International Studies

International Studies Courses & Requirements

Degrees Offered:

  • B.A.: International Studies
  • Minor: International Studies

Course Listings

  • Click here to read complete descriptions of the International Studies courses offered at Wittenberg.

Degree Overview:

Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies
All International Studies students must take following classes (16 credits), which also fulfill current General Education requirements:

  • One course from:
    • ECON 110 Economic Issues – 4 credits (only when offered as Global Economics) 
    • ECON 200 Principles of Economics – 4 credits
    • BUSN 250 International Business – 4 credits
  • HIST 106 Modern World History – 4 credits
  • POLI 103 International Relations – 4 credits
  • SOCI 110 Cultural Anthropology – 4 credits

All International Studies students must take INTL 495 Capstone Seminar in either their junior or senior year.

Wittenberg’s International Studies major also requires significant foreign language study (16 credits beyond 112, university requirement). Please see information on Culture and Language across the Curriculum.

International Studies majors are expected to acquire international experience before graduation. For most students this will be a study-abroad program, but could also include significant work with an immigrant community (Somali, Brazilian, Mexican and Central American communities in the local area), or an internship with an international organization. Any one of the five major tracks will prepare students for 21st century, global workplace.

The major in International Studies (INTL) offers five tracks for students to choose from:

  • Track I: Diplomacy
  • Track II: International Economics
  • Track III: Global Issues and Cultures
  • Track IV: African and Diaspora Studies
  • Track V: Peace Corps Preparation

TRACK I: DIPLOMACY 
Students in the Diplomacy Track (I) must also complete 16 credits from among the following:

  • HIST 325 Topics in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations 
  • POLI 350 American Foreign Policy
  • POLI 352 Russian Foreign Policy
  • POLI 354 Chinese Foreign Policy
  • POLI 355 East Asian Foreign Relations
  • POLI 359 Topics: Russian-Chinese-US Trilateral Politik – 4 credits
  • One related class from either Track II or Track III or INTL 490 or INTL 491 (determined through consultation with the student’s advisor)

TRACK II: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS 
Students in the International Economics Track (II) must also complete the following:

  • ECON 330 International Trade and Finance
  • BUSN 250 International Business
  • 8 credits of work from among the following courses:
    • POLI 259 Topics in International Relations: International Political Economy
    • SOCI 290 Global Change
  • One related class from either Track I or Track III or INTL 490 or INTL 491 (determined through consultation with the student’s advisor)

TRACK III: GLOBAL ISSUES AND CULTURES 
Students in the Global Issues and Cultures Track (III) must complete the following:

  • SOCI 290 Global Change
  • INTL 300 Topics in Global Issues (or other class approved by advisor or program director)

Additionally, students in Track III must choose 2 Focus courses for 8 credits:
Each student prepares a proposal identifying a focus for the Global Issues and Cultures Track, containing the two courses that provide such a focus. These courses may be completed while the student studies abroad. All focus courses must be approved by the academic advisor for Track III. Focus courses will vary according to student interest. Please see the director or faculty advisors for more information and examples.

TRACK IV: AFRICAN AND DIASPORA STUDIES
Students in the African Diaspora Studies track will focus on the continent of Africa and its Diasporas in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The African Diaspora will be studied through intense analysis of issues of race, class, gender, culture, migration, emigration, economics, politics, history, the arts, literature, and global citizenship. The African Diaspora study will extend beyond America, but maintain a rooted history in the American struggle with racism post-slavery, noting that scholars of the African Diaspora in the Americas move across global boundaries and make connections with the continent of Africa especially and the world in general.

