International Studies
The Bachelor of Arts in International Studies combines foreign language and cultural studies with a thorough grounding in a professional area such as business and management, economics, computer information science, communication, or political science. The major is designed to prepare students for careers in international relations and business or other fields with an international dimension.
The major consists of three components at the upper level:
- Foreign Language and Cultural Concentration (18 credit hours upper level plus lower level prerequisites) devoted to foreign language, culture, and civilization (including optional study abroad). Languages: Arabic, French, Spanish.
- Professional Concentration (generally a minimum of 15 credit hours upper level plus lower level prerequisites) devoted to the basic skills of art administration (museum studies), business and management, communications, computer and information science, economics, engineering, environmental studies, history, journalism and media production, natural sciences, or political science (international affairs).
- Cognates (9-12 credit hours upper level) devoted to studies (and optional internship experiences) which will provide the larger international context and additional useful skills to coordinate the subjects of Concentrations I and II.
This program is also eminently suitable as a second major for students who want to add a strong international component to their major field of interest. In this case, courses taken for their first major may also fulfill "Professional Concentration" requirements in International Studies; e.g., students majoring in art history, business and management, communications, computer information science, economics, engineering, environmental studies, history, natural sciences, or political science (international affairs) can add International Studies as a second major by fulfilling requirements of Concentration I (Foreign Languages and Culture) and III ( Cognates ) and counting their first major as Concentration II (Professional).
Advising
International Studies majors are urged to consult with a faculty mentor in the foreign languages and the other professional areas before the beginning of each semester.
Students with a high school background of three to four years study of Arabic, French, or Spanish would be able to begin their studies of the same foreign language at UM-Dearborn with the 201, 202, or even 301 foreign language class. The curriculum for such students would be more flexible than that previously described. Students with a high school foreign language background would have an additional 8-11 hours for electives in areas of their special interests.
Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education)
All students must satisfy the University’s Dearborn Discovery Core requirements, in addition to the requirements for the major. Students must also complete all CASL Degree Requirements.
Major Requirements
Concentration I. Foreign Language and Culture
( Select one language: Arabic, French, or Spanish)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Major Requirements | ||
| Fourth-semester proficiency (202 level) or equivalent in Arabic, French, or Spanish | ||
| Required courses | ||
| Language 301 | Advanced Conversation and Composition I | 4 |
| Sixteen credits of additional upper-level courses in the chosen language | 16 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 20 | |
A literature course in the chosen language is highly encouraged.
Notes
Students are encouraged to spend a semester or year in one of the many approved study-abroad programs.
Students who wish to study two foreign languages within the framework of the International Studies Program should see the International Studies Director to design an acceptable balanced curriculum.
Normally students will not be permitted to count the Humanities Internship (HUM 485) as a part of the concentration requirements. They are encouraged to elect an internship as part of their Cognates.
Concentration II. Professional Studies
Select one Professional Studies concentration from:
Option A. Business and Management
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| ACC 298 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 201 | Prin: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Prin: Microeconomics | 3 |
| ISM 310 | Info Systems in Management | 3 |
| MATH 104 | College Algebra | 4 |
| or MATH 105 | Pre-Calculus | |
| Required Courses | ||
| BE 401 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| MKT 352 | Mktg Principles and Policies | 3 |
| OB 354 | Behavior in Organizations | 3 |
| Select two courses from (CAIB): | 6 | |
| Managerial Communication | ||
| Corporate Responsibility | ||
| Professional Communication | ||
| International Communications | ||
| Seminar: International Bus | ||
| Glbl Mrkting&Consumr Cultre | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 31 | |
