Oct 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

International Affairs, B.A.


Program Description


Coordinator: Keith Grant
Location: Miller Hall, Room 2167
Email: grantka@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-4336

The major in international affairs provides an interdisciplinary understanding of foreign cultures and societies, the dynamics of world politics, and other nations’ world views and their consequent actions. A liberal arts program (B.A. degree), the international affairs major combines interdisciplinary, intercultural and multilingual education. The courses for these concentrations stem from a broad variety of traditional liberal studies disciplines. The major also allows students to incorporate a minor in African, African American, and Diaspora (AAAD) Studies ; Asian Studies ; Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies ; Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations ; or Russian Studies . The international affairs major facilitates (but does not require) participation in Study Abroad programs. Because of limited course offerings, certain specializations may require language training from another university.

International affairs is a 49-credit hour major, with a 31-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.

All INTA majors must declare a concentration. There are 3 global concentrations and 5 regional concentrations.

The three thematic, global concentrations are:

  1. International Conflict and Security
  2. Global Human Development
  3. Foreign Policy and Global Governance 

Each of the other five concentration options focuses on a geographic region, but does so in global perspective:

  1. Africa
  2. Asia
  3. Europe
  4. Latin America
  5. Middle East

Degree and Major Requirements


Degree Requirements Credit Hours
General Education  1 41
Foreign Language classes (intermediate level required) 2 0-14
Philosophy course (in addition to General Education  courses) 3 3
University electives 13-27
Major requirements (listed below)

Total

49

120

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 international affairs major requires the equivalent of three years of language study. Students should complete the appropriate FL300 and one additional 300 or 400 level foreign language course with instruction in that language. Courses counting towards the Language Requirement may not be used elsewhere within the major. Students majoring in international affairs who use proficiency in a native language to meet the INTA language requirement may have this requirement waived through assessment by the Department of World Languages and Cultures. Students should contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures  to arrange the assessment and request the assessment be sent to Dr. Grant, the INTA coordinator. Each student’s foreign language must be appropriate for their track. French is acceptable for the Africa and Middle East tracks.
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 eight concentrations: comparative study focusing on either Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Middle East; 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 also be aware that required courses may not be offered every semester; therefore, careful planning needs to occur. 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.

Students may use three credits of INTA 301W  for international/cross-area or area credit. INTA 301W  will always count as a political science course. The precise way INTA 301W  will count toward the major will be determined in consultation with the Washington Semester advisor and the international affairs coordinator.

Core Courses: 31 Credit Hours

Major Requirements Total: 31 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 Completion of the General Education: The Natural World : Quantitative Reasoning and either POSC 230  or POSC 240  are prerequisites for INTA 295 . POSC 295  may substitute for INTA 295  with approval by the INTA coordinator.
3 Students must complete all of the INTA Core Courses before registering for INTA 489 .
The international affairs major requires the equivalent of three years of language study. Students should complete the appropriate FL 300 and one additional 300 or 400 level foreign language course with instruction in that language. Courses counting towards the Language Requirement may not be used elsewhere within the major. Students majoring in international affairs who use proficiency in a native language to meet the INTA language requirement may have this requirement waived through assessment by the Department of World Languages and Cultures. Students should contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures  to arrange the assessment and request the assessment be sent to Dr. Grant, the INTA coordinator. Each student’s foreign language must be appropriate for their track. French is acceptable for the Africa and Middle East tracks. 

Concentrations


Foreign Policy and Global Governance Concentration


Coordinator: Keith Grant
Location: Miller Hall, Room 2167
Email: grantka@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-4336

Political Dynamics of Foreign Policy and Global Governance: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one of the following:

Historical Patterns: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one course from the following:

Regional and Cross Regional Sociopolitical Dynamics: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one course from the following:

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. Cross-listed courses may count as either field of study, but only count once within the major.

Communication

Religion

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Global Human Development Concentration


I. Political Dynamics of Global Human Development: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one course from the following:

II. Historical Patterns: 3 Credit Hours


Choose one course from the following:

III. Regional and Cross Regional Sociopolitical Dynamics: 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.

Communication

Theatre

International Conflict and Security Concentration


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:

III. Regional and Cross Regional Sociopolitical Dynamics: 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.

Comparative Study Concentration


The following international/cross-area courses and area courses are required in addition to the core courses listed under Major Requirements. Students in the comparative study concentration must complete the requirements for all three areas. 

International and Cross-Area Courses


Each course must come from a different field of study. The potential fields are listed below.

Complete two courses: 6 Credit Hours

No course taken for this requirement may be used to fulfill a requirement elsewhere in the major.

Humanities

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Area Requirements


Students may choose from five tracks to fulfill the area requirement: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Middle East. Students must complete four courses for their specific area. These courses must come from at least three fields of study. The potential fields are listed below. At least one of these courses must be a history course. Students with advanced language skills may also enroll in a 400-level literature course to meet the culture requirement. The following lists the potential courses for each of these areas.

Africa Track

These courses must come from at least three fields of study. The potential fields are listed below.

Complete four courses: 12 Credit Hours

No course taken for this requirement may be used to fulfill a requirement elsewhere in the major.

Economics

Geography

Asia Track

These courses must come from at least three fields of study. At least one course must be History. The potential fields are listed below.

Complete four courses: 12 Credit Hours

No course taken for this requirement maybe used to fulfill a requirement elsewhere in the major.

Political Science

Europe Track

These courses must come from at least three fields of study. The potential fields are listed below.

Complete four courses: 12 Credit Hours

No course taken for this requirement may be use to fulfill a requirement elsewhere in the major.

All students in this track must complete POSC 344 .

Culture

Latin America Track

These courses must come from at least three fields of study. At least one course must be History. The potential fields are listed below.

Complete four courses: 12 Credit Hours

No course taken for this requirement maybe used to fulfill a requirement elsewhere in the major.

Middle East Track

These courses must come from at least three fields of study. The potential fields are listed below.

Complete four courses: 12 Credit Hours

No course taken for this requirement maybe used to fulfill a requirement elsewhere in the major.

Economics

Comparative Study Concentration Total: 18 Credit Hours


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 should consult the Washington Semester advisor and 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, David Jones.

Program Total: 120 Credit Hours