Interdisciplinary M.A. with an emphasis in International Studies Requirements
You may download the Complete Guide to Graduate Study for the Interdisciplinary M.A. with an emphasis in International Studies here.
Table of Contents to Degree Requirements
Summary of Requirements
Plan of Study
Your Advisory Committee
Graduate-Level Seminars
Foreign Language Study
International Research
Additional Coursework
Thesis or Final Project
Summary Of Requirements
- Students must fulfill all Graduate College requirements.
- A thesis or final project is required for all M.A. students.
- Students must complete 36 semester hours of graduate-level coursework (coursework at or above the 100-level), at least 33 s.h. of which must be graded coursework (thesis hours are not graded).
- A maximum of 12 s.h. of coursework may be transferred from another institution or other UI graduate program.
- 24 s.h. of coursework for the M.A. must be earned after admission to the Interdisciplinary M.A. with an emphasis in International Studies program, with at least 8 s.h. in residence and on campus.
- A minimum of 21 s.h. of coursework through formal classroom teaching (excludes independent study, research, thesis, and special projects) is required.
- No more than 9 s.h. of independent study, research, and thesis hours will count toward the 36 s.h. minimum for degree.
- Students must maintain a minimum of a 3.0 UI GPA and a 3.0 transfer GPA in all coursework applied to their degree.
The requirements for the M.A. can therefore be summarized as follows:
| Graduate-level seminars | 9 s.h. |
| Foreign language study | 6 s.h. |
| International research | 0-6 s.h. |
| Additional coursework | 12-21 s.h. |
| Thesis or Final Project | 0-3 s.h. |
| TOTAL | 36 s.h. |
Plan of Study
Your Plan of Study will guide your work in the program. A preliminary Plan of Study must be submitted with your application. During the student’s first semester, the Plan of Study must be revised and reviewed by the student in close consultation with the student's advisory committee. Plans of study can be changed at the student’s discretion, but only after the committee has formally met and approved changes in writing. In crafting their Plan of Study, students identify a focus area for their coursework and research. Examples of focus areas supported by existing faculty and curriculum include: African Studies; East Asian Studies; European Studies; Latin American Studies; Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; South Asian Studies; Middle East and Muslim World Studies; Global Resources and the Environment; Global Health; Human Rights.
Because each M.A. student crafts an individual plan of study specific to their research interests, there is no one prescribed or suggested model to follow. Below are two sample plans of study that highlight the interdisciplinary range of the program.
Student A: [Human Rights in the Middle East]
| Graduate Seminars | Human Trafficking | Health and Human Rights | Crossing Borders Seminar | |
| Foreign Language | Uzbek I | Uzbek II | ||
| International Research | Summer research in Turkey; 0 s.h. | |||
| Additional coursework | Law in the Muslim World | Human Rights in the World Community | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I | Human Rights Politics |
| Introduction to Public International Law | Women and Politics in Global Perspective | |||
| Thesis Hours | Thesis 3 s.h. |
Student B: [South Asian Development]
| Graduate Seminars | Crossing Borders Seminar | Economic Development Policy | Religion and Society | |
| Foreign Language | Hindi I (5 s.h.) | Hindi II (5 s.h.) | ||
| International Research | Summer research in India; 0 s.h. | |||
| Additional coursework | Readings in Modern India | Justice Geography | History of Public Health | Community Development Finance |
| Microfinance | Guided Readings in Geography | |||
| Thesis Hours | 0 s.h. |
Your Advisory Committee
At the beginning of the first semester, the student will work with the Associate Dean to choose a formal advisory committee comprised of at least three faculty members. Members of the committee can be drawn from any college in the university, but the Graduate College requires special permission be obtained in advance if a member of a student’s M.A. committee is not a tenure-track or tenured faculty. One of the three committee members will serve as the student’s primary advisor and will chair the committee. Students should meet with their advisors at least once a semester, prior to registering for the following term, to discuss progress and choose courses. Additional consultations/meetings with advisors and committee members should take place as needed to assure smooth progress through the program.
