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About the School
The School of American and International Studies provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the civilization of the United States and other societies within the international systems. Courses in American studies, international studies, foreign languages, history, law and society, literature, political science, anthropology, and philosophy are designed to present the culture and institutions of the United States and the international community from both a domestic and a comparative point of view. These courses acknowledge the contributions of several disciplines in studying significant themes and problems in American and International Studies.
The language program utilizes a state-of-the-art computerized language lab which is linked to the International Telecommunications Center, enabling students to view international programming via satellite. Language instruction is offered in Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Hebrew.
The School’s faculty members are dedicated to teaching and scholarship, have traveled and studied abroad extensively, have backgrounds in foreign languages, humanities, and social sciences, and all share a common interest in American and International Studies. The international component of the School is enhanced by a program of visiting professors from around the globe, including visiting professors from China, Italy, and Russia.
The School offers internships, fieldwork experiences, and international study opportunities. Students may participate in study programs in England, Ireland, Costa Rica, Canada, China, Africa, and Czechoslovakia as well as fieldwork and/or internships in the U.S. Students who wish to conduct their field study for Law and Society in the nation’s Capital may do so through the College’s affiliation with the Institute for Experiential Learning. Those students wishing to do field study in Washington, D.C. or other distant sites, should confer in their Sophomore year with the Convener of the Major. Students are also encouraged to participate in one or more of the many clubs and organizations sponsored by the School, such as the History Club, Literature Club, Political Forum, Anthropology Society, Model U.N. Club (which has consistently won annual competitions against institutions such as Harvard), and Trillium (the College’s literary magazine). In addition, qualified students are invited to join honorary societies: Phi Alpha Theta for History majors, Sigma Tau Delta for Literature majors, Pi Sigma Alpha for Political Science majors, or Phi Alpha Delta, an international fraternity of pre-law and law schools.
Students may major in American Studies, International Studies, History, Law and Society, Literature, or Political Science. These programs all lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree. Minors are available in many of the above majors and in African American Studies, Anthropology, French, Italian, Judaic Studies, Latin American Studies, East Asian Studies, Philosophy, and Spanish. Students, regardless of major, are encouraged to participate in a minor program.
Graduates from the School of American and International Studies are prepared for law school and graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences, as well as careers in business, state and Federal government, community organizations, journalism, advertising, public relations, publishing, and secondary school teaching (when combined with teacher education courses).
All students in the School take a 13-credit school core program comprised of the following courses:
Introduction to American Studies (3 cr.)
Introduction to International Studies (3 cr.)
Western Studies I OR II OR Western Civilization I OR II (4 cr.)
Introduction to History I OR II (3 cr.)
The School Core provides a firm foundation in American history and the Western tradition, as well as a background to further global study, and is usually taken in the Freshman and Sophomore years.
Please refer to the Academic Course Descriptions section on the Web for Students for undergraduate course descriptions. |
