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The BA in International Studies affords an opportunity for students to find their truest vocations, to discover their passions, and to become active and engaged citizens in a complex global world that defies simple explanations or solutions. SIS faculty and courses help students acquire critical intellectual dispositions and expanded moral imaginations-enabling them to think critically, creatively, and independently about important international issues-that will help them shape the global future.

Degree Progression

The sequencing of the BA in International Studies is designed to give students a firm grounding in the breadth of the international studies field, as well as solid research skills, before they further develop their own research and substantive interests.

The first year includes foundational SIS courses such as Intro to International Studies and a First-Year Seminar.

First Year Seminar

A First Year Seminar at SIS is a seminar-format course capped at 19 first-year students; it is an opportunity for students to begin to develop critical intellectual skills and habits of mind that will prepare them to get the most out of their college experience, while studying a special topic that the professor has chosen because it genuinely excites their passions and piques their scholarly interests. The following are first year seminars taught in spring 2023; seminars offered change from semester to semester.

  • SISU 106-001 Hidden Figures of Social Thought in the Americas
  • SISU 106-002 Reflections: United States in the Mirror
  • SISU 106-003 From Empire to Brexit
  • SISU 106-005 Gross National Happiness 
  • SISU 106-006 Economic Warfare
  • SISU 106-007 Conflict and the Graphic Novel

The second year features core research design and methodology sequence, together with Intercultural Communication and gateway courses in the key Thematic Areas in which students choose to concentrate their coursework during their third year.

Intercultural Communication

This course examines how globalization and our cultural upbringing shape who we are, how we see the world, and the ways in which we communicate with people across intergroup inequities and intercultural and/or international boundaries. Using the case study method, the course examines global case studies to explore specific topics, why culture matters, and the values and dynamics underpinning intercultural communication. 

The Undergraduate Research Experience: SISU 206 & 306

The second year of the SIS BA curriculum is comprised of a two-semester methods and methodology course sequence designed to provide students with essential research skills and competencies and to empower them to conduct their own independent research. It is in this course sequence that students transition from being receivers of information to critical consumers and producers of knowledge.

The first course, SISU 206: Introduction to International Studies Research, introduces students to important epistemological questions about social science research and to foundational skills and competencies. Students are then guided through the development of several research designs for their topics, with each design employing a different methodological approach. This introduction to the methods and methodologies of research is the foundation for the second course, SISU 306: Advanced International Studies Research, in which students complete their research project through the application of the research skills and one or more of the methodologies learned in SISU 206.

SISU 306 culminates with the production of an original scholarly research project—a paper and a presentation—that is not only a stand-alone product, but may well serve as the basis for future research and fieldwork while studying abroad, pursuing national scholarship opportunities such as the Boren or Fulbright, or while conducting additional research for a Capstone course. Many SISU 306 students have also published their work or presented at external conferences after revising the SISU 306 paper to take into account course feedback.

Thematic Areas

Thematic Areas are the themes around which students choose to concentrate their coursework during their third year in the SIS undergraduate program. Students will complete 9 credit hours of gateway courses from three different Thematic Areas prior to declaring their chosen primary and secondary Thematic Areas, in which they will complete 6 credit hours and 3 credit hours of coursework, respectively.

Regional Focus

The regional focus is a key part of the BA in International Studies. It consists of three courses in the region of your choosing: Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, South and Central Asia, Europe and Eurasia, or Western Hemisphere. At least one of these courses must be taken at the 300 level. 

The final year features a Senior Capstone class that allows for the integration of various aspects of the undergraduate educational experience and enables the creation of a summative project.

Senior Capstone

The Senior Capstone course is specifically designed to provide the cumulative academic experience for our undergraduate students. Capstone courses are topical; they are not specifically linked to any one Thematic Area. A Senior Capstone class is integrative, while also giving students the opportunity to work on a comprehensive project of their own. Capstone projects enable students to integrate their previous coursework and demonstrate the skills and competencies they have gained during their time with us. For some students this may be a research paper; for others, a documentary film; for still others, a piece of international service on which they reflect in a systematic way. The following are Senior Capstone courses available in spring 2023; courses will vary by semester.

