International Studies
Dr. Pamela Chasek
Director of the Program
International Studies is an interdisciplinary program founded on the premise that world events can only be understood by employing a variety of disciplinary perspectives, such as political, economic, historical, and cultural, and that they must be understood in both a regional and a global context. This interdisciplinary and international perspective will prepare students for graduate school or law school, or for careers in business, government, non-governmental organizations, or international organizations. Students who have specific graduate work or careers in mind may want to take a second major or a minor to further their program.
Major
Requirements for a Major in International Studies
All majors shall:
- Complete 15 credits in the core curriculum
- Complete 15 credits in the chosen area of concentration
- Acquire a satisfactory reading and speaking ability in at least one foreign language.
Areas of concentration are Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East, and Global Issues. This last category focuses on transregional issues such as the environment, technology, ethnicity, and international organizations. See below for the lists of courses in each area of concentration.
The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Russian is available through a cooperative program with Lehman College. International Studies majors should take at least one 300-level course in a foreign language or pass a proficiency exam administered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. International Studies majors who start one of the less commonly taught languages (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian) at Manhattan College are required to take at least 4 semesters of the language. A minimum grade of C or better is required in all language courses.
All International Studies majors are strongly encouraged to spend one or two semesters of their junior year abroad. A minimum grade of C is required in all courses used to fulfill the requirements for a major or minor in International Studies and for all courses taken abroad.
International Studies majors are advised to take ECON 150 Roots: Economics as one of their Social Science Core requirements.
Minor
Requirements for a Minor in International Studies
Minors shall complete 15 credits, including INTL 201 Global Issues Seminar; ECON 334 International Economics; GOVT 351 International Relations, GOVT 352 International Organizations, or GOVT 357 United States Foreign Policy; and HIST 326 Diplomatic History of Europe 1815-1914, HIST 328 Cold War Diplomacy in Asia, or HIST 362 US Foreign Relations, 1900 to the Present. Students should also choose one elective from the list of courses approved under the Global Issues concentration. Students are encouraged to advance their linguistic competency. No area of concentration is required for a minor in International Studies.
Area of Concentration
Majors take 15 credits in their area of concentration, with no more than three courses, or 9 credits, in a single discipline, and no more than two courses, or 6 credits, in a foreign language. Special topics courses and Model United Nations courses may be included in concentrations, when relevant, and at the discretion of the Director. Courses for the concentration are chosen in consultation with the Director of the Program, including those listed below:
Europe:
| ART 323 | Nineteenth-Century Art: 1750 to1890 | 3 |
| ART 329 | History of Modern Art | 3 |
| ENGL 280 | Irish Literary Revival | 3 |
| ENGL 346 | Twentieth Century Irish Literature | 3 |
| FREN 303 | French Culture Through Film | 3 |
| FREN 340 | French Civilization | 3 |
| FREN 341 | Contemporary French Civilization | 3 |
| IRI 103 & IRI 104 | Elementary Irish I and Elementary Irish II | 6 |
| GOVT 330 | Government and Politics of Western Europe | 3 |
| GOVT 331 | Government and Politics of Russia and Selected Soviet Succesor States | 3 |
| GOVT 332 | Government and Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | 3 |
| GOVT 348 | Government and Politics of the European Union | 3 |
| GOVT 374 | Western Political Thought | 3 |
| GOVT 440 | Senior Seminar: European Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 473 | Senior Seminar: Contemporary Western Political Thought | 3 |
| HIST 307 | Genocide and Racism | 3 |
| HIST 326 | Diplomatic History of Europe 1815-1914 | 3 |
| HIST 352 | Nineteenth-Century Europe | 3 |
| HIST 353 | Modern Germany | 3 |
| HIST 354 | History of the Soviet Union | 3 |
| HIST 355 | East Europe in Modern Times | 3 |
| HIST 357 | Nazi Germany and the Holocaust | 3 |
| HIST 388 | Women in Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 390 | Terror and Terrorism: The Uses of Political Violence | 3 |
| INTL 315 | Special Topics: Area Studies | 3 |
| ITAL 303 | Italian Through Film | 3 |
| ITAL 340 | Medieval and Renaissance Italian Civilization | 3 |
| ITAL 341 | Contemporary Italian Civilization | 3 |
| MUSC 305 | Music In France: Paris | 3 |
| PHIL 374 | Western Political Thought | 3 |
| RELS 231 | Eastern Christianity | 3 |
| SPAN 303 | Spanish Culture through Film | 3 |
| SPAN 340 | Spanish Civilization | 3 |
Or any 400-level Modern Languages and Literatures course.
