International Affairs, Bachelor of Arts (702)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/political-science
Program Coordinator
Soleiman Kiasatpour, soleiman.kiasatpour@wku.edu
The International Affairs major is designed to prepare students for success in a global society. It integrates the information, techniques and skills of several disciplines including political science, economics, history, geography, religion, and modern languages to study and understand the complexity of the international environment. Students graduating in international affairs pursue careers in international and public affairs, international business, diplomacy, public service, journalism and international humanitarian work.
Program Requirements (42 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PS 250 | International Politics | 3 |
| PS 260 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 |
| PS 357 | U S Foreign Policy | 3 |
| PS 497 | Senior Seminar in International Affairs 1 | 3 |
| HIST 102 | World History II | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Economics (Micro) | 3 |
| or ECON 203 | Principles of Economics (Macro) | |
| GEOG 110 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Select 12 additional hours in Political Science: 2 | 12 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Political Science | ||
| Model Assembly (Seminar) | ||
| Using Statistics in Political Science | ||
| Politics and Film | ||
| Political Terrorism | ||
| International Relations of the Middle East | ||
| International Organization and Law | ||
| Government and Politics of Britain and Canada | ||
| Government and Politics of Western Europe | ||
| Latin American Government and Politics | ||
| Politics of Developing Nations | ||
| Government and Politics of the Middle East | ||
| Government and Politics in East Asia | ||
| Government and Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe | ||
| African Government and Politics | ||
| Central European Politics | ||
| Field Studies in Politics | ||
| Washington Internship and Academic Seminars | ||
| Directed Studies in Government | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| Selected Topics in International Relations | ||
| Theories of War and Peace in International Relations | ||
| Selected Topics in Comparative Politics | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 9 hours from the following, with no more than 6 hours from one academic discipline: | 9 | |
| Communities of Struggle | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Africa | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Latin America | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Africa | ||
| Applied Anthropology – Understanding and Addressing Contemporary Human Problems | ||
| Intermediate Arabic II | ||
| Experiencing Arabic Abroad | ||
| Arabic Civilization II | ||
| Advanced Media Arabic | ||
| Topics in Arabic Media | ||
| Intermediate Chinese II | ||
| Experiencing Chinese Abroad | ||
| Chinese Culture and Civilization | ||
| Intensive Intermediate Chinese II | ||
| Media Chinese | ||
| Chinese Culture | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| International Economics | ||
| Economic Development | ||
| International Monetary Economics | ||
| Financial Markets and Institutions | ||
| International Financial Management | ||
| Community Traditions & Global Corporate Culture | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Latin America | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of Africa | ||
| Intermediate French II | ||
| Experiencing French Abroad | ||
| French Civilization and Culture | ||
| Francophone Culture | ||
| Intermediate German II | ||
| Experiencing German Abroad | ||
| Contemporary Culture and Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Geography | ||
| Sustainable Economic Development | ||
| Geography of Europe | ||
| Climate, Resources, & Society | ||
| Political Geography | ||
| Global Climate Change | ||
| Geography of East Asia | ||
| Latin American Society: Past and Present | ||
| Introduction to Military History | ||
| Modern Britain Since 1688 | ||
| History of Africa Since 1500 | ||
| History of Genocide | ||
| Twentieth Century Europe | ||
| Modern Latin America, 1800-Present | ||
| Modern South Asia: from Empires to Nations | ||
| Human Rights in History | ||
| Modern Germany | ||
| Twentieth Century Russia | ||
| Rise and Decline of Communism | ||
| Modern East Asia | ||
| History of the Middle East | ||
| Latin America and the United States | ||
| The Mexican Republic | ||
| Modern China | ||
| Modern Japan | ||
| U S Military History | ||
| International Business | ||
| International Management | ||
| International Marketing | ||
| Comparative Legal Systems | ||
| Buddhism | ||
| Hinduism | ||
| Judaism | ||
| Christianity | ||
| Islam | ||
| Christianity in Africa | ||
| Global Social Problems | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Population, Society, and Development | ||
| Sociology of Globalization | ||
| Intermediate Spanish II | ||
| Experiencing Spanish Abroad | ||
| Latin American Civilization and Culture | ||
| Spanish Civilization and Culture | ||
| Total Hours | 42 | |
- 1
Students are advised to take all core courses before enrolling in PS 497.
- 2
Students may also enroll in PS 403, PS 405, or PS 407 for a total of three hours.
Additional baccalaureate degree requirements for students pursuing a major in International Affairs:
- A second major or minor is required.
Students pursuing a degree in international affairs are strongly encouraged to participate in a study abroad program or an international internship experience.
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PS 250 or PS 260 | 3 | PS 250 or PS 260 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | COMM 145 | 3 |
| HIST 102 | 3 | MATH 109 (or higher) | 3 |
| GEOG 110 | 3 | World Language 101 | 3 |
| Colonnade: Arts & Humanities | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Approved PS Elective for IA | 3 | Approved PS Elective for IA | 3 |
| ECON 202 or ECON 203 | 3 | Approved Non-PS Elective for IA | 3 |
| ENG 200 (or other approved Literary Studies course) | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences 1 | 3 |
| World Language 102 | 3 | World Language 201 | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Approved PS Elective for IA | 3 | PS 357 | 3 |
| Approved Non-PS Elective for IA | 3 | Approved PS Elective for IA | 3 |
| ENG 300 | 3 | Approved Non-PS Elective for IA2 | 3 |
| World Language 202 | 3 | Colonnade: Natural & Physical Sciences3 | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PS 497 | 3 | Colonnade: Connections (Systems) | 3 |
| Approved Non-PS Elective for IA | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| Colonnade: Connections (Social & Cultural) | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 | 2nd Major/Minor/Elective Course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||