B.A. in International Studies Requirements
Download the complete ISBA Guide to Study for students entering The University of Iowa before fall 2008
Download the complete ISBA Guide to Study for students entering The University of Iowa fall 2008 or after
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Table of Contents - Degree Requirements for students entering The University of Iowa before fall 2008
Table of Contents - Degree Requirements for students entering The University of Iowa fall 2008 or after
Table of Contents - Degree Requirements for students entering The University of Iowa BEFORE FALL 2008
Summary of Requirements
Foundation Courses
Core Courses
Geographic or Thematic Emphasis Areas
International Studies Electives
Language Requirements
Senior Project
Summary Of Requirements
- Students must fulfill all College of Liberal Arts & Sciences requirements.
- Majors must maintain at least a 2.00 UI, major, and UI major GPA.
- All coursework for the major must be taken on a graded basis; courses taken on a P/N or S/F basis will not count toward the major.
- To earn a B.A. in International Studies, students must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours (s.h.) of graded course work. These 36 s.h. must include completion of 187:199, International Studies Senior Project or 187:198 Honors Thesis in International Studies, and at least 12 s.h. in upper-level coursework in the emphasis area, electives and/or foreign language.
- In order to preserve the interdisciplinary intent of the major, at least four departments must be represented in the student’s major coursework.
- Transfer coursework may be accepted toward the major, but at least 15 s.h. of coursework for the major must be earned in University of Iowa coursework.
- Students may apply up to 12 s.h. of coursework from each additional major, minor or certificate program (with a limit of 12 s.h. from any single department), to the International Studies major. Please note, students completing a certificate in Latin American Studies, Global Health Studies, International Business, or a minor in Global Health Studies or Latin American Studies may not choose the corresponding area of emphasis for the International Studies major.
The requirements for the B.A. can therefore be summarized as follows:
| Course Type | Number of Hours |
| Foundation Course | 3 s.h. |
| Core Courses | 6 s.h. |
| Emphasis Area | 12 s.h. |
| I.S. Electives | 6 s.h. |
| Language Requirement* | 4-6 s.h. |
187:199 Senior Project or 187:198 Honors Thesis |
3 s.h. |
| Total | 36 s.h. minimum |
* Student completing the foreign language requirement with less than 6 s.h. must still complete major hours totaling at least 36 s.h., with any remaining hours added to the IS electives.
Each of these requirements is outlined in more detail below.
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Foundation Course; 3 s.h.
Each of these courses provides an overview of global issues or an introduction to a disciplinary approach to global topics. To meet the Foundation Course requirement, students must complete at least 3 s.h. from the following list of courses:
| Number | Course Title | Hours |
| 187:001 | International Studies Colloquium* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:002 | Issues in International Studies* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:003 | Issues in International Studies* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:004 | Issues in International Studies* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:005 | Making of the Modern Global System | 3 s.h. |
| 187:006 | Developed and Developing Places | 3 s.h. |
| 187:007 | The European Union | 3 s.h. |
| 187:020 | Introduction to International Studies | 3 s.h. |
| 06E:125 | Global Economics and Business [p= 6E:1 & 6E:2] | 3 s.h. |
| 030:060 | Introduction to International Relations | 3 s.h. |
| 036:086 | Global Media Studies [p= 36:1, one of 36:40-51, 2.6 gpa or higher] |
3 s.h. |
| 044:010 | The Contemporary Global System | 4 s.h. |
| 044:019 | Contemporary Environmental Issues | 3 s.h. |
| 113:010 | Anthropology and Contemporary World Problems | 3 s.h. |
*These one semester-hour modules will be taught by a variety of International Studies faculty members, will focus on a different topic each time, and are repeatable up to three times.
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Core Courses; 6 s.h.
