Undergraduate Program in
International Affairs
College of Social Sciences and Public Policy
Website: https://coss.fsu.edu/internationalaffairs
Director: Lee Metcalf (Social Sciences); Director of Undergraduate Studies: Whitney Bendeck (Social Sciences); Director of International Economic Education: Onsurang Norrbin (Economics); Director of Internships and Professional Development: Na'ama Nagar (Political Science)
The Departments of Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Modern Languages and Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Sociology, and Urban and Regional Planning, as well as the School of Public Administration and Policy, cooperate in the offering of an interdepartmental major and minor in international affairs at the undergraduate level. The program develops a student's knowledge of global history, culture, and contemporary political and economic issues. The requirements for the international affairs major allow students to pursue a variety of distinct interests that align with a student's personal and professional goals. Employment opportunities are to be found in government service, international organizations (public, private, or non-profit), business, journalism, and teaching.
Computer Skills Competency
All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in international affairs satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in any course at FSU which meets the liberal studies computer competency designation, though it is strongly recommended that students take either CGS 2060 or CGS 2100 in order to satisfy this requirement.
Requirements for a Major in International Affairs
Majors in International Affairs must complete a minimum of 40 semester hours beyond the 36 hours of General Education requirements or beyond the articulated A.A. degree. An audit of A.A. requirements completed through the Office of Academic Affairs may be used to certify A.A. coursework beyond the statewide General Education requirement of 36 hours for use in the major. A grade of "C–" or better is required in each major course. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 in all coursework applied to the major must be maintained.
All courses counted toward the International Affairs major must come from the approved list of courses in the participating and non-participating departments provided by the International Affairs program each semester. These term course lists are available in the program office in 211 Bellamy, on the College's Office of Academic Affairs website, from a College academic advisor, and on the International Studies Canvas site. A master list of approved courses (excluding approved Special Topics courses) in the participating departments is provided below. Coursework must be selected from at least three participating departments and must include the required core courses INS 2010 Professional Development for International Affairs Majors (one credit hour) and INS 3003 Introduction to International Affairs (three credit hours). INS 3003 meets the university requirement for upper-division writing (https://liberalstudies.fsu.edu/).
The major requires completion of a departmental concentration of a minimum of 12 semester hours and a maximum of 18 semester hours in one of the listed participating departments. No more than 18 credit hours may be credited to the major from any one department. At least 18 semester hours credited to the major must be above the 2999 level. A maximum combined total of 12 semester hours in internship (INR 4941 or INS 4940), directed individual study (INR 4905), or upper-division honors in the major (INR 4937) may be credited to the major. The major requires completion of language coursework or demonstrated competency through the intermediate level (see below).
Students are advised to coordinate their coursework with foreign language study, focusing on a regional concentration (e.g., Africa, the Middle East, East or South Asia, Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, Western Europe, or Latin America). Majors are encouraged to include such courses as CPO 2002, INR 2002, ECO 2013 and 2023, GEA 1000, and WOH 1030 among the courses they take to fulfill the 36 hours of General Education requirements, though if those courses are credited to fulfilling General Education requirements they cannot also be counted toward the major requirements.
In addition to a 2.0 overall GPA across coursework credited to the major, all students must meet "mapping" requirements. See https://www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/ for more information.
Language Requirement
While Students may choose to obtain either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, in both cases they must complete coursework in a modern foreign language to the intermediate level (2220 or equivalent course) or demonstrate intermediate proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking a modern foreign language. Ancient or classical languages do not satisfy this requirement. Any credit hours taken to meet this requirement do not count towards the 40 credit hours required to complete the major.
Study Abroad
Students majoring in International Affairs are strongly encouraged to study abroad either through FSU International Programs (https://international.fsu.edu/) or the Center for Global Engagement (https://cge.fsu.edu/). Students are able to earn academic credit towards the International Affairs major at a variety of international destinations. Students should consult with their academic advisor about any study abroad programs they wish to pursue. Coursework taken abroad must be approved in advance for credit toward the major.
