Mar 28, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

International Affairs, International Conflict and Security Concentration, B.A.


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Departments

Coordinator: Dr. John Hulsey
Location: Miller Hall, Room 2165
Email: hulseyjw@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-7854

Major and Degree Requirements


International affairs is a 50-credit hour major, with a 32-credit common core and 18 credits of concentration study. For further information and a complete list of the distribution requirements and eligible courses, contact the coordinator.

Degree Requirements


Required Courses


  • General Education  41 Credit Hours 1
  • Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) 0-14 Credit Hours 2
  • Philosophy course (in addition to General Education  courses) 3 Credit Hours 3
  • University electives 12-26 Credit Hours
  • Major requirements (listed below) 50 Credit Hours
Total: 120 Credit Hours

Footnotes

1 The General Education  program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student’s chosen language (typically 232), or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures’ placement test. The international affairs major requires an additional year of language study. That is, students must have three years of a foreign language appropriate to their course of study in the major. Students majoring in international affairs who use proficiency in a native language to meet the INTA language requirement must make the following substitutions for the two 300-level foreign language courses: AMST 200  and one of the following courses: HIST 225 , ENG 247  or ENG 248 . Such students who have a diploma from a U.S. high school may take six credits of any foreign language, at any level, instead of the above two courses. These courses must focus on grammar, oral and written communication; they cannot be literature, cinema or civilization courses.
3 If students have taken a PHIL course to meet their General Education  requirements, they must take an additional course to meet the B.A. degree philosophy requirement. PHIL 120  and PHIL 150  cannot be used to fulfill the B.A. philosophy requirement.

Major Requirements


Students may choose one of four concentrations: comparative study; foreign policy and global governance; global human development; or international security and conflict. The international affairs major requires that all students complete a common core. Students should be aware that it is not always possible to offer courses on their regular rotation and that new courses may be added and existing ones deleted. Therefore, key requirements should not be left until just before graduation. Any course substitutions must be approved by the international affairs coordinator in consultation with other faculty members.

Core Courses


Choose one of the following: 3 Credit Hours

Total: 32 Credit Hours

Footnotes

1 Students should complete these core economics requirements before enrolling in upper-level economics courses. Students double-majoring in economics and international affairs may substitute ECON 370  for ECON 270  to meet their core requirement.
2 Students should note that MATH 220  is a prerequisite for INTA 295 . If taken in the summer from an INTA faculty member, POSC 295  will count as INTA 295 .
3 This course fulfills the College of Arts and Letters  writing-intensive requirement for the major. Prerequisites: Completion of all courses in the core requirement of the major and senior standing.
4 Students must be proficient at the third-year level of a foreign language. In most languages this will require the completion of courses numbered 300 and 320. Some languages may not use this course numbering. In this instance, students must take two 300-level courses that focus on grammar, oral and written communication. The second 300-level course may not be a literature, cinema or civilization course. Some languages cannot be completed through the 300 level at JMU. Students studying these languages may have to complete course work during the summer or abroad at a specialized language program. Students should consult with the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures  on this point. Each student’s foreign language must be appropriate for their track. French is acceptable for the Africa and Middle East tracks.

I. Political Dynamics of International Conflict and Security: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one course from the following:

II. Historical Patterns: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one course from the following:

IV. Depth Component: 9 Credit Hours


Choose three courses from the following, from at least two disciplines. At least one course must be in a discipline other than history or political science.

Economics


Culture


Internships


A maximum of three credits in the major may be earned through an internship. Students must consult with the international affairs coordinator PRIOR to doing an internship to check on its applicability to the major.

Study Abroad and Washington Semester


Many of the courses available to students through JMU’s Office of International Programs and the Washington Semester program can be used to fulfill requirements in the INTA major. Students planning to go abroad should keep this in mind in working out their schedules and must consult the INTA coordinator for course approvals and substitutions.

If you have questions about the Washington Semester, review the program website (http://www.jmu.edu/polisci/washington.shtml) and contact the program director, Dr. David Jones.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Academic Departments