | ||
| Special Topics in European History | ||
| American Military History to 1890 | ||
| American Military History since 1890 | ||
| Medieval Britain | ||
| The Renaissance and Reformation | ||
| Medieval Mediterranean World | ||
| The French Revolution | ||
| European Women's History since 1200 | ||
| The Holocaust | ||
| Nationalism in Modern France | ||
| Advanced Special Topics in European History | ||
| The Cold War | ||
| U.S. Foreign Relations since 1919 | ||
| Italian Through Film | ||
| Italian Civilization | ||
| Public Policy Innovation and the Common Good | ||
| Contemporary American Foreign Policy: An Examination of Regions and Issues | ||
| Making American Foreign Policy | ||
| Grand Strategy | ||
| Special Topics in British Government and Politics | ||
| Public Discourse and Foreign Policy | ||
| Governments and Politics of Western Europe | ||
| Advanced Model Organization of American States | ||
| Spanish Culture and Civilization | ||
Global Issues and Institutions Subfields
Political and Development Issues
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| Cultural Anthropology in Global Context | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
| Introduction to Human Evolution | ||
| Environment and Human Behavior | ||
| Native North Americans | ||
| Anthropological Theory | ||
| Economic Anthropology | ||
| Culture, Personality and Identity | ||
| Climate Anthropology | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Global Health Ethics | ||
| Global Health Disparities | ||
| Child and Family Health in Global Perspective | ||
| Global Health Policy | ||
| Applied Anthropology | ||
| Development and Indigenous People | ||
| One Health: Connecting Global Health and Conservation Medicine | ||
| World Cultures V: Differing Visions and Realities | ||
| International Business Law | ||
| The Family: A Global Perspective | ||
| World Food Problems | ||
| World Geography | ||
| History of Warfare | ||
| Global Maritime History | ||
| History of Childhood | ||
| Special Topics in Global History | ||
| Advanced Special Topics in Global History | ||
| International Communication | ||
| Philanthropy, Civil Society, & the Public Good | ||
| Politics and Problems of Developing Countries | ||
| Minority and Ethnic Group Politics | ||
| World Political Systems | ||
| Ethnopolitical Conflicts | ||
| The Causes of War | ||
| Politics, Games, and Strategy | ||
| Model United Nations | ||
| International Human Rights | ||
| International Law | ||
| Political Geography | ||
| Intelligence and Covert Action | ||
| Power, Morality, and International Relations | ||
| International Political Economics | ||
| International Organization | ||
| Principles of Political Development | ||
| Diplomacy in Theory and Practice | ||
| Terrorism | ||
| Dictatorship, Democracy and Regime Change | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Human Trafficking | ||
Economics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| Multinational Business | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| Economic Systems of the World | ||
| History of Economic Thought | ||
| International Business Finance | ||
| Global Business | ||
| Business in the Global Economy | ||
| Doing Business Across Cultures | ||
| Global Trade Compliance | ||
| International Marketing | ||
Belief Systems
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Options: | ||
| British Philosophy and Culture | ||
| History of Philosophy: Modern European Philosophy | ||
| East Asian Philosophy | ||
| Contemporary Continental Philosophy | ||
| Classical Political Philosophy | ||
| Western Political Thought: Modern | ||
| Islam and Democracy | ||
| Contemporary Political Thought | ||
| History of Roman Catholicism | ||
| World Religions | ||
| War and Peace in the Christian Tradition | ||
| Christian Missions | ||
| Modern Judaism | ||
| Sociology of Religion | ||