Degree: B.A., International Affairs
Department of Political Science and International Affairs
The interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs is designed to provide students with a broad knowledge of contemporary international politics as well as with specific expertise in a given geographic area and/or sub-field focus. To this end, the major combines required courses that examine international affairs from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (i.e., economics, geography, history, and political science) with related field courses that permit students to pursue in depth their particular geographical and/or disciplinary interests. Students majoring in International Affairs have ample opportunities to pursue internships with the numerous governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as organized interests located in Washington, D.C., which focus on different aspects of contemporary international economic, political, and social issues.
Career opportunities for the major in International Affairs range from such traditional areas as work with government or private agencies engaged in research on foreign policy or intelligence issues to private sector work in consulting or international banking institutions.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will understand principal categories of political analysis.
2. Students will understand issues in European diplomacy.
3. Students will understand principal economic consequences of issues in international trade.
4. Students will understand principal geographical concepts and issues in world politics.
5. Students will understand the concept of the balance of power.
6. Students will maximize the program's advantage based on the location of the university and active faculty.
7. Students will appreciate the nature of systematic inquiry.
8. Students will demonstrate facility in discipline-specific written communication.
9. Students will understand the principal theories of international relations.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSCI 101A | Introduction to Political Science | 3 |
| PSCI 102A | Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| PSCI 321A | Theories of International Relations | 3 |
| PSCI 350B | Politics of Developing Countries | 3 |
| or PSCI 351 | International Political Economy | |
| PSCI 356 | American Foreign Policy | 3 |
| ECON 382 | International Trade | 3 |
| or ECON 384 | Economic Development | |
| or ECON 386 | International Finance | |
| GEOG 338 | Geopolitics | 3 |
| or GEOG 339A | Development Studies | |
| Additional 15 credits 1 | 15 | |
Students must take at least one (3 credit) elective in HIST | ||
| Completion of one language through the intermediate level 2 | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Chosen by student and advisor from among, but not limited to, the following disciplines: Economics, French, Geography, German, History, Italian, Political Science, Spanish.
- 2
Except Latin or Greek
Effective for students matriculating Fall 2020 and beyond, completion of one Writing Intensive (WI) course and one Speaking Intensive (SI) course must be taken within the major.
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate B.A., B.S. or B.S.Ed. degree.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits
Plan of Study
This suggested plan of study should serve as a guide to assist students when planning their course selections. It is not a substitute for a student's Degree Evaluation or the Program Requirements listed for this major in the catalog. Academic planning is the student's responsibility, and course selections should be finalized only after speaking with an advisor. Students should familiarize themselves with the catalog in effect at the time they matriculated at the University of Mary Washington. Students should also familiarize themselves with general education requirements which can be fulfilled through general electives as well as major/minor course requirements. Course requirements and sequencing may vary with AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge or previous coursework, transfer courses, or other conditions. To be considered full-time, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in 12 or more credits for the semester.
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ECON 201B or ECON 202B |
Principles of Macroeconomics 1 or Principles of Microeconomics |
3 |
| FSEM 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| PSCI 101A or PSCI 102A |
Introduction to Political Science or Introduction to International Relations |
3 |
| General Education Courses 2 | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECON 202B or ECON 201B |
Principles of Microeconomics 1 or Principles of Macroeconomics |
3 |
| PSCI 102A or PSCI 101A |
Introduction to International Relations or Introduction to Political Science |
3 |
| General Education Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSCI 321A or PSCI 356 |
Theories of International Relations or American Foreign Policy |
3 |
| General Education Courses | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSCI 356 or PSCI 321A |
American Foreign Policy or Theories of International Relations |
3 |
| Elective in Major | 3 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSCI 350B or PSCI 351 |
Politics of Developing Countries or International Political Economy |
3 |
| Elective in Major | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ECON 382 |
International Trade or Economic Development or International Finance |
3 |
| Elective in Major | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOG 339A | Development Studies (or GEOG 338 when offered in the spring semester) | 3 |
| Elective in Major | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Elective in Major | 3 | |
| General Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
ECON 201B and ECON 202B are prerequisite for ECON 382, ECON 384, and ECON 386.
- 2
International Affairs majors must complete one language through the intermediate level (except Latin or Greek).
Note: International Affairs majors may count INAF 491 Individual Study and INAF 499 Internship (3 credits maximum) with departmental approval.
Political Science and International Affairs Faculty
Rosalyn L. Cooperman, Chair
Jason W. Davidson, Career Advisor and Director of the Security and Conflict Studies Minor
Stephen J. Farnsworth, Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies
Professors
Rosalyn L. Cooperman
Jason W. Davidson
Stephen J. Farnsworth
Surupa Gupta
Emile J. Lester
Associate Professors
Ranjit Singh
Assistant Professors
Guanyi Leu
Melissa Martinez
Jared A. McDonald