Students in African and Diaspora Studies Track (IV) will complete 16 credits in approved courses related to African and Diaspora Studies. (Students who major in International Studies Track IV cannot also minor in African and Diaspora Studies.) All students will take: 

  • AFDS 201 Introduction to African and Diaspora Studies – 4 credits
  • At least 4 credits of history (not including HIST 106) 
  • 12 credits from the approved course list for Track IV:

    ENGLISH

  • ENGL 180 Themes and Traditions in Literature (when AFDS focus)
  • ENGL 190 Topics in World Anglophone Literature (when AFDS topic)
  • ENGL 370 Studies in African American Literature

    HISTORY

  • HIST 170 Topics in African History
  • HIST 172 African Societies since 1500
  • HIST 270 Topics in African History
  • HIST 370 Topics in African History

    PHILOSOPHY

  • PHIL 204 Philosophy of Women’s Lives
  • PHIL 304 Knowing Bodies

    POLITICAL SCIENCE

  • POLI 234 Black Politics

    RELIGION

  • RELI 176 Racism and Social Ethics

    SOCIOLOGY

  • SOCI 277 Islam and Islamic Societies
  • SOCI 301 Special Topics in Sociology/Anthropology (when AFDS topic) 

    SPANISH

  • SPAN 130 Hispanic Literature (when AFDS topic)

    THEATRE & DANCE

  • THDN 112 Dance in Popular Culture
  • THDN 210 Dance Ethnology

At least six credits of the total required course work must be at the 200 level or higher

TRACK V: PEACE CORPS PREPARATION 
A.    All Peace Corps Preparation students must take the following classes (20 credits), which also fulfill current General Educations requirements:

  • One course from:
    • ECON 110 Economic Issues – 4 credits (only when offered as Global Economics) 
    • ECON 200 Principles of Economics – 4 credits 
    • BUSN 250 International Business – 4 credits
  • AFDS 201 Introduction to African and Diaspora Studies – 4 credits
  • POLI 103 International Relations – 4 credits
  • SOCI 110 Cultural Anthropology – 4 credits
  • INTL 495 Senior Capstone – 4 credits

All Track V students will also complete 16 credits of a foreign language beyond the 112-level including taking advantage of CLAC offerings.

B.    Students will complete 12 credits of Inter-cultural Competence courses taken from the following list:

  • AFDS 201 Introduction to African and Diaspora Studies 
  • AFDS 270 Topic: Lesotho Nutrition Initiative
  • AFDS 270 Topic: Lesotho Service-Learning Trip 
  • EAST 100 Introduction to East Asia: Continuity and Change
  • ENGL 190 Topics in World Anglophone Literature (when appropriate)
  • HIST 170 Topics in African History: Genocide in Post-colonial Africa 
  • HIST 172 African Societies Since 1500 
  • HIST 173 History of South Africa 
  • HIST 205 Topics in World History: Kingdoms and Cultures in the Horn of Africa
  • HIST 212 History of Early Islam
  • HIST 370 Topics in African History: HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa
  • PHIL 204 Philosophy of Women's Lives
  • PSYC 271 Psychology and Culture
  • RELI 112 Introduction to Buddhism 
  • RELI 134 Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions
  • SOCI 110 Cultural Anthropology
  • SOCI 245 Gender in Society
  • SOCI 277 Islam and Islamic Societies
  • SOCI 290 Global Change
  • SOCI 301 Topics: Cultural Travel Writing
  • SPAN 351 Latin American Culture
  • THDN 210 Dance Ethnology

Note: 8 credits will be covered by core courses SOCI 110 and AFDS 201, so students will need to take one additional course from the above list.

C.    50 hours of service/volunteer experience and 12 credits of vocational courses from one of the following 5 areas:

  • EDUCATION
  • HEALTH 
  • ENVIRONMENT 
  • YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT
  • COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

The list of vocational courses will be listed with the registrar, and the Peace Corps Preparation advisor will maintain an updated list of approved courses. 

Requirements for a Minor in International Studies – 28 credits

  • 12 credits from among the core requirements:
  • One course from:
    • ECON 110 Economic Issues – 4 credits (only when offered as Global Economics)
    • ECON 200 Principles of Economics – 4 credits 
    • BUSN 250 International Business – 4 credits
  • HIST 106 Modern World History – 4 credits
  • POLI 103 International Relations – 4 credits
  • SOCI 110 Cultural Anthropology – 4 credits
  • 8 credits from only one of the five tracks
  • 8 credits in a foreign language above the 112 level
  • Minors are encouraged to complete a significant academic experience abroad
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