Option B. Computer and Information Science
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| MATH 115 | Calculus I | 4 |
| CIS/CCM 150 | Computer Science I | 4 |
| CIS 200 | Computer Science II | 4 |
| CIS 275 | Discrete Structures I | 4 |
| Required Courses | ||
| CIS 350 | Data Struc and Algorithm Anlys | 4 |
| Select three additional CIS upper-level courses (300-level or above excluding CIS 399 and CIS 499) | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 32 | |
Option C. Economics
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| ECON 201 | Prin: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Prin: Microeconomics | 3 |
| MATH 104 | College Algebra 1 | 4 |
| or MATH 105 | Pre-Calculus | |
| Required Courses | ||
| Upper level ECON courses must be a minimum of 15 credits | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 7-8 | |
| European and International Economic History | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| International Finance | ||
| International Trade | ||
| Select two additional courses from the following (CAIE): | 7-8 | |
| Intermediate Macroeconomics | ||
| Intermediate Microeconomics | ||
| Economic Statistics | ||
| Money and Banking | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| U S Economic History | ||
| European and International Economic History | ||
| Behavioral Public Policy | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| Economies of the Middle East | ||
| International Finance | ||
| International Trade | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 24-26 | |
Option D. Museum Studies
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Understand Art-Ancient to 1400 | ||
| Understanding Art 1400 to Now | ||
| Arts of Asia | ||
| Architecture & Society in Western Civilization | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| ARTH 303 | Exploring Art in the Community | 4 |
| ARTH 402 | Museums and Art in the Community | 4 |
| Electives | 8 | |
| Any two ARTH upper-Level (300-400 level) | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 20 | |
Option E. Political Science (International Affairs)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| POL 101 | American Politics | 3 |
| ECON 201 | Prin: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Prin: Microeconomics | 3 |
| Select one of the following courses (CAIM): | 3-4 | |
| Computer Science I | ||
| Political Analysis | ||
| Prin of Stat and Exper Design | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| Select 15-17 credits from the following (CAIP): | 15-17 | |
| The European Union | ||
| Pol of the Developing Areas | ||
| Religion and Politics | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| Problems in Intl Politics | ||
| Great Pwrs Comp and Conflict | ||
| Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | ||
| Revolution | ||
| Peace and War | ||
| American Foreign Policy I | ||
| American Foreign Policy II | ||
| International Security Affairs | ||
| Canada Internship | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 27-30 | |
Note: Normally, students will not be permitted to count a Political Science Internship ( POL 495 POL 496 POL 497) as part of the above concentration requirements. They are encouraged to elect an internship as part of their Cognates.
Option F. Environmental Studies
Prerequisites
3 courses to be chosen from at least two of the following areas:
Area A. ESCI 275 or ESCI 301 (CAPS)
Area B.GEOG 301 , GEOG 303 , ENST 204; GEOL 118 (CAPB)
Area C. CIS 150; CIS 112 (CAPU)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENST/STS 301 | Concepts of Environmentalism | 3 |
| ENST 305 | Env Instrumentation and Analys | 3 |
| Select three additional courses from the following (CAIV): | 9 | |
| Urban Geography | ||
| Environmental Politics | ||
| Land Use Planning and Mgmt | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Environmental Psychology | ||
| Environmental Internship | ||
| Topics in Environmental Stds | ||
| Environmental Education | ||
| Environmental Interpretation | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Note: Environmental Science (ESCI) courses (some of which have additional prerequisites) may be substituted by Petition.
Option G. Natural Sciences
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 15 | |
A minimum of 15 hours 300-4999 level in any one Dept. of Natural Science discipline from: ASTR, BIOL, BCHM, CHEM, ESCI, GEOL, MICR, PHYS (plus all lower level prerequisites). | ||
Fulfillment of all major requirements in any natural science discipline. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Option H. Engineering
Required Courses
Fulfillment of all requirements for a degree in any of the Engineering disciplines will satisfy all Component II (Professional) requirements for the International Studies major.
Due to the high number of prerequisites needed to get into upper-level engineering classes, there is no regular 15-hour(professional) component for the various engineering disciplines.