Internship
The Program in International Affairs encourages students to take advantage of internships at the state, national, and international level. There are opportunities to work in the international arena through agencies and businesses in Florida's capital, the Washington Center Program in Washington, DC., and Florida State's International Programs in Valencia, Panama, and London. Most significantly, International Affairs students can apply for one of the several prestigious internships in London, where students may be placed in Parliament, the American Embassy, Amnesty International, NBC, the Associated Press, the British-American Chamber of Commerce, and other significant organizations, or in Panama where the United Nations has a regional office. Information and application materials are available on the International Studies Canvas site. Applications must be submitted and all internships must be approved the semester before the internship takes place. Students approved for academic credit in an International Affairs internship will be enrolled in and must satisfactorily complete INS 4941 International Affairs Internship, which meets the university's formative experience requirement (https://liberalstudies.fsu.edu/). See the International Affairs program specialist in 211 Bellamy for further information.
Honors in the Major
The Program in International Affairs offers honors in the major (INR 4937) to encourage talented students to undertake independent research. For requirements and other information, see the "University Honors Office and Honor Societies" chapter of this General Bulletin.
Second Majors
When students pursue a second major, they may count six semester hours of overlapping coursework toward both of their majors. Otherwise, all major requirements listed above must be met.
Requirements for a Minor in International Affairs
A minor consists of eighteen semester hours beyond the 36 hours of General Education requirements (or beyond the courses used to satisfy the statewide required 36 hours of General Education requirements for an articulated A.A. degree) with grades of "C–" or better. Courses must include work from at least three participating departments, and all of those courses must be from the approved list of courses below or terms lists provided by the program. Modern language courses numbered above 2999 may count toward the minor, except that no courses used to complete any university, college, or major language requirements may count toward the minor. Nine of the 18 semester hours must be numbered above 2999. A maximum combined total of six semester hours in International Affairs internship or directed individual study may apply to the minor.
Approved Courses
Descriptions of individual courses can be found under the departments in which they are taught. It is the student's responsibility to verify course pre-requisite requirements at https://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/undergraduate.
Note: In addition to the courses listed below, special topics courses may be approved by the program director in any particular term. These courses appear on the term course lists and are available in the program office in 211 Bellamy, on the College's Office of Academic Affairs website at coss.fsu.edu/academics, from a College academic advisor, and on the International Studies Canvas site.
Required Core Courses
INS 3003 Introduction to International Affairs (3)
INS 2010 Professional Development for International Affairs Majors
Anthropology
ANT 2138 World's Greatest Shipwrecks (3)
ANT 2301 Evolution of the Human Sexuality (3)
ANT 2410 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3)
ANT 2416 Childhood Around the World (3)
ANT 2470 The Anthropology of Globalization (3)
ANT 3212 Peoples of the World (3)
ANT 3300 Masculinity in a Global Perspective (3)
ANT 3451 Race: Biology & Culture (3)
ANT 3610 Language and Culture (3)
ANT 4241 Anthropology of Religion (3)
ANT 4277 Human Conflict: Theory and Resolution (3)
ANT 4302 Sex Roles in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3)
ANT 4363 Japanese Society and Culture (3)
ANT 4465 Foodways Archaeology (3)
Economics
Note: ECO 2013 and ECO 2023 are recommended prerequisites that should be completed prior to enrolling in any upper-level Economics coursework.