Latin America and Caribbean:
| ECON 412 | Economic Growth and Development | 3 |
| ENGL 265 | Contemporary World Fiction | 3 |
| FREN 342 | Francophone Literature and Culture | 3 |
| GOVT 344 | Government and Politics of Caribbean | 3 |
| GOVT 345 | Government and Politics of Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 225 | Hispanic America | 3 |
| HIST 318 | Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| INTL 315 | Special Topics: Area Studies | 3 |
| RELS 338 | Theologies of Liberation | 3 |
| RELS 359 | Afro-Caribbean Religions | 3 |
| SOC 262 | Displacement and Development in Contemporary Latin America | 3 |
| SOC 328 | Societies and Cultures of Latin America | 3 |
| SPAN 300 | Hispanic Musical Heritage | 3 |
| SPAN 303 | Spanish Culture through Film | 3 |
| SPAN 320 | Special Topics in Hispanic Culture Studies | 3 |
| SPAN 341 | Spanish American Civilization | 3 |
| SPAN 342 | Caribbean Culture | 3 |
Or any 400-level Spanish class on Latin America.
Africa and Middle East:
| ARAB 101 | Arabic for Beginners I | 3 |
| ARAB 102 | Arabic for Beginners II | 3 |
| ARAB 201 | Intermediate Arabic I | 3 |
| ARAB 202 | Intermediate Arabic II | 3 |
| ECON 412 | Economic Growth and Development | 3 |
| ENGL 265 | Contemporary World Fiction | 3 |
| FREN 341 | Contemporary French Civilization | 3 |
| FREN 342 | Francophone Literature and Culture | 3 |
| GOVT 343 | Government and Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| GOVT 346 | Government and Politics of Africa | 3 |
| HIST 307 | Genocide and Racism | 3 |
| HIST 314 | Modern Africa | 3 |
| HIST 390 | Terror and Terrorism: The Uses of Political Violence | 3 |
| INTL 315 | Special Topics: Area Studies | 3 |
| RELS 231 | Eastern Christianity | 3 |
| RELS 338 | Theologies of Liberation | 3 |
| RELS 342 | Islam and Politics | 3 |
| RELS 353 | African Traditional Religion | 3 |
| RELS 355 | Islam | 3 |
Asia:
| ART 316 | History of Asian Art | 3 |
| CHIN 101 & CHIN 102 | Introduction to Study of Chinese I and Introduction to Study of Chinese II | 6 |
| ECON 412 | Economic Growth and Development | 3 |
| ECON 421 | The Japanese Economy | 3 |
| ENGL 265 | Contemporary World Fiction | 3 |
| GOVT 340 | Government and Politics of Asia | 3 |
| HIST 307 | Genocide and Racism | 3 |
| HIST 312 | Modern China 1839 - Present | 3 |
| HIST 313 | Vietnam to the Philippines | 3 |
| HIST 328 | Cold War Diplomacy in Asia | 3 |
| HIST 348 | Modern Japan | 3 |
| INTL 315 | Special Topics: Area Studies | 3 |
| JAPN 101 & JAPN 102 | Elementary Japanese I and Introduction to Japanese II | 9 |
| JAPN 201 & JAPN 202 | Intermediate Japanese and Intermediate Japanese | 6 |
| JAPN 301 | Advanced Japanese I | 3 |
| JAPN 302 | Advanced Japanese II | 3 |
| PHIL 342 | Chinese and Japanese Philosophies | 3 |
| RELS 338 | Theologies of Liberation | 3 |
| RELS 342 | Islam and Politics | 3 |
| RELS 354 | Buddhism: Its Development and Interpretation | 3 |
| RELS 355 | Islam | 3 |
| RELS 357 | Religions of China and the Far East | 3 |
| RELS 358 | Religions of India | 3 |
| RELS 361 | Yoga: Philosophy, Praxis, and Art | 3 |
Global Issues:
| ART 218 | Introduction to World Art | 3 |
| ECON 332 | Environmental Economy | 3 |
| ECON 412 | Economic Growth and Development | 3 |
| ENGL 347 | Literature and War | 3 |
| ENGL 348 | Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| GOVT 205 | Political Geography | 3 |
| GOVT 207 | Introduction to Peace Studies | 3 |