Option I. Communication
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| COMM 220 | Intro to Media & Culture | 3 |
| SPEE 101 | Principles of Speech Comm | 3 |
| Required Courses | ||
| COMM 430 | International Communications | 4 |
| Three upper-level courses in COMM/SPEE. | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 22 | |
Option J. Journalism and Media Production
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| JASS 248 | Storytelling Across Media | 4 |
| Required Courses | ||
| Required Course | ||
| JASS 357 | National Cinemas | 4 |
| Media Tools: | ||
| Select two courses from: | 8 | |
| Podcasting | ||
| Video for Social Media | ||
| Media Performance & Studio Production | ||
| Media Production for Metropolitan Community | ||
| Multimedia Journalism | ||
| Audio Production | ||
| Introduction to Media Production | ||
| Storytelling, Experiments, and Play | ||
| Documentary & Photojournalism | ||
| Directing & Editing Capstone | ||
| Select one elective from: | 4 | |
| Fundamentals of Journalism | ||
| Media Law and Ethics | ||
| History of Broadcasting and Journalism | ||
| Black Cinema | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Power in American Film | ||
| Topics in JASS | ||
| Making Film History | ||
| Video Game Studies & Criticism | ||
| Script-Writing Workshop | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 20 | |
Option K. History
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | ||
| COMP 106 | Writing & Rhetoric II | 3 |
| HIST 101 | The World to 1500 CE | 3 |
| HIST 103 | The World Since 1500 CE | 3 |
| Select 15-17 credits from the following. Courses must be from at least two different regions: | 15-17 | |
| Eastern Europe, Russia, Soviet Union Region (CAHU): | ||
| Russian and Ukrainian Revolutions | ||
| Polish History Since 1800 | ||
| Poland - Study Abroad | ||
| Modern East-Central Europe | ||
| Armenians in the Modern World | ||
| Europe Region (CAHE): | ||
| Modern Britain | ||
| Germany Since 1945 | ||
| The European City | ||
| Germany Before Hitler | ||
| Modern Warfare | ||
| Aspects of the Holocaust | ||
| Nazi Germany | ||
| Middle East Region (CAHM): | ||
| Women&Islam Mid East to 1900 | ||
| The Late Ottoman Empire, 1789-1924 | ||
| Modern Middle East, 1945-1991 | ||
| Lebanon in Modern Middle East | ||
| America and the Middle East in the Age of Empires | ||
| America and the Middle East in the Age of Nation-States | ||
| Culture& Hist. in Mod. Iran | ||
| Middle Eastern Diasporas | ||
| An Introduction to Middle East Studies | ||
| Africa Region (CAHF): | ||
| West Africa Since 1800 | ||
| Black Intellectual History | ||
| Seminar: African Diaspora | ||
| Variable Region (CAHV): | ||
| The Study of History | ||
| History Internship | ||
| Introduction to Latin America: Utopia to Autocracy | ||
| Independent Studies in History | ||
| Independent Studies in History | ||
| Advanced Ind Studies in Hist | ||
| Senior Research Seminar | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 24-26 | |
Component III. Cognates
This component is designed to enhance the international dimension of the major and to coordinate the language and culture studies with professional preparation. Students will take a minimum of 9 credits, 300+ level in fields such as anthropology, art history, business and management, economics, foreign cultures, history, and political science. Courses should be selected in accordance with students' particular needs. See below for the approved list of courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Approved Cognate Courses (CANC): | ||
| Students may not use courses in the same foreign language declared in Concentration I and may not use identical area from Professional Concentration II. | ||
| African/African-American Studies | ||
| West Africa Since 1800 | ||
| W. African Music: Trad.&Glob. | ||
| Topics in African Diaspora | ||
| Arab American Studies | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| Culture and Global Business 1 | ||
| African Exper in the Americas | ||
| Anthropology of Middle East | ||
| Sexuality and Culture | ||
| Kinship and Marriage | ||
| Language and Society | ||
| Religion and Culture | ||
| Gender and Globalization | ||
| Psychological Anthropology | ||
| Art History | ||
| Art of China | ||
| Art of Japan | ||
| Chinese Painting | ||
| Early Chinese Art and Culture | ||
| Greek Art | ||
| Roman Art | ||
| Early Medieval Art and Architecture | ||
| Gothic Art and Architecture | ||
| Women in Medieval Art | ||
| Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture | ||
| Renaissance & Reformation Art | ||
| Baroque Art and Architecture | ||
| Impressionism and Post-Impressionism | ||
| Arts of the Twentieth Century | ||
| Modern Architecture | ||
| Earl Mod Jpn Paint&Wood Prnts | ||
| Ancient Urbanism | ||
| Business & Management | ||
| Corporate Responsibility | ||
| Human Resource Policy/Admin | ||
| Legal Issues in Human Resource | ||
| International Financial Management 1 | ||
| Seminar: International Bus 1 | ||
| Mktg Principles and Policies | ||
| Understanding Customers | ||
| Glbl Mrkting&Consumr Cultre 1 | ||
| Behavior in Organizations | ||
| Communication | ||
| Public Comm and Culture Stdies | ||
| International Communications | ||
| Gender and Media Studies | ||
| Gender and Globalization | ||
| Comparative Literature (COML) | ||
| Urban Voices: France and Italy | ||