  • SISU 419-003 Arctic Sustainable Development and Indigenous People
  • SISU 419-005 U.S. State Department Diplomacy Lab
  • SISU 419-006 Social Innovation and Positive Change in International Affairs
  • SISU 419-008 Tackling Climate Change: Environment, Development, and Global Governance
  • SISU 419-011 U.S. Foreign Policy Towards East Asia
  • SISU-419-012 Negotiating Israeli-Palestinian Peace

Thematic Areas

Thematic Areas are the themes around which students choose to concentrate their coursework during their third year in the SIS undergraduate program. Students will complete 9 credit hours of gateway courses from three different Thematic Areas prior to declaring their chosen primary and secondary Thematic Areas, in which they will complete 6 credit hours and 3 credit hours of coursework, respectively.

The Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution Thematic Area explores the causes and consequences of war as they relate to competing understandings of peace and security. Courses in this area help students assess the choices as well as challenges involved in preventing, resolving, and managing conflict. Students engage theories and historical cases from international security, strategic studies, human security, peace studies, and conflict resolution to conceptualize war and insecurity. The gateway course begins this journey by establishing the broader philosophical traditions associated with competing schools of thought. Students examine the different definitions of peace, security, and conflict as well as general patterns of violence and insecurity in the world. The course builds on this foundation by introducing students to the dynamics of political violence and different peacebuilding and conflict resolution mechanisms.

Gateway Course

SISU 210 Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 310 Gender and Conflict
  • SISU 310 Gender and Peacebuilding
  • SISU 310 Nonviolent Struggle in Theory and Practice
  • SISU 310 Peace, Conflict, and Economic Development
  • SISU 318 Insurgency and Counterinsurgency
  • SISU 318 The "Revisionists": Chinese and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
  • SISU 319 Arab-Israeli Relations
  • SISU 330 Intelligence and National Security
  • SISU 330 U.S. Grand Strategy
  • SISU 330 Negotiating Global Challenges
  • SISU 359 Environment, Conflict, and Peace

A more integrated world has raised the living standards of millions of people, yet it is blamed for causing all sorts of damages to societies, the environment, national cultures, and domestic sovereignty. In the Global Economy Thematic Area, students will study the political economy of this evolving international landscape and analyze economic growth, winners and losers, and the legitimacy of these changes. They explore how globalization changes the world and alters the political, economic, and social prospects of nations and their citizens. They also consider how international organizations struggle to manage this complex process and create governance structures to adapt to these changes, and how national governments attempt to balance their sovereign mandate to govern and protect their people with the frequently disrupting financial and trade-related impacts of global competition.

Gateway Course

SISU 220 International Political Economy (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 320 International Money and Finance
  • SISU 320 International Trade Relations
  • SISU 321 Political Economy of Africa
  • SISU 324 Breakfast in the Americas
  • SISU 324 Political Economy of Latin America
  • SISU 329 Global Economic Governance

The Foreign Policy and National Security Thematic Area features course offerings on U.S. foreign policy, war and diplomacy, and both national and global security concerns. The gateway course for this Thematic Area is Analysis of U.S. Foreign Policy (SISU 230), which aims to provide students with an understanding of broad historical trends and traditions in U.S. foreign policy; the ability to assess the main theoretical perspectives relevant to the field of U.S. foreign policy; the ability to identify the key actors, institutions, and political processes involved in the making of U.S. foreign policy; the capacity to analyze selected contemporary policy issues; and an opportunity to demonstrate research, analytical, writing, and presentation skills.

