Those enrolled in this major may have a variety of interests including public service careers that deal with international affairs, the legal profession--especially international law--teaching in high schools and universities, the military, FBI, CIA, graduate school, and political advocacy. Beyond the college requirements, coursework for this major typically includes anthropology, economics, finance, geography, history, international business administration, languages, political science, and religious studies.
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Admission into the Major
Students are expected to formally declare a major no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). Students can declare a major by completing the Change of Major/Minor Application online under the Student tab of myBama. Students are also expected to be advised by the Program Director or a designee every semester.
Special Opportunities
While not required, students are encouraged to study abroad while working towards the International Studies degree. For more information, contact the Capstone International Center.
Students earning the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with a major in International Studies must complete all University, college and departmental degree requirements. These include the General Education requirements, the following major requirements, all requirements for an approved minor and other sufficient credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable semester hours.
Please note, students may not count courses in both the major and the minor or across majors. If a required course is applying to another major or minor, it must have an appropriate substitution (see below) approved by the Program Director.
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Major Courses | ||
| ANT 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| EC 111 or | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EC 113 | Honors Prin of Macroeconomics | |
| GY 105 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| HY 102 or | Western Civ Since 1648 | 3 |
| HY 106 | Honors West Civ Sc 1648 | |
| PSC 204 | International Relations | 3 |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 15 | |
| Field Requirement | ||
| Select six hours among the fields at 300 or 400 level | 6 | |
| Select six hours among the fields | 6 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 12 | |
| Focused Areas of Study | ||
| Select three hours at the 300 or 400 level | 3 | |
| Select six hours among the concentration areas | 6 | |
| Credit Hours Subtotal: | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Fields
Students must earn a minimum of 12 hours chosen from one of the following fields. Without exception, a maximum of 6 hours can be applied from a single department. A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major (Field and Focused Area of Study) must be earned in residence (Note: UA Faculty-led study abroad courses are also considered in residence.). With prior approval of the Program Director, courses such as Special Topics, Honors, study abroad, internships, independent study may be considered as substitutions for those listed. However, courses that focus primarily on art, film, folklore, language instruction, literature, music, or philosophy cannot be used as substitutes. Consult the Program Director before registering for substitutions approval. Be sure to get prior approval from the Program Director if you wish degree credit for internships, independent study, and study abroad courses. Internship credit is not given retroactively. Note that Special Topics course content varies, and students must seek approval from the Program Director in order to count Special Topics courses toward the major or minor.
Field 1: International Relations
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 205 | Intro to Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 208 | Anthropology of Sex | 3 |
| ANT 210 | Language and Culture | 3 |
| ANT 225 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| ANT 275 | Race, Ethnicity, & Human Var. | 3 |
| ANT 402 | Health Inequities | 3 |
| ANT 405 | Culture, Mind, and Behavior | 3 |
| ANT 411 | Culture, Health, and Healing | 3 |
| ANT 421 | Ethnography | 3 |
| ANT 440 | Culture | 3 |
| CIP 200 | Global & Cultural Perspectives | 3 |
| CIP 202 | Global&Cultural Persp: ExpLrng | 3 |
| CJ 422 | Terrorism | 3 |
| GY 377 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
| GY 453 | Environment & Society | 3 |
| GY 459 | Water Energy and Food | 3 |
| GY 462 | Land Use Science | 4 |