| Economics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| European and International Economic History | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| Economies of the Middle East 1 | ||
| International Finance 1 | ||
| International Trade 1 | ||
| English | ||
| History of Storytelling I: Beowulf to 18th C British Literature | ||
| Hist of Storytelling II: Opium-Poets, Romantic Novelists, & Modern Patriots | ||
| Renaissance Heroes, Lovers, Explorers | ||
| Foreign Languages & Cultures | ||
| Language of Business | ||
| Arabic Cinema | ||
| Arabic Civilization | ||
| Arabic Literature and Culture | ||
| Contemporary Arabic Literature | ||
| Language of Business | ||
| French Civilization of Past | ||
| France of Today | ||
| Francophone Lit and Civil | ||
| Parisian Itineraries | ||
| Italian Culture Civilization | ||
| Introduction to the Qur'an | ||
| Language of Business | ||
| Spanish Civilization and Cult | ||
| Latin American Civiliztn Cult | ||
| Spain in the Twentieth Century | ||
| Hispanic Cinema | ||
| Geography | ||
| Urban Geography | ||
| Mapping Our World | ||
| Economic Geography | ||
| Global Climate Change | ||
| Global Cultures | ||
| Intro to Global Cultures | ||
| Political Islam | ||
| History | ||
| Russian and Ukrainian Revolutions | ||
| Modern Britain | ||
| The Age of Revolution in Europe and the World | ||
| Europe in Age of Imp:1815-1914 | ||
| Women&Islam Mid East to 1900 | ||
| The Late Ottoman Empire, 1789-1924 | ||
| Germany Before Hitler | ||
| West Africa Since 1800 | ||
| Lebanon in Modern Middle East | ||
| European and International Economic History 1 | ||
| America and the Middle East in the Age of Nation-States | ||
| Aspects of the Holocaust | ||
| Nazi Germany | ||
| Humanities | ||
| Internship 1 | ||
| Journalism and Screen Studies | ||
| National Cinemas | ||
| The European Union 1 | ||
| Linguistics | ||
| World Englishes | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| German Idealism | ||
| Marxism | ||
| Kierkegaard & Nietzsche | ||
| Existentialism and Its Sources | ||
| Political Science | ||
| Marxist Thought | ||
| Environmental Politics | ||
| Pol of the Developing Areas 1 | ||
| American Foreign Policy | ||
| Problems in Intl Politics 1 | ||
| Great Pwrs Comp and Conflict | ||
| Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | ||
| Revolution | ||
| Peace and War | ||
| American Foreign Policy I | ||
| American Foreign Policy II | ||
| International Security Affairs 1 | ||
| Comparative Enviro Policy | ||
| Politics, Policy and Law Internship | ||
| Canada Internship | ||
| Washington, D.C. Internship | ||
| Sociology | ||
| Religion in Society | ||
| America in a Global Society | ||
| Women & Gender Studies | ||
| Body Image and Culture | ||
| Writing Women In Renaissance | ||
| Immigrant Cultures and Gender | ||
- 1
1. Highly recommended course because of its international content and/or the likelihood that it coordinates the language and professional concentrations.
Notes:
- Students may elect the Humanities Internship (HUM 485) for a maximum of three hours and avail themselves of on-the-job experience in a business, governmental, or cultural institution. See the INST Program Director for Internship Guidelines.
- Students with appropriate background in political science may elect one of the various political science internships POL 495 POL 496 POL 497) for a maximum of three hours.
- Students may use upper-level courses, especially culture/civilization, literature, or film courses, in another foreign language for Cognate credit. Students may not use courses in the same foreign language designated as Component I for Cognates credit.
- Students may not use identical areas for both Components II and III, e.g., students with Professional Studies (Component II) in Business and Management may not select Business and Management courses for Cognates (Component III) credit.
- Students' course choice in Components II and III must include a minimum total of two courses with a clearly international dimension; a greater number is highly desirable.
- Students may transfer no more than 9 upper level hours in Components I, 50% of credits in Component II and 3 credits in Component III (Cognates).
Learning Goals
- Critical thinking: Students will be able to critically analyze academic texts, international news, maps, histories, and their own received ideologies and received wisdom for assumptions, political and cultural points of view, and stated and unstated biases.
- Applying disciplinary contexts: Students will understand how to use historical background, geographical context, political systems, economic structures, and sociocultural milieu to better understand regional and global developments.
- Connections: Students will begin to see the connections between world events and the multiple contexts that inform them, and learn that these seemingly disparate factors are interconnected and in flux.
- Skills: Students develop core liberal arts skills: reading unfamiliar information and making sense of it; thinking critically about what they're reading; synthesizing material; coming to a conclusion about it; and articulating that conclusion verbally and in writing.
- Global awareness: Students develop knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to live effectively in a world characterized by ethnic diversity, cultural pluralism and increasing interdependence.
- Diversity: Students should gain an awareness of global diversity and learn to think about what the world, or specific issues, might look like from other points of view.