ECO 2000 Introduction to Economics (3)
Note: Should not be taken if a student has prior credit in either ECO 2013 or ECO 2023
ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
ECO 3303 History of Economic Ideas (3)
ECO 4132 Economics of Compassion (3)
ECO 4704 International Trade (3)
ECO 4713 International Finance (3)
ECP 3010 Economics of Art and Culture (3)
ECP 3113 Economics of Population (3)
ECP 3302 Economics of Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment (3)
ECP 3617 Land Use, Housing, and Government Regulation (3)
ECP 4613 Urban Economics (3)
ECP 4618 Research Methods for Studying Housing, Land and Cities (3)
ECS 3003 Comparative Economic Systems (3)
ECS 3022 Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (3)
ECS 3200 Economics of Asia (3)
ECS 4013 Economics of Development (3)
ECS 4431 Economics of the Caribbean (3)
Geography
GEA 1000 World Geography (3)
GEA 2210 United States and Canada (3)
GEA 3563 The Mediterranean (3)
GEA 4405 Latin America (3)
GEA 4500 Europe (3)
GEA 4520 Britain and Ireland (3)
GEA 4554 Russia and Southern Eurasia (3)
GEA 4635 Geography of the Middle East (3)
GEO 1330 Environmental Science (3)
GEO 1400 Human Geography (3)
GEO 2200 Physical Geography (3)
GEO 3423 Sports Geography (3)
GEO 3502 Economic Geography (3)
GEO 4251 Geography of Climate Change and Storms (3)
GEO 4280 Geography of Water Resources (3)
GEO 4340 Living in a Hazardous Environment (3)
GEO 4344 Environmental Disasters and Apocalypse (3)
GEO 4355 Geography: Food and Environment (3)
GEO 4357 Environmental Conflict and Economic Development (3)
GEO 4392 Geography of Marine Conservation (3)
GEO 4403 Global Change, Local Places (3)
GEO 4404 Black Geographies (3)
GEO 4412 Environment and Gender (3)
GEO 4421 Cultural Geography (3)
GEO 4450 Medical Geography (3)
GEO 4471 Political Geography (3)
GEO 4503 Globalization (3)
GEO 4505 Fossil Fuels and Environmental Conflicts (3)
GEO 4602 Urban Geography (3)
GEO 4700 Transport Geography (3)
GEO 4804 Geography of Wine (3)
IDS 2180 Dead Cities (3)
IDS 3336 Great Britain? Geography, Imperialism, Industry, and Culture (3)
History
Note: All history courses are on the list of courses approved for the International Affairs majors except those courses with the AMH (American History) or the HIS prefix. The following four AMH courses and six HIS courses as well as the other courses listed below are approved for the International Affairs majors:
AMH 3540 Military History of the United States (3)
AMH 3544 The United States and Vietnam 1941–1975 (3)
AMH 4511 Twentieth-Century United States Foreign Relations (3)
AMH 4530 U.S. Immigration History (3)
ASN 4114 Imperial China (3)
HIS 2050 The Historian's Craft (3)
HIS 2496 Pandemics and People (3)
HIS 3205 LGBTQ History (3)
HIS 3263 Pirates and Patriots in the Atlantic World (3)
HIS 3464 History of Science (3)
HIS 4250 War and the Nation State (3)
IDS 2156 Environment and Society (3)
IDS 2376 Who Do the British Think They Are? (3)
IDS 2411 The Italian Mafia from Corleone to the Globalized World (3)
IDS 2418 Empire and Revolution in Cold War Latin America (3)
IDS 3198 Terrorism in Historical Perspective (3)
IDS 3415 Guns, Drugs, and Slaves: The History of Trafficking in the Modern World (3)
IDS 3435 Please Please Me: Anglo-American Youth Culture from the 1950's to the Present (3)
INS 3210 Europe in the Age of Total War (3)
Modern Languages and Linguistics
Note: All modern language and linguistics courses are on the list of courses approved for the International Affairs major. Those credit hours earned by taking courses through the intermediate (2200) level to fulfill the modern language requirement (which must be met by all International Affairs majors) cannot be counted toward the 40 hours of International Affairs major coursework. Students may, however, earn credit toward the major for additional courses in modern languages. For a departmental concentration in modern languages, students must have a minimum of twelve semester hours of advanced-level coursework in one language, not to include more than two courses in culture and/or literature. All language and literature courses are taught primarily in the foreign language with the exception of courses in literature in translation (prefix ending in "T") and in film. Other courses may not necessarily require prerequisite language course background, though the student should verify any fluency prerequisites prior to enrolling in a language course.