Gateway Course

SISU 230 Analysis of U.S. Foreign Policy (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 318 The "Revisionists": Chinese and Russian Politics and Foreign Policy
  • SISU 330 Intelligence and National Security
  • SISU 330 Negotiating Global Challenges
  • SISU 330 Mexico and North America
  • SISU 330 Technology and War
  • SISU 330 U.S. Grand Strategy
  • SISU 330 Endogenous Forces in the Formation of American Foreign Policy
  • SISU 330 Critical Diplomacy

The Global Inequality and Development Thematic Area directly addresses issues concerning the theory and practice of achieving equitable and sustainable human development. Courses will encompass a broad examination of issues related to poverty and inequality as they intersect with urban and rural geographies, the built and natural environment, food systems, conflict, education, gender, youth and development, and possibilities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation. This area will include historical analysis of the field of development studies from colonialism through the present with a focus on understanding and analyzing conflicts, shared goals, and normative values embedded in development objectives. Students will become equipped to understand and analyze the multiple causes and consequences of development and inequality, and will become better equipped to understand the mechanisms of governance best able to respond to these challenges.

Gateway Course

SISU 240 International Development (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 340 Urbanization in Africa
  • SISU 340 Bureaucracy and Inequality
  • SISU 340 The Modern African Metropolis
  • SISU 340 Migration and Development
  • SISU 348 Gender and Development
  • SISU 349 Politics of Population
  • SISU 349 Global Health Interventions
  • SISU 349 Climate Resilient Cities

Many of the most profound challenges facing humanity relate to the environment, health, or the intersection of the two. Climate change and species extinction currently undermine the quality of life for many and threaten to compromise the fundamental, organic infrastructure that supports all life on earth. Infectious diseases like HIV and malaria remain a major cause of death in poorer countries, while chronic diseases, once most apparent in richer countries, are becoming increasingly prevalent around the world. Many of the most profound challenges facing humanity relate to the environment, health, or the intersection of the two. Climate change, global pandemics, species extinction, food insecurity, and water insecurity currently undermine the quality of life for many and threaten to compromise the fundamental, organic infrastructure that supports all life on earth. Infectious diseases like COVID-19, malaria, Ebola, and HIV remain a major cause of illness and death, while chronic diseases, once most apparent in richer countries, are increasingly prevalent around the world. Meanwhile, environmental toxins, air and water pollution, and soil degradation compromise the health and well-being of people everywhere. Not only do ecological issues have the potential to impact public health, but decisions made by communities and the private and public sectors—from transportation to agriculture to healthcare—influence ecosystem functions. The Environmental Sustainability and Global Health Thematic Area introduces students to the socio-political dynamics of global health and environmental affairs. Students explore the multiple causes and consequences of environmental harm and ill health and work to understand the mechanisms of governance best able to respond. Cutting across both issues are the fundamental injustices and inequalities between people as well as between countries. Ultimately, students develop the intellectual, theoretical, scientific, and applied tools needed to simultaneously work towards a safer, healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable world.

Gateway Course

SISU 250 Environmental Sustainability and Global Health (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 349 Global Health Interventions
  • SISU 349 Politics of Population
  • SISU 349 Climate Resilient Cities
  • SISU 350 The Politics of Water
  • SISU 350 Pandemics, Ethics, and the Public Health Response
  • SISU 350 BioEthics
  • SISU 352 Environmental Politics of Asia
  • SISU 358 Global Health
  • SISU 359 Environment, Conflict, and Peace

Issues of identity, whether avowed or ascribed and socially constructed or naturally derived, fundamentally shape people's lives and society. In particular, race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and nationality are determinate identities for many, though in reality, everyone holds multiple identities at the same time. Although these identities often appear to be static and fixed from the outside, they are dynamic and ever-changing, driven by the broader cultural and social influences in which they arise and exist. Courses in this Thematic Area examine the nature of these identities in a world in transition. Our courses, embodying both theoretical and grounded approaches, explore each of these identities in their own right, as well as in a historical and an intersectional manner that explores the relationship between them.

