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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
International Affairs, B.A.
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 Return to: Programs of Study
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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:
- International Conflict and Security
- Global Human Development
- Foreign Policy and Global Governance
Each of the other five concentration options focuses on a geographic region, but does so in global perspective:
- Africa
- Asia
- Europe
- Latin America
- 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
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49
120
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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 .
4 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 .
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. 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
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