| GOVT 223 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 254 | Global Cities | 3 |
| GOVT 309 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 351 | International Relations | 3 |
| GOVT 352 | International Organizations | 3 |
| GOVT 357 | United States Foreign Policy | 3 |
| GOVT 420 | Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| GOVT 450 | Senior Seminar: Politics of International Economics | 3 |
| GOVT 452 | Special Topics Seminar | 3 |
| GOVT 455 | Senior Seminar: Diplomacy | 3 |
| GOVT 457 | Model United Nations I | 3 |
| GOVT 458 | Model United Nations II | 3 |
| HIST 307 | Genocide and Racism | 3 |
| HIST 362 | US Foreign Relations, 1900 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 377 | Science, Technology, and Society | 3 |
| HIST 390 | Terror and Terrorism: The Uses of Political Violence | 3 |
| INTL 310 | Technology and Society | 3 |
| INTL 312 | Ethnicity in the Modern World | 3 |
| INTL 315 | Special Topics: Area Studies | 3 |
| MUSC 216 | Introduction to World Music | 3 |
| PHIL 238 | Philosophies of War and Peace | 3 |
| RELS 434 | Non-Violent Revolution | 3 |
| SOC 212 | Migration, Globalization, and Culture | 3 |
| SOC 317 | Anthropology of Drugs | 3 |
| SOC 329 | Political Economy of Global Migration | 3 |
| or SOC 335 | Culture, Health, and Illness | |
International Studies Courses
(Open to Majors and Non-Majors)
| INTL 310 | Technology and Society | 3 |
| INTL 312 | Ethnicity in the Modern World | 3 |
| INTL 315 | Special Topics: Area Studies | 3 |
| INTL 450 | Tutorial | 3 |
| INTL 475 | Internship | 3 |
Courses
INTL 201. Global Issues Seminar. 3 Credits.
This course highlights the interrelatedness of political, economic, ecological, and cultural events as they affect nations, regions, and the global community. The course is designed to illuminate the complex nature of world events and the nature of international studies.
INTL 310. Technology and Society. 3 Credits.
Technology and Society. How gadgets and techniques, hardware and software, interact with people for better and occasionally for worse, and how governments consider difficult trade-offs in their policy-making.
INTL 312. Ethnicity in the Modern World. 3 Credits.
Study of several sub-national and trans-national ethnic and cultural movements. Their impact on local governments and international relations.
INTL 315. Special Topics: Area Studies. 3 Credits.
Special Topics in Area Studies. Course description will be announced when courses are offered.
INTL 405. Senior Seminar. 3 Credits.
A study of one specific international problem seen from the viewpoint of different disciplines. Student research and class discussions on the origins and nature of, and possible solutions to, the problem. Open to International Studies seniors and by permission of the Director.
INTL 450. Tutorial. 3 Credits.
A course of study for students with particular interdisciplinary research interests not covered in the college's offerings. Research under supervision of a faculty member. Written permission of the Director and the supervising professor has to be secured before registration. Majors only.
INTL 475. Internship. 3 Credits.
Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study. Frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a paper are required. Internships are arranged through the Center for Career Development and must be approved in advance by the chair and the Dean of the School of Arts. Open to majors only.