A list of faculty members available to work with students in degree programs sponsored by International Programs is available on the International Programs website and is searchable by focus area: http://international.uiowa.edu/international-studies/default.asp (click on "Mentor Directory").
Graduate-Level Seminars; 9 s.h.
Three seminars at the 200- or 300-level must be completed over a period of two years; of these, no more than two may be taken in a single discipline or department. At least two seminars must be completed while in residence at The University of Iowa. A seminar is a small, discussion-based course. Not all “200-level” courses in all departments or colleges are seminars.
Foreign Language Study; 6 s.h. minimum
Students must complete a minimum of 6 s.h. in approved foreign language coursework. A student's faculty committee may impose additional language training beyond the minimum if they find it essential to the student's success in a field-based research, internship, or study abroad experience. No more than 9 s.h. of foreign language study may be applied towards the minimum 36 s.h. required for the master's degree.
Only coursework numbered at the 100-level or above will apply toward the 36 s.h. minimum for degree. However, some language courses needed by a student to prepare for their research abroad may be offered below the 100-level. In this case, a student may fulfill the language requirement with courses below the 100-level, but will need additional coursework to reach the 36 s.h. minimum for degree.
Language study while abroad is permissible, but only in conjunction with research while abroad.
Many students enter the University with competency in one or more languages other than English. Students may not present previous coursework or competency as fulfillment of the foreign language requirement.
Study of a language through the ALLNet program may be used to satisfy the language requirement, if approved in advance by the student’s faculty committee. Generally course credit is not available through ALLNet, in which case a student will need additional coursework to reach the 36 s.h. minimum for degree.
International Research; 8 weeks and 0-6 s.h.
To develop ideas for the thesis or final project OR to conduct research necessary to complete the thesis or final project, each student must undertake a minimum of eight weeks of work or study abroad, an international internship, or international research, as approved by your advisor in consultation with your committee or the Associate Dean as necessary. Students may choose to earn academic credit for their international research by registering for 187:205 International Graduate Research for up to 6 s.h. Paid positions abroad may not be considered for academic credit and as such will not fulfill this requirement. For the purposes of this requirement, the United States could be considered to be an international site of study for foreign students. Undergraduate study abroad experiences may not be used to fulfill the foreign study, internship or research requirement. International Programs offers some competitive fellowships, such as the Stanley Awards for international research, and assists students in applying for intra-University and external sources of funding, but the responsibility lies with the student to secure necessary funding and visas.
Additional Coursework; 12-21 s.h.
In consultation with their faculty committee, students select additional coursework to enhance and inform their research and focus area. This coursework must have an international focus and be directly relevant to the student’s Plan of Study and Rationale. The number of semester hours required in additional coursework is dependent on the hours earned through research, foreign language study, and thesis hours, with a minimum of 12 s.h. directly relevant to the student's focus area.
Thesis or Final Project; 0-3 s.h.
Students must complete a written thesis or a project under the supervision of the faculty committee. This thesis or project will be based on the original research carried out abroad. Theses should constitute a written contribution to scholarship suitable for publication. In special cases, a project with written documentation may be the most appropriate demonstration of the student’s research.
Examples of acceptable projects include original artistic works, successful organizational efforts, and web-based or media-based publications. Preparing a project in lieu of a written thesis requires specific written approval from the student’s committee prior to its submission. Theses and projects will be defended in an oral examination by the ad hoc committee. All students must present the results of their theses or projects formally in a public forum. In the case of creative works, the project may be presented as an exhibition, performance, or in some other appropriate manner approved by the student’s committee. The Associate Dean will help students schedule this public presentation, usually in the student’s final semester.
Students are responsible for contacting their committee members to schedule a defense of the thesis/final project. The defense is an oral examination by the student’s Faculty Advisory Committee on the thesis or final project. The advisor should notify the Associate Dean of the student’s satisfactory completion of the defense.