International Studies

Why be an international studies major?

At the beginning of a new century, the pace of integration among the world's regions and populations is accelerating. New regional and global economies, new global communications links and the movement of peoples and cultures into new settings are redefining old notions of citizenship, community and nation, and are reshaping the globe. The ITS major can help students to cope and thrive in this new environment.

ITS is a good choice for students interested in study and travel abroad, languages and our emerging global civilization. It can also serve to deepen and "globalize" other majors such as political science, business and history. It helps students to develop the knowledge and skills needed in an increasingly interdependent world in which knowledge of other peoples and cultures is vital.

The major combines readily with political science, business, economics, history, and foreign languages.

List of majors within our department

ITS has one major with two tracks (International Relations [IR] and Cross-cultural Studies [CS]), as well as a minor. IR focuses on the study of nation states, international organizations and the political, economic and social environments in which these occur. CS involves the study of diverse human languages, societies, and cultures. Each of these two tracks has a distinct set of courses.