Philosophy
IDS 2456 Who is Human? Culture, Gender and Human Rights (3)
IDS 2611 Classical Philosophy of India (3)
IDS 2675 Philosophy and Film (3)
PHH 3140 Aristotle to Augustine (3)
PHH 3400 Modern Philosophy (3)
PHH 3500 19th-Century Philosophy (3)
PHH 4600r Contemporary Philosophy (3)
PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
PHI 2620 Environmental Ethics (3)
PHI 2635 Bioethics (3)
PHI 3220 Philosophy of Language (3)
PHI 3400 History and Philosophy of Science (3)
PHM 2300 Introduction to Political Philosophy (3)
PHM 3123 Philosophy of Feminism (3)
PHM 3331r Modern Political Thought (3)
PHM 3351 Philosophy of Human Rights (3)
PHM 3400 Philosophy of Law (3)
PHM 4340r Contemporary Political Thought (3)
PHP 3510 Introduction to Marxist Philosophy (3)
Political Science
Note: All courses with the prefix CPO and INR offered by the Political Science department are on the list of courses approved for the International Affairs major. CPO 2002 and INR 2002 are recommended prerequisites that should be completed prior to enrolling in any upper-level coursework in those respective subfields.
Public Administration
Note: PAD 3003 is a recommended prerequisite that should be completed prior to enrolling in any upper-level Public Administration coursework.
PAD 3013 Futures Studies (3)
PAD 3017 Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation (3)
PAD 4075 Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Emergency Management (3)
PAD 4084 International Terrorism Policy (3)
PAD 4170 Nongovernmental Organization in Development (3)
PAD 4301 Disaster Management Planning for Urban Poor Communities (3)
PAD 4374 Introduction to Terrorism: Preparedness and Response (3)
PAD 4375 Advanced Topics Terrorism (3) Requires prerequisite course PAD 4374
PAD 4380 Disasters: From Shock to Recovery (3)
PAD 4391 Foundations in Emergency Management (3)
PAD 4393 Emergency Management Programs, Planning, and Policy (3)
PAD 4433 Women, Disasters and Conflict (3)
PAD 4831 International Conflicts and Terrorism (3)
PAD 4841 Intelligence Analysis and Communication (3)
PAD 4842 U.S. Intelligence Policy (3)
PAD 4843 U.S. Intelligence Community (3)
PAD 4833 International and Comparative Disaster Management (3)
PAD 4844 Public Health and Emergency Management (3)
PAD 4890 Homeland Security (3)
PAD 4897 Global Security and Fusion (3)
PAD 4891 Non-Profits, NGO's and Disaster (3)
Religion
IDH 2140 Freedom and Religion: Liberal, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (3)
IDS 2420 Heretics, Rebels and Militants in the Islamic World (3)
IDS 2679 Need and Greed (Is Money the Root of all Evil?) (3)
IDS 3197 Responses to the Holocaust (3)
IDS 3392 Just Torture (3)
IDS 3466 India Through Bollywood Film (3)
REL 1300 Introduction to World Religions (3)
REL 2210 Introduction to Old Testament (3)
REL 2240 Introduction to New Testament (3)
REL 2315 Religions of South Asia (3)
REL 2350 Religions of East Asia (3)
REL 3112 Religion and 20th Century Fantasy Literature (3)
REL 3142 Religion, the Self, and Society (3)
REL 3145 Gender and Religion (3)
REL 3152 Religion, Race, and Ethnicity (3)
REL 3160 Religion and Science (3)
REL 3170 Religious Ethics and Moral Problems (3)
REL 3194 The Holocaust (3)
REL 3333 Ramayana in Indian Culture and Beyond (3)
REL 3337 Goddesses, Women and Power in Hinduism (3)
REL 3340 The Buddhist Tradition (3)
REL 3345 Chan Zen Buddhism (3)
REL 3351 Japanese Religions (3)
REL 3358 Tibetan and Himalayan Religions (3)
REL 3363 Islamic Traditions (3)
REL 3367 Islamic Traditions II: Islam up to the Modern World (3)
REL 3370 Religion in Africa (3)
REL 3430 Issues and Thinkers in Western Religious Thought (3)
REL 3431 Critics of Religion (3)
REL 3505 The Christian Tradition (3)
REL 3607 The Jewish Tradition (3)
REL 3935 Topics in Buddhism (3)
