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International Studies

This recommended graduation plan is designed to provide a blueprint for students to complete their degrees within four years. These plans are the recommended sequences of courses. Students must meet with their Academic Advisor to develop a more individualized plan to complete their degree.

NOTE: This recommended Graduation Plan is applicable to students admitted into the major during the 2024-2025 academic year.

CRWT Placement

CRWT 101 to CRWT 102

CRWT 101S to CRWT 102S

Math Placement

MATH 021/022 to MATH 104-121

NOTE: CRWT and MATH courses are determined by placement testing and should be taken following the sequence above.

First Year

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

Second Year

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

Third Year

Fall Semester

  • Major: Global Issues course (HRS 4)
  • Major: Global Issues course (HRS 4)
  • Major: Global Issues course (HRS 4)
  • Free Elective (minor, certificate, or second major requirement) (HRS 4)
  • Total: (HRS 16)

Spring Semester

  • Study Abroad Elective***/Major: Area Studies course (HRS 4)
  • Study Abroad Elective/Major: Area Studies course (HRS 4)
  • Study Abroad Elective/Major: Area Studies course (HRS 4)
  • Study Abroad Elective/Elective (HRS 4)
  • Total: (HRS 16)

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

  • Free Elective (minor, certificate, or second major requirement) (HRS 4)
  • Free Elective (minor, certificate, or second major requirement) (HRS 4)
  • Free Elective (minor, certificate, or second major requirement) (HRS 4)
  • Free Elective (minor, certificate, or second major requirement) (HRS 4)
  • Total: (HRS 16)

Total Credits Required: 128 credits GPA: 2.0

General Education courses can be done in any order with the exception of INTD 101, CRWT and MATH. Those three general education courses will need to be done first. First Year Seminar is taken in the first semester. Failure to complete CRWT and MATH will result in a hold when the student hits 64 credits. The following general education courses can be done in any order. For more info on these courses, please visit the General Education program requirements website in the College Catalog:

Social Science Inquiry (+W)
Scientific Reasoning
Historical Perspectives (+W)
Studies in the Arts and Humanities (+W)
Global Awareness (+W)

+W: Students transferring in with 48 or more credits are waived from these general education requirements.

Note: 5 writing intensive courses are required for graduation: Critical Reading and Writing, and Studies in Arts and Humanities; the other three course are taken in the major. POLI 205, POLI 235, and INTL 450 are all Writing Intensive. If you do not take both POLI 205 and POLI 235, make sure that one of your Global Issues or Area Studies courses is Writing Intensive.

* The HGS school core requires that each student have proficiency in a language through the Intermediate I level. If you are starting from Foundations I, that means three language course (Foundations I, Foundations II, Intermediate I). You can take a placement test to determine whether you can start at a higher level or prove proficiency without taking any courses. Any language course at the Intermediate level or higher can count as one of your Area Studies courses in the International Studies major. If General Ed Global Awareness is not fulfilled by a language course, INTL 127 and ANTH 102 in the International Studies major also fulfill this requirement.

**All students must choose two out of three distribution categories within General Education, and then take one course from each of the two selected categories. Some International Studies courses can double count with this part of General Education, specifically:

Culture and Creativity: ANTH 220 Food & Culture, ANTH 235 Religion: Cross Cultural Perspectives, ANTH 314 Crossing Borders: Growing Up Latinx, HIST 289 Islamic Art and Architecture

Values and Ethics: ANTH 238 Urban Anthropology, INTL 250 Contemporary International Human Rights, POLI 233 East Asia: History and Politics

***All International Studies majors are required to either study abroad for at least 4 weeks, or complete an extensive internship or co-op with an international focus. See convener for details.

◊Some Global Issues and Area Studies courses also double-count with General Education. However, you can only double count two classes between General Education and your school core and major.