Students choose core courses from the following list and should look at these courses as a potential introduction to their emphasis area. In order to preserve the interdisciplinarity of the program, students must choose at least one course offered from a different department than their foundation course. It is important to note that some core courses have prerequisites and may not be suitable to all International Studies students.
| Number | Course Title | Hours |
| 187:001 | International Studies Colloquium* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:002 | Issues in International Studies* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:003 | Issues in International Studies* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:004 | Issues in International Studies* | 1 s.h. |
| 187:005 | Making of the Modern Global System* | 3 s.h. |
| 187:006 | Developed and Developing Places | 3 s.h. |
| 187:007 | The European Union* | 3 s.h. |
| 187:042 | Intercultural Communication (036:042) | 3 s.h. |
| 187:050 | Intro to Eastern European & Central Asian Cultures | 3 s.h. |
| 187:080 | Introduction to Human Rights | 3 s.h. |
| 187:142 | Introduction to Caribbean Studies (035:142) | 3 s.h. |
| 06E:125 | Global Economics and Business* [p=6E:1 & 6E:2] |
|
| 06J:146 | International Business Environment [special permission required] | 3 s.h. |
| 030:060 | Introduction to International Relations* | 3 s.h. |
| 030:061 | Introduction to American Foreign Policy | 3 s.h. |
| 036:086 | Global Media Studies* [p= 36:1, one of 36:40-51, 2.6 gpa or higher] |
3 s.h. |
| 044:010 | The Contemporary Global System* | 4 s.h. |
| 044:019 | Contemporary Environmental Issues* | 3 s.h. |
| 044:030 | The Global Economy | 3 s.h. |
| 048:022 | World Film | 3 s.h. |
| 048:040 | Major Texts of World Literature I | 3 s.h. |
| 048:041 | Major Texts of World Literature II | 3 s.h. |
| 103:055 | Languages of the World | 3 s.h. |
| 113:010 | Anthropology and Contemporary World Problems* | 3 s.h. |
| 130:070 | Introduction to Latin American Studies (187:070, 035:070, 038:070) |
3 s.h. |
| 195:050 | Topics in Middle East and Muslim World Studies I | 3 s.h. |
*These courses count as Core Courses if they are not taken as the Foundation Course.
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Geographic or Thematic Emphasis Area; 12 s.h.
Students should choose either a geographic emphasis area OR a thematic emphasis area according to their individual interests. This emphasis area will be listed on the student's transcript. Emphasis areas appear below; students may visit this site to see the course lists for the geographic or thematic emphasis areas. Students must complete 12 s.h. from any one emphasis area. At least 6 s.h. of emphasis area courses must be upper-level, as defined by the department offering the course.
See your academic advisor to declare an emphasis area .
Geographic Areas
- African Studies
- Caribbean Studies
- East Asian Studies
- European Studies
- Latin American Studies*
- Middle East and Muslim World Studies
- Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
- South Asian Studies
Thematic Areas
- Development
- Global Artistic Tradition and Change
- Global Resources and the Environment
- Global Health*
- Human Rights
- International Business*
- International Communication and Information
- International Politics and International Relations
- Postcolonial and Diasporic Studies
- War, Peace and Security
*Please note, students completing a certificate in Latin American Studies, Global Health Studies, International Business, or a minor in Global Health Studies or Latin American Studies may not choose the corresponding area of emphasis for the International Studies major.
Other emphasis areas for which sufficient courses exist may be developed by a student with the approval of the International Studies program office. A student interested in developing an emphasis area should complete the Creating Emphasis Area form.
In addition, students may request that a course not appearing on the approved course list be considered for application to their IS major emphasis area or electives. In order to do so, students must submit a course petition form by the established deadline each semester. Requests submitted after the deadline or without a course petition form will not be considered. Course petitions will not be considered for the foundation or core requirements.
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International Studies Electives; 6 s.h.
Students also must complete 6 s.h. of International Studies elective course work. Electives may be chosen from any of the courses approved for the International Studies major except for courses in the student’s emphasis area. At least 3 s.h. must be earned in upper-level course work, as defined by the department offering the course.
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Language Requirement beyond the CLAS General Education Program requirement; 2 semesters of study, 4 s.h. minimum
All International Studies students must complete either two semesters of advanced foreign language study in the same language and beyond the minimum required for the CLAS General Education Program, OR two semesters of study of a second foreign language at any level. Languages not offered on The University of Iowa campus may be studied at other universities or through an approved study abroad program.
Lower-level language coursework not approved for the CLAS General Education Program may not be used for the International Studies requirement without prior approval.
Some language programs offer an accelerated elementary level course for 5 s.h. that compresses two semesters of material into one semester. If an accelerated elementary level language course is taken, the student may fulfill their language requirement with 5 s.h., provided that the student takes another hour under electives to meet the minimum 36 s.h. requirement for the major.