| HY 117 | World History to 1500 | 3 |
| HY 118 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| HY 317 | America at War 1916-2016 | 3 |
| HY 325 | Us-World Power to 1898 | 3 |
| HY 328 | United States of War | 3 |
| HY 341 | Hy US - Vietnam War | 3 |
| HY 356 | Holocaust: History, Memory | 3 |
| HY 357 | World War I | 3 |
| HY 358 | World War II | 3 |
| HY 368 | Caribbean History Since 1492 | 3 |
| HY 370 | A history of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800 | 3 |
| HY 388 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HY 481 | War/Dipl. in Med & Mod. Europe | 3 |
| HY 482 | War & Religion in the West | 3 |
| HY 483 | Thirty Years' War | 3 |
| PSC 203 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| PSC 330 | Democratization | 3 |
| PSC 331 | Politics of Developing Nations | 3 |
| PSC 337 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| PSC 340 | Civil Wars | 3 |
| PSC 343 | Authoritarianism | 3 |
| PSC 344 | The Israel-Palestine Conflict | 3 |
| PSC 345 | Issues in Global Governance | 3 |
| PSC 413 | Amer Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PSC 414 | Foreign Policy Decisionmaking | 3 |
| PSC 434 | Internatl Polit Econom | 3 |
| PSC 435 | War And Peace | 3 |
| PSC 441 | Terrorism and Political Islam | 3 |
| PSC 442 | Internatl Conflict | 3 |
| PSC 443 | Comparative Pub Policy | 3 |
| PSC 444 | International Organizations | 3 |
| PSC 445 | Humanitarianism | 3 |
| PSC 446 | Political Economy of Security | 3 |
| PSC 449 | IR of the Middle East | 3 |
| REL 102 | Religions of World | 3 |
| REL 106 | Intro to Ancient Religions | 3 |
| REL 209 | Buddhism | 3 |
| REL 223 | Holocaust Historical Perspecti | 3 |
| REL 224 | Judaism | 3 |
| REL 226 | African Diaspora Religions | 3 |
| REL 236 | Islam | 3 |
| REL 238 | Philosophies Of Judaism | 3 |
| REL 336 | Islam and the West | 3 |
| REL 371 | Adv St Religion and Conflict | 3 |
| REL 410 | Religion and Genocide | 3 |
| REL 436 | Making Islam | 3 |
| REL 440 | Theories of Religion | 3 |
| SW 419 | International Social Work | 3 |
Field 2: International Business
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| EC 430 | International Trade | 3 |
| FI 431 | International Finance | 3 |
| IBA 250 | Context of Global Business | 3 |
| IBA 350 | Introduction to World Business | 3 |
| IBA 351 | Multinat'l Bus. Communication | 3 |
| IBA 352 | Honors Intro to World Business | 3 |
| IBA 455 | Global Marketing | 3 |
| IBA 460 | Export/Import Management | 3 |
| MKT 300 | Marketing | 3 |
| PSC 434 | Internatl Polit Econom | 3 |
Field 3: Peace and Conflict Studies
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 422 | Terrorism | 3 |
| HY 317 | America at War 1916-2016 | 3 |
| HY 325 | Us-World Power to 1898 | 3 |
| HY 328 | United States of War | 3 |
| HY 341 | Hy US - Vietnam War | 3 |
| HY 357 | World War I | 3 |
| HY 358 | World War II | 3 |
| HY 388 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HY 481 | War/Dipl. in Med & Mod. Europe | 3 |
| HY 482 | War & Religion in the West | 3 |
| HY 483 | Thirty Years' War | 3 |
| PSC 340 | Civil Wars | 3 |
| PSC 344 | The Israel-Palestine Conflict | 3 |
| PSC 345 | Issues in Global Governance | 3 |
| PSC 414 | Foreign Policy Decisionmaking | 3 |
| PSC 435 | War And Peace | 3 |
| PSC 441 | Terrorism and Political Islam | 3 |
| PSC 442 | Internatl Conflict | 3 |
| PSC 445 | Humanitarianism | 3 |
| PSC 446 | Political Economy of Security | 3 |
| REL 371 | Adv St Religion and Conflict | 3 |
| REL 410 | Religion and Genocide | 3 |
Focused Areas of Study
Students must earn a minimum of 9 hours chosen from one of the following Focused Areas of Study. Without exception, a maximum of 6 hours can be applied from a single department. A minimum of 3 hours must be at the 300- or 400-level and in residence. A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major (Field and/or Focused Area) must be earned in residence. (Note: UA faculty-led study abroad courses are also considered in residence.) With prior approval of the Program Director, courses such as special topics, honors, study abroad, internships, independent study, or others may be considered as substitutions for those listed. Internship credit is not given retroactively. However, courses that focus primarily on art, film, folklore, language instruction, literature, music, or philosophy cannot be used as substitutions. Consult the Program Director on substitutions prior to registering. Note that Special Topics course content varies, and students must seek approval from the Program Director in order to count Special Topics courses toward the major or minor.