REL 4304 Undergraduate History of Religions Seminar (3)
REL 4335 Modern Hinduism (3)
REL 4359r Special Topics in Asian Religions (3)
REL 4366 Seminar on Shi'ite Islam (3)
REL 4510 Christianity After the New Testament (3)
REL 4613 Modern Judaism (3)
Sociology
IDS 2393 The Hunger Games Trilogy: Collective Action and Social Movements (3)
IDS 3117 Social (In) Equalities: Social Construction of Difference and Inequalities (3)
IDS 3118 Utopias/Dystopias: An Homage to Social Dreaming (3)
IDS 3433 Modern Death (3)
SYA 3741 Sociology of Death and Dying (3)
SYD 2740 Sociology of Law and Hispanics (3)
SYD 3020 Population and Society (3)
SYD 3600 Cities in Society (3)
SYD 4510 Environmental Sociology (3)
SYD 4700 Race and Minority Group Relations (3)
SYG 1000 Introductory Sociology (3)
SYG 2010 Social Problems (3)
SYO 3200 Sociology of Religion (3)
SYO 3530 Social Classes and Inequality (3)
SYO 4300 Sociology of Politics (3)
SYP 3000 Social Psychology of Groups (3)
SYP 3454 The Global Justice Movement (3)
SYP 4650 Sports and Society (3)
Urban and Regional Planning
URP 3000 Introduction to Planning and Urban Development (3)
URP 3527 Green Global Health (3)
URP 4022 Collective Decision Making (3)
URP 4402 Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas (3)
URP 4404 River Basin Management and Planning (3)
URP 4408 Food Systems Planning (3)
URP 4612 Strategies for Urban and Regional Planning in Less Developed Countries (3)
URP 4618 Planning for Developing Regions (3)
URP 4811 Multicultural Urbanism (3)
URS 1006 World Cities: Quality of Life (3)
Definition of Prefixes
IDS—Interdisciplinary Studies
INR—International Relations
INS—International Studies
PAX—Peace Studies
Undergraduate Courses
IDS 2060. Formative Experience: Global Engagement (1). (S/U grade only.) This course gives students the opportunity to study a different country's unique customs, values, and traditions and compare it with their own through actively participating in cultural experiences.
IDS 2431. Thinking Beyond Ourselves: Global Perspectives (3). This course is designed to introduce the students to the basic concepts, theories, functions and behaviors associated with intercultural communication. Throughout the course, students increase in knowledge, understanding and awareness of different cultures and countries, interpret cultural values and communication strategies used across cultures/countries, and become more effective in engaging in the 21st-century globalized world.
IDS 3365. Global Conflicts: Analysis and Resolution (3). This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts, theories and frameworks of conflict analysis and resolution. Throughout the course students gain a thorough perspective of the conflict resolution field, theoretical orientations and practical applications to building peace. The course aims to engage students in inquiring persistent questions about the world dynamics, interactions and relationships that lead to conflict and peace.
INR 3931r. Special Topics (1–3). (S/U grade only.) Topics vary. May be repeated within the same term to a maximum of nine semester hours.
INR 3932r. Special Topics in International Affairs (1–12). Topics vary. May be repeated as topics change to a maximum of fifteen semester hours.
INR 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.
INR 4937r. Honors Work (1–6). May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.
INS 2010. Professional Development for International Affairs Majors (1). (S/U grade only.) This course introduces the International Affairs (IA) major and the ways in which student can enhance their experience at Florida State University. This course allows students to reflect upon their goals and to explore opportunities available to them in order to tailor their academic experience to help them attain their professional objectives.