Elementary review courses (035:005, 009:010, 013:014) will not fulfill the International Studies requirement if the student has earned prior high school or college credit in that language. If an elementary review language course is taken, the student may fulfill the language requirement with 5 s.h., provided that the student takes another hour under electives to meet the minimum 36 s.h. requirement for the major.
Some language programs offer upper-level language courses for 2 s.h. (i.e. 009:106, 009:136). Students may fulfill the language requirement using these courses, provided that the student takes additional semester hours under electives to meet the minimum 36 s.h. requirement for the major.
In fulfilling the language requirement, many students are eligible to receive an additional 4 s.h. of ungraded credit under the Foreign Language Incentive Program (FLIP). This credit may be applied to the minimum of 120 s.h. required for graduation, but it does not count toward requirements for the International Studies major. In order to receive the credit, students must complete and submit an online form.
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187:199 Senior Project; 3 s.h.
The Senior Project is a semester-long graded independent research project that is supervised by a faculty mentor. Vigorous research culminates in the completion of a 15-20 page research paper or a creative project.
The Senior Project must be approved by a faculty mentor and the International Studies program office, and it must include research, analysis, and documentation of sources. The project allows students to return to a topic or project they pursued in an earlier class or to develop a new project. In either case, the Senior Project gives students the opportunity to focus on a specific research question or artistic project in a rigorous, engaged fashion with the guidance of an expert faculty member. Ultimately, the Senior Project should demonstrate careful reading and research; it should identify an important research or aesthetic question involving an international issue, and it should offer a thoughtful, well-organized, and clearly written investigation of a research problem.
Students planning to complete a creative project must meet with the International Studies program office before registering for the Senior Project for approval of the proposed project idea and the final form of the project. See the Senior Project packet for further details.
Students are encouraged to enroll in 187:095 Research and Senior Project Prep the semester prior to taking 187:199.
Please see the Senior Project guidelines for the procedures, required forms and semester deadlines associated with the Senior Project.
The following Standard CLAS Independent Study Policies apply to the Senior Project:
- Students may apply up to 9 s.h. of independent study credit toward the minimum 120 s.h. required for graduation.
- Eligible Faculty: Faculty (tenure-track, clinical-track, or visiting) at the rank of assistant professor or higher and faculty at the rank of lecturer may supervise independent study courses.
Students may combine their IS Senior Project with an honors thesis or senior project for a second major providing that the student secures permission from each department first. Failing to obtain permission constitutes plagiarism under The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences guidelines. A combined Senior Project must be significantly larger in both scope and length than either department requires individually. Students choosing to complete a combined project must have a faculty mentor for their IS Senior Project independent of the second department’s thesis advisor. Students should refer to the Senior Project guidelines to read more about these requirements.
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Table of Contents - Degree Requirements for students entering The University of Iowa FALL 2008 OR AFTER
Summary of Requirements
187:010 Orientation to ISBA
Foundation Courses
Core Courses
Geographic or Thematic Emphasis Areas
International Studies Electives
Language Requirements
187:095 Research & Final Project Preparation
187:199 Senior Project
Summary of Requirements
- Students must fulfill all College of Liberal Arts & Sciences requirements.
- Majors must maintain at least a 2.00 UI, major, and UI major GPA.
- All coursework for the major must be taken on a graded basis; courses taken on a P/N or S/F basis will not count toward the major.
- To earn a B.A. in International Studies, students must complete a minimum of 39 semester hours (s.h.) of graded coursework. These 39 s.h. must include completion of 187:199 International Studies Senior Project or 187:198 Honors Thesis in International Studies and at least 12 s.h. in upper-level coursework in the emphasis area, electives, and/or foreign language.
- In order to preserve the interdisciplinary intent of the major, at least four departments must be represented in the student's major coursework.
- Transfer coursework may be accepted toward the major, but at least 15 s.h. of coursework for the major must be earned in University of Iowa coursework.
- Students may apply up to 12 s.h. of coursework from each additional major, minor, or certificate program (with a limit of 12 s.h. from any single department), to the International Studies major. Please note, students completing a certificate in Latin American Studies, Global Health Studies, International Business, or a minor in Global Health Studies or Latin American Studies may not choose th corresponding area of emphasis for the International Studies major.