Focused Area of Study 1: Asia
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 217 | Peoples of Asia | 3 |
| ANT 415 | Contemporary China | 3 |
| CHI 270 | Intro to Chinese Culture | 3 |
| HY 113 | Asian Civilization to 1400 | 3 |
| HY 114 | Modern Asia since 1400 | 3 |
| HY 338 | Contemporary China 1921-2000 | 3 |
| HY 341 | Hy US - Vietnam War | 3 |
| HY 393 | British Emp & Commonwealth | 3 |
| HY 404 | Modern China since 1600 | 3 |
| REL 209 | Buddhism | 3 |
| REL 220 | Survey Of Asian Religion | 3 |
| REL 236 | Islam | 3 |
| REL 321 | Rel & Ident in South Asia | 3 |
| Language minor: Chinese or Japanese | ||
Focused Area of Study 2: Latin America
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 261 | South American Archaeology | 3 |
| ANT 303 | Maya Language and Culture | 3 |
| ANT 319 | Ancient New World Civilization | 3 |
| ANT 409 | Ancient Maya Civilization | 3 |
| ANT 413 | Peoples of Latin Amer | 3 |
| ANT 462 | Ancient Andean Civilizations | 3 |
| GY 345 | Geography of Latin America | 3 |
| HY 111 | Colonial Latin America | 3 |
| HY 112 | Modern Latin Am Since 1808 | 3 |
| HY 368 | Caribbean History Since 1492 | 3 |
| HY 370 | A history of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800 | 3 |
| HY 373 | Enviro History of Americas | 3 |
| HY 377 | Mexico since 1810 | 3 |
| HY 378 | Drugs, Booze, and Mexican Society | 3 |
| HY 379 | History of Modern Argentina | 3 |
| HY 473 | Indians, Nuns, & Rogues | 3 |
| HY 474 | Relation US Latin Amer | 3 |
| HY 477 | Imperial Spain's "Golden Age" | 3 |
| HY 478 | Spanish Conquest of Americas | 3 |
| LAS 401 | LACLS Seminar | 3 |
| PSC 332 | Politics of Latin America | 3 |
| PSC 338 | Mexican Politics | 3 |
| Language minor: Spanish | ||
Focused Area of Study 3: Middle East and Africa
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ARB 350 | Culture in Africa/Middle East | 3 |
| ANT 414 | Anthropology of Africa | 3 |
| GY 344 | Geography Of Africa | 3 |
| HY 384 | Ancient Egypt Near East | 3 |
| HY 388 | The Crusades | 3 |
| PSC 336 | African Politics | 3 |
| PSC 337 | Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| PSC 344 | The Israel-Palestine Conflict | 3 |
| PSC 441 | Terrorism and Political Islam | 3 |
| PSC 449 | IR of the Middle East | 3 |
| REL 224 | Judaism | 3 |
| REL 226 | African Diaspora Religions | 3 |
| REL 236 | Islam | 3 |
| REL 336 | Islam and the West | 3 |
| REL 436 | Making Islam | 3 |
| Language minor: Arabic or French | ||
Focused Area of Study 4: Russia and Eastern Europe
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HY 356 | Holocaust: History, Memory | 3 |
| HY 357 | World War I | 3 |
| HY 358 | World War II | 3 |
| HY 361 | Russia to 1894 | 3 |
| HY 362 | Russia-Soviet Union since 1894 | 3 |
| HY 457 | The Russian Revolution | 3 |
| REL 223 | Holocaust Historical Perspecti | 3 |
| RUS 325 | Dostoevsky | 3 |
| RUS 326 | Tolstoy | 3 |
| RUS 401 | Directed Readings | 1 to 3 |
| RUS 402 | Directed Readings | 1 to 3 |
| RUS 426 | Readings in Russian History | 3 |
| Language minor: Russian. | ||
Focused Area of Study 5: Western Europe
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| ANT 412 | Anthropology of Europe | 3 |
| CL 333 | Greek Civilization | 3-6 |
| CL 350 | Roman Religion | 3 |
| CL 385 | History Of Greece | 3 |
| CL 386 | History Of Rome | 3 |
| FR 331 | French Civilization | 3 |
| GN 371 | Gn Cult Civil Thru 1832 | 3 |
| GN 372 | Germn Cult Civ 1832-Present | 3 |
| GY 346 | Geography of Europe | 3 |
| HY 305 | Topics in European History | 3 |
