Major Program:  Semester System (1998-99 Catalogue)

Major in International Affairs

Bachelor of Arts Degree

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Political Science and International Affairs

First hand international experiences can be acquired through coop/internship options or study abroad programs. This degree prepares graduates for careers in business, nonprofit organizations, law or government service.
 
 

Lower Division Major Requirements

There are considerable changes to Lower Division Major Requirements (formerly called Area IV). These changes will provide for greater flexibility in each course of study. Students still take six courses as they did in the Quarter System; however, FL 2001 (Spanish, French, German, etc.) may also be used to satisfy a General Education requirement within the CORE.

For students who emphasize the business aspects of international affairs, BISM (Business Information Systems) 2100 is now an option under Area F.

Students still take ECON 2100 (Micro-Economics), but it can count toward the General Education requirement. If ECON 2100 is taken in the CORE to satisfy the General Education requirement, then the student must take either GEOG 1101 (Introduction to Geography) OR POLS 2260 (Current Political Issues). Geography thus becomes an option under the Semester System.

An applied foreign language concentration has been added to the semester version of the International Affairs major. This concentration is designed for students who want to emphasize foreign language study, but choose not to pursue a foreign language major as their primary course of study. Language courses in Concentration IV are intended to provide practical application of the foreign language. Upper level foreign language courses taken in a Study Abroad program will be especially applicable in this concentration. Students should discuss such options with their International Affairs advisor.

The semester version of the major will also include many new course options. New course descriptions will appear in the 1999-2000 KSU Catalog.
 
 

Under the new semester version of the International Affairs major, students will take a senior seminar during their senior year. The Senior Seminar is designed to serve as a capstone to the International Affairs curriculum. The Senior Seminar seeks to integrate theory, knowledge, and methods of inquiry, as well as students' internship and/or study abroad experiences into a meaningful synthesis of learning that has taken place within the major courses. The Senior Seminar will also offer you the opportunity to discuss your future after graduation and provide a "bridge" from the undergraduate experience to the world outside KSU. Employment opportunities and graduate school possibilities will be discussed in this seminar. The course is presented in seminar format to smaller-than-average classes to maximize faculty-student interaction. The goals of the course are:

to provide each student the opportunity to reflect on his/her undergraduate academic accomplishments;

to allow for the production of a research endeavor which will utilize student writing, research, analytical, oral and creative skills;

to facilitate interaction among students and between students and faculty;

to permit the student the opportunity to evaluate the program of study which he/she is about to complete;

to provide a means for assisting graduates of the program as they enter their professional careers and/or graduate studies.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What is the Integrated Graduate Studies Option?

The Integrated Graduate Studies: Bachelor's-Master's Degree Option provides qualified undergraduate students the opportunity to begin graduate studies at KSU in their senior year and simultaneously satisfy some remaining requirements for the bachelor's degree and the beginning requirements of an advanced degree.  It is a rigorous academic option and requires a GPA of 3.5 or higher, for the preceding 45 semester hours.  For example, if you are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Affairs and a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA), see your advisor or Dr. Michele Zebich-Knos for more details.

Discrepancies in sequential numbering are the result of KSU's effort to standardize certain courses that are offered throughout University System colleges and universities. Standard numbering of similar courses throughout the system should facilitate the assignment of student transfer credits. For example, Geography 2105 (Social Issues: Geographical Perspectives) is a CORE course only. Geography 1101 (Introduction to Geography) is a higher level, or Area F, course.

The wording of the "Related Studies" section in the 1999-2000 KSU catalog differs from what is in the department handbook.  Which one should I follow?

You should follow the handbook.  The wording in the catalog is very general.  It states: "Upper-division studies beyond the major requirements as approved by the academic advisor.  Lower-division courses may also be approved when appropriate."  While the Related Studies section in the KSU catalog means the same thing as the wording in the handbook, the handbook provides details of department requirements.

As it appears in the handbook, Related Studies include the following: 1. POLS 3398/Internships, POLS 3396/Co-ops; 2. Business prerequisites for Concentration III or the Integrated Graduate Studies Option; and 3. Courses selected from any of the above concentrations that are outside the major concentration.  (Lower division courses may also be approved where appropriate.)