The requirements for the B.A. can therefore be summarized as follows:
Course Type Number of Hours 187:010 Orientation to ISBA 1 s.h. Foundation Course 3 s.h. Core Courses 6 s.h. Emphasis Area 12 s.h. International Studies electives 6 s.h. Language Requirement 4-6 s.h.* 187:095 Research & Final Project Preparation 2 s.h. 187:199 Senior Project or
187:198 Honors Thesis
3 s.h. Total 39 s.h. minimum *Students completing the foreign language requirement with less than 6 s.h. must still complete major hours totaling at least 39 s.h., with any remaining hours added to the I.S. electives.
Each of these requirements is outlined in more detail below.
187:010 Orientation to ISBA, 1 s.h.
Students must complete this course by the end of their second semester in the major.
Foundation Course, 3 s.h.
Each of these courses provides an overview of global issues or an introduction to a disciplinary approach to global topics. To meet the Foundation Course requirement, students must complete at least 3 s.h. from the following list of courses:
Number
Course Title Hours 187:005 Making of the Modern Global System 3 s.h.
187:006 Developed and Developing Places 3 s.h. 187:007 The European Union 3 s.h. 187:020 Introduction to International Studies 3 s.h. 06E:125 Global Economics and Business [p=6E:1 & 6E:2] 3 s.h. 030:060 Introduction to International Relations 3 s.h. 036:086 Global Media Studies [p=36:1, one of 36:40-51, 2.6 GPA or higher] 3 s.h. 044:010 The Contemporary Global System 4 s.h. 044:019 Contemporary Environmental Issues 3 s.h. 113:030 Anthropology and Contemporary World Problems 3 s.h. Core Courses; 6 s.h.
Students choose core courses from the following list and should look at these courses as a potential introduction to their emphasis area. In order to preserve the interdisciplinary intent of the program, students must choose at least one course offered from a different department than their foundation course. It is important to note that some core courses have prerequisities and may not be suitable to all International Studies students.
Number Course Title Hours 187:005 Making of the Modern Global System* 3 s.h. 187:006 Developed and Developing Places* 3 s.h. 187:007 The European Union* 3 s.h. 187:042 Intercultural Communication (036:042 3 s.h. 187:050 Intro E Europe & Central Asia Cultures 3 s.h. 187:080 Introduction to Human Rights 3 s.h. 187:142 Introduction to Caribbean Studies (035:142) 3 s.h. 06E:125 Global Economics and Business*
[p= 6E:1 & 6E:2]3 s.h. 06J:146 International Business Environment
[Special permission required]3 s.h. 030:060 Introduction to International Relations* 3 s.h. 030:061 Introduction to American Foreign Policy 3 s.h. 036:086 Global Media Studies*
[p= 36:1, one of 36:40-51, 2.6 gpa or higher]3 s.h. 044:010 The Contemporary Global System* 4 s.h. 044:019 Contemporary Environmental Issues* 3 s.h. 044:030 The Global Economy 3 s.h. 048:022 World Film 3 s.h. 048:040 Major Texts of World Literature I 3 s.h. 048:041 Major Texts of World Literature II 3 s.h. 103:055 Languages of the World 3 s.h. 113:010 Anthropology and Contemporary World Problems* 3 s.h. 130:070 Introduction to Latin American Studies
(187:070, 035:070, 038:070)3 s.h. 195:050 Topics in Middle East and Muslim World Studies I 3 s.h. *These courses count as Core Courses if they are not taken as the Foundation Course.
Geographic or Thematic Emphasis Area; 12 s.h.
Students should choose either a geographic emphasis area OR a thematic emphasis area according to their individual interests. This emphasis area will be listed on the student's transcript. Emphasis areas appear below; students may visit the IS course directory online to see the course lists for the geographic or thematic emphasis areas. Students must complete 12 s.h. from any one emphasis area. At least 6 s.h. of emphasis area courses must be upper-level, as defined by the department offering the course.
To declare an emphasis area, see your academic advisor.
Geographic Areas
African Studies
Caribbean Studies
East Asian Studies
European Studies
Latin American Studies*
Middle East and Muslim World Studies
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
South Asian StudiesThematic Areas
Development
Global Artistic Tradition and Change
Global Health*
Global Resources and the Environment
Human Rights
International Business*
International Communication and Information
International Politics and International Relations
Postcolonial and Diasporic Studies
War, Peace and Security*Please note, students completing a certificate in Latin American Studies, Global Health Studies, International Business, or a minor in Global Health Studies or Latin American Studies may not choose the corresponding area of emphasis for the International Studies major.