| HY 349 | History of France 1760-present | 3 |
| HY 355 | German History Sc 1740 | 3 |
| HY 356 | Holocaust: History, Memory | 3 |
| HY 357 | World War I | 3 |
| HY 358 | World War II | 3 |
| HY 365 | European Consumer Society | 3 |
| HY 366 | Modern Britain, 1700-2015 | 3 |
| HY 367 | Honors Mod Britain, 1700-2015 | 3 |
| HY 382 | Early Modern Britain | 3 |
| HY 383 | Honors Early Modern Britain | 3 |
| HY 385 | History Of Greece | 3 |
| HY 386 | History Of Rome | 3 |
| HY 388 | The Crusades | 3 |
| HY 391 | Medieval Britain | 3 |
| HY 392 | Honors Medieval Britain | 3 |
| HY 393 | British Emp & Commonwealth | 3 |
| HY 442 | The Middle Ages | 3 |
| HY 444 | Reform & Counter-Reformation | 3 |
| HY 446 | Age of Reason 1715-89 | 3 |
| HY 448 | Women in Europe since 1750 | 3 |
| HY 462 | French Legal History | 3 |
| HY 481 | War/Dipl. in Med & Mod. Europe | 3 |
| HY 482 | War & Religion in the West | 3 |
| HY 483 | Thirty Years' War | 3 |
| HY 490 | England under Tudors | 3 |
| HY 491 | England under Stuarts | 3 |
| HY 494 | Britain in the Victorian Age | 3 |
| HY 495 | Honors Britain Victorian Age | 3 |
| PSC 334 | Government Politics West Europ | 3 |
| REL 223 | Holocaust Historical Perspecti | 3 |
| Language minor: French, German, Italian, or Spanish | ||
Focused Area of Study 6: Methods (this option is only available for students choosing the Peace and Conflict Studies Field)
| Code and Title | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| EC 471 | Econometrics | 3 |
| PSC 202 | Political Science Methods | 3 |
| ST 260 | Statistical Data Analysis | 3 |
| ST 450 | Stat Methods in Research I | 3 |
| ST 451 | Stat Methods in Research II | 3 |
| Language minor: Any foreign language minor | ||
Grade Point Average
A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. Please see the Grades and Grade Points section of this catalog for an explanation on grade point average calculations.
Upper-level Residency
A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major (Field and Focused Area of Study) must be earned on this campus. A minimum of 6 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the minor must also be earned on this campus.
Ancillary Courses
This major does not require ancillary courses. However, courses in the Field and Focused area of Study requirements may have prerequisites.
Required Minor
Students must minor in a foreign language that is spoken in a region of the world the student has selected for the Focused Area of Study requirement. A minor in any language will meet this requirement for students who have selected the Peace and Conflict Studies Field. Students who are demonstrably fluent to the level expected of a language minor (as evidenced by the positive assessment of a MLC faculty member fluent in the language) may opt out of the language minor if their second language is widely spoken in the selected Focused Area of Study. Students who opt out of the language minor will replace it with a minor relevant to the selected Focused Area of Study.
Additional Major Requirements
Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University, College, major and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an adviser in the major department for academic planning and to be approved for registration each semester. It is very strongly recommended students also be regularly advised in their minor department. College advisers are also available for additional assistance with minor, College and University requirements.