Gateway Course

SISU 260 Identity, Race, Gender, Culture (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 348 Gender and Development
  • SISU 360 Race and Ethnicity Across the Americas
  • SISU 360 Global Perspectives on Diversity and Intergroup Tolerance
  • SISU 360 Borders, Migrants, and Refugees in the Twenty-first Century 
  • SISU 379 Post-Revolutionary Iran
  • SISU 379 Nazi Germany and the Making of the Holocaust

The courses that constitute the Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights Thematic Area wrestle with the thorny issues of justice, equality, and human rights. How do we create more just societies? What are the conditions that promote or impede collective violence and mass murder? What kinds of peace settlements are long lasting? Can we protect human rights and simultaneously reduce poverty and inequality? What kinds of criminal and transitional justice systems are both fair and effective at reducing abuse? Students in the program will learn about an array of empirical cases and master the pertinent theoretical and ethical debates.

Gateway Course

SISU 270 Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights in International Affairs (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 350 Pandemics, Ethics, and the Public Health Response
  • SISU 370 International Justice: Pursuing Accountability
  • SISU 370 Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples
  • SISU 370 After War: Rebuilding Shattered States
  • SISU 370 Historical Justice, Memory, and Human Rights
  • SISU 370 Human Rights, Politics, and Practice
  • SISU 370 International Politics and the Crime of Genocide: From the Genocide Convention to the Responsibility to Protect
  • SISU 379 Nazi Germany and the Making of the Holocaust

The Global and Comparative Governance Thematic Area is designed for students who are interested in how a range of actors—local, national, global—seek to understand and solve the compelling security, development, environmental, and economic problems of our time. This thematic area focuses on the role that states, regional and global institutions (the United Nations, EU, World Bank, etc.), civil society, and the private sector play in addressing regional and global problems. Students also have the option of specializing in a geographical region. Students will take a multidisciplinary approach and will acquire the skills to empirically evaluate phenomena, anticipate emerging trends, and interpret data through an innovative curriculum that emphasizes theory and applied knowledge.

Gateway Course

SISU 280 Ruling the World: Global and Comparative Governance (multiple sections available)

Thematic Area Courses

*Course offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 329 Global Economic Governance
  • SISU 380 Empire and Imperialism
  • SISU 380 International Law
  • SISU 380 Conquest, Cold War, Globalization 
  • SISU 386 Contemporary Africa

Regional Focus

The regional focus is a key part of the BA in International Studies. It consists of three courses in the region of your choosing: Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, South and Central Asia, Europe and Eurasia, and Western Hemisphere. At least one of these courses must be taken at the 300 level.

*The following course lists are examples. Offerings vary by semester. Alternative and/or additional options may be available.

  • SISU 211 Civilizations of Africa
  • SISU 321 Political Economy of Africa
  • SISU 340 Urbanization in Africa
  • SISU 212 China, Japan, and the U.S.
  • SISU 296 U.S.-Asia Relations
  • SISU 352 Environmental Politics of Asia
  • SISU 213 Contemporary Europe
  • SISU 216 Contemporary Russia
  • SISU 379 Nazi Germany and the Making of the Holocaust
  • SISU 214 Contemporary Latin America
  • SISU 324 Breakfast in the Americas
  • SISU 360 Race and Ethnicity Across the Americas
  • SISU 215 Contemporary Middle East
  • SISU 319 Arab-Israeli Relations
  • SISU 379 Post-Revolutionary Iran
  • SISU 340 Democracy and Development in South Asia
  • SISU 360 Gender in South Asia: Colonialism and Beyond
  • SISU 419 U.S. and South Asia - Friends, Foes, and Flawed Policies

Application At a Glance

View a detailed admission and degree requirements listing for your degree of interest.

Entrance Semester
Fall and Spring
Application Deadline
Varies based upon entrance semester
Additional Requirements
At least a B average in secondary school
Other factors considered include cultural background, leadership qualities, character, and personal interest
SAT/ACT
Application
Completion of online application