Other emphasis areas for which sufficient courses exist may be developed by a student with the approval of the International Studies program office. A student interested in developing an emphasis area should complete the Creating Emphasis Area form and return it to the International Studies office.
In addition, students may request that a course not appearing on the approved course list be considered for application to their IS major emphasis area or electives. In order to do so, students must submit a course petition form by the established deadline each semester. Requests submitted after the deadline or without a course petition form will not be considered. Course petitions will not be considered for the foundation or core requirements.
International Studies Electives; 6 s.h.
Students also must complete 6 s.h. of International Studies elective coursework. Electives may be chosen from any of the courses approved for the International Studies major except for courses in the student's emphasis area. At least 3 s.h. must be earned in upper-level coursework, as defined by the department offering the course.
Language Requirement beyond the CLAS General Education Program requirement, 2 semesters of study, 4 s.h. minimum
All International Studies students must complete either two semesters of advanced foreign language study in the same language and beyond the minimum required for the CLAS General Education Program, OR two semesters of study of a second foreign language at any level. Languages not offered on The University of Iowa campus may be studied at other universities or through an approved study abroad program.
Lower-level language coursework not approved for the CLAS General Education Program may not be used for the International Studies requirement without prior approval.
Some language programs offer an accelerated elementary-level course for 5 s.h. that compresses two semesters of material into one semester. If an accelerated elementary-level language course is taken, the student may fulfill their language requirement with 5 s.h., provided that the student takes another hour under electives to meet the minimum 39 s.h. requirement for the major.
Elementary review courses (035:005, 009:010, 013:014) will not fulfill the International Studies requirement if the student has earned prior high school or college credit in that language. If an elementary review language course is taken, the student may fulfill the language requirement with 5 s.h., provided that the student takes another hour under electives to meet the minimum 39 s.h. requirement for the major.
Some language programs offer upper-level language courses for 2 s.h. (i.e. 009:106, 009:136). Students may fulfill the language requirement using these courses, provided that the student takes additional semester hours under electives to meet the minimum 39 s.h. requirement for the major.
In fulfilling the language requirement, many students are eligible to receive an additional 4 s.h. of ungraded credit under the Foreign Language Incentive Program (FLIP). This credit may be applied to the minimum 120 s.h. required for graduation, but it does not count toward requirements for the International Studies major. In order to receive the credit, students must complete and submit an online form.
187:095 Research and Final Project Preparation; 2 s.h.
In this course, students prepare for their International Studies Senior Project or Honors Thesis. Students focus on developing research methods and writing skills, forming a research question, preparing registration materials for the project, and selecting a faculty mentor. Students should enroll in the course in the semester prior to enrollment in 187:199 IS Senior Project or 187:198 Honors Thesis in IS. Students planning to complete the Senior Project while study abroad or in the semester directly following study abroad should complete the course before going abroad.
187:199 International Studies Senior Project; 3 s.h.
The Senior Project is a semester-long graded independent research project that is supervised by a faculty mentor. Vigorous research culminates in the completion of a 15-20 page research paper or a creative project.
Students build upon their work in 187:095 Research and Final Project Preparation to complete this capstone project. Students must focus on an international topic related to their emphasis area.
Students planning to complete a creative project must meet with the International Studies program office before registering for the Senior Project for approval of the proposed project idea and final form of the project. See the Senior Project packet for further details.
Please see the complete Senior Project guidelines for the procedures, required forms, and semester deadlines associated with the Senior Project.
The following Standard CLAS Independent Study Policies apply to the Senior Project:
- Students may apply up to 9 s.h. of independent study credit toward the minimum 120 s.h. required for graduation.
- Eligible Faculty: Faculty (tenure-track, clinical-track, or visiting) at the rank of assistant professor or higher and faculty at the rank of lecturer may supervise independent study courses.
Students may combine their Senior Project with an honors thesis or senior project for a second major providing that the student secures permission from each department first. Failing to obtain permission constitutes academic misconduct under The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences guidelines. A combined Senior Project must be significantly larger in both scope and length than either department requires individually. Students choosing to complete a combined project must have a faculty mentor for their Senior Project independent of the second department's thesis advisor. Students should refer to the Senior Project guidelines for more information.