INS 2912. Developing Global Citizens: Global Issues in Theory and Practice (3). Prerequisites: IDS 2431, or IDS 2930, topic "Global Perspectives"; and enrollment in the Global Citizenship Certificate program. This course is the final required class for the Global Citizenship Certificate. The course increases students' global competencies by utilizing theories and concepts learned during the Global Perspectives course and applies those to higher-level critical thinking and research. The course explore topics relevant to today's global society such as extreme poverty and inequality, international trade, political cooperation, climate change, race, and ethnicity and gender.
INS 3003. Introduction to International Affairs (3). This course introduces students to the core questions and concerns of international affairs. This course surveys the many distinct academic disciplines that together contribute to the development of an interdisciplinary understanding of the international system. The course examines how each of these disciplines understands the international system, the questions it raises, and its strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the course provides an introduction to many of the global issues of interest to international affairs majors, including terrorism, democracy, and globalization. At the end of this course, students have the skills and knowledge required to construct their own specialized plan of study in international affairs.
INS 3005. Global Scholars Reflection Course (0-1). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisites: INS 3006 and completion of an independent, program-approved experience (with appropriate blog posts). This course revolves around helping students build upon their independent summer experiences to produce a final digital portfolio which explores local and global dimensions of a given social problem. Having identified and investigated a given social issue during independent summer research/internship experiences, students spend the fall semester reflecting on their findings, exploring manifestations of the same broader issue (i.e., education, health, housing, pollution, etc.) in the local context of Tallahassee, and ultimately sharing their work with a broader audience.
INS 3006. Global Scholars Theory Course: Introduction to Critical Global Engagement (0-1). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisites: Global Scholars Program. In this course, the FSU Global Scholars program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to engage with critical questions about social impact, social justice, and social change through a combination of cohort-based online learning and independent research, internship, and/or service-learning experiences.
INS 3210. Europe in the Age of Total War (3). This course is designed to cover the topic of total war in the modern era as it applies to Europe (though the course occasionally discusses developments in the US as well). This course first looks at what constitutes total war. Students begin by tracing military developments since the age of industrialization and see how those developments impacted Europe and the conduct of modern warfare. The course juxtaposes these events against political developments and applies a theoretical framework to better understand these developments in the modern era. The course studies WWI, the interwar period, WWII, and the Cold War to analyze how the concept of total war applies to each of those eras.
INS 4100. HONORS: Human Rights Violations and Genocide in 20th Century Europe (3). This course examines the phenomenon of genocidal mass violence and the international community's generally ineffectual attempts to stop genocide in the Holocaust and the wars in the former Yugoslavia in Europe during the twentieth century. Students will explore why political leaders devise such policies and why large numbers of individuals acquiesce or actively participate in mass atrocity.
INS 4940. Washington Center Internship (6). This internship will provide students with an excellent opportunity to explore their career interests. Moreover, internships will help students achieve a better understanding to what they still need to learn and which skills they need to improve. Finally, internships will facilitate the development of professional networks that will be paramount once students graduate and enter the job market.
INS 4941r. International Affairs Internship (3–6). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisites: Fifteen classroom hours beyond liberal studies, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and instructor permission. This internship course allows students to gain real world experience through on- the-job-practice in approved agencies and organizations in the area of international affairs. Students gain valuable work experience, develop professional skills, cultivate valuable contacts and investigate career options. May be repeated to a maximum of six credit hours; repeatable within the same term..
INS 4943. International Affairs Capstone Course (3). This course is designed for students to reflect on the value of an interdisciplinary major, to explain succinctly intended course of study, and to produce a piece of original interdisciplinary scholarship. Students are introduced to basic methods and techniques of research writing in a workshop setting with faculty support. Both written and oral communication of student research is emphasized.
PAX 3930r. Special Topics in Peace Studies (3). Topics vary. May be repeated to a maximum of fifteen semester hours.
For listings relating to graduate coursework, consult the Graduate Bulletin.