International Affairs
Degree BA
Our major requirements have been updated, effective summer 2009. Students who declared the IAFS major before summer 2009 have the option of using the current catalog plan, described below, or the old plan to fulfill graduation requirements. The new and old plans are available at iafs.colorado.edu. With the increasing importance of world issues to the United States, employment opportunities in government, international organizations, and business have expanded enormously. Today there is an urgent need for college graduates with a strong background in international affairs. To meet this need, the University of Colorado offers a comprehensive and flexible interdisciplinary program in international affairs leading to the BA degree.
The undergraduate degree in international affairs emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:
• major political, economic, social, and cultural problems facing the international community, including international economic relations, world population, and resource utilizationIn addition, students completing the degree in international affairs are expected to acquire the ability and skills to:
• the international political system in the broadest global context, international organizations and alliances, and foreign political systems and processes
• ethical issues involved in international relations
• patterns of conflict and cooperation among nations and peoples
• chief historical factors that give rise to existing international institutions and processes
• problems and issues in United States foreign policy
• analyze an international problem from a political, economic, historical, and cultural perspective
• read, critically evaluate, and synthesize information obtained from international affairs literature
• analyze international phenomena critically so as to separate the essential from the irrelevant and identify the probable
• communicate, orally and in writing, findings to other students of international affairs and to a broader audience
Bachelor’s Degree Program +
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and a minimum of 47 hours of specified courses with a grade of C- or better (none may be taken pass/fail), distributed as follows
| Required Courses | Semester Hours |
Lower-division (14–18 hours)
| ECON 1000 Introduction to Economics | |
| or ECON 2010 Principles of Microeconomics and ECON 2020 Principles of Macroeconomics | 4-8 |
| IAFS 1000 Global Issues and International Affairs | 4 |
| PSCI 2012 Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 |
| PSCI 2223 Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
Upper-division
| Complete the requirements listed below for general upper-division functional areas and the requirements for geographic concentration, foreign language, and critical thinking seminar. There are two options. | |
| Option I: | |
| Seven functional area classes plus three geographic concentration classes | |
| Option II: | |
| Six functional area classes plus four geographic concentration classes | |
| For either option, at least one class in each of the four functional areas must be completed (12 hours total). Students may specialize by applying up to four classes in a given functional area with Option I. Students cannot apply more than four functional area classes from any one department. IAFS 3000 can be repeated up to 9 credits for different topics. |
Development and Culture (Functional Area I)
| ANTH 4020 Explorations in Anthropology (approved sections only); ANTH 4500 Cross-Cultural Aspects of Socioeconomic Development; ANTH 4510 Applied Cultural Anthropology; ECON 3784 Economic Development; ECON 4606 Introduction to Demography; ECON 4774 Economic Reform in Developing Countries; ECON 4784 Economic Development; GEOG 3672 Gender and the Global Economy; GEOG 3682 Geography of International Development; GEOG/ECON 4292 Migration, Urbanization, and Development; LING 3545 World Language Policies; PSCI 4012 Global Development; PSCI 4732 Critical Thinking in Development |
International Economics/Business, Political Economy (Functional Area II)
| ECON 3403 International Economics and Policy; ECON 3545 Environmental Economics; ECON 4413 International Trade; ECON 4423 International Finance; ECON 4433 Economics of the Pacific Area; ECON 4545 Environmental Economics; ECON 4999 Economics in Action (approved sections only); FNCE 4060 London Summer in International Finance; INBU 4200 International Financial Management; INBU 4300 International Business and Management; MKTG 3450 International Marketing; PSCI 4193 International Political Economy; PSCI 4272 Capitalist Democracies in the Global Economy |
Political Geography, International Security, Foreign Policy (Functional Area III)
| ANTH 4580 The Holocaust; GEOG 4712 Political Geography; HIST 4050 The World War II Era; HIST 4126 US Diplomatic History since 1940; HIST 4146 Military History; HIST 4166 The War in Vietnam and Its Legacy; PHIL 3190 War and Morality; PSCI 3123 War, Peace and Strategic Defense; PSCI 3143 Problems in International Relations; PSCI 3163 American Foreign Policy; PSCI 3191 National Security Organization and Policy Making; PSCI 3193 International Behavior |
International Institutions, Rights, and Norms (Functional Area IV)
| HIST 4820 Human Rights: Historical Perspectives; PHIL 3260 Philosophy and International Order; PRLC 3810 Global Issues in Leadership; PSCI 3062 Revolution and Political Violence; PSCI 4173 International Organization; PSCI 4183 International Law; PSCI 4213 Europe in the International System; PSCI 4252 Politics of Ethnicity and Nationalism; PSCI 4783 Global Issues |
Geographic Concentration +
International affairs majors should choose a geographic concentration, and a language appropriate to that geographic concentration, no later than the beginning of their junior year.
Requirements. International affairs majors are required to complete courses concentrating on the whole or part of a region outside the United States, including sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, Latin America, or the Middle East.
The geographic concentration will include three or four classes, depending on whether option I or II is chosen. It should be primarily in the social sciences, must include one course incorporating contemporary history, and can include a 3-hour course of contemporary literature (taught in the foreign language).
Language Requirement +
A third-year university-level proficiency in a foreign language appropriate to the geographic concentration is required. This requirement may be met by completion of one or two semester-long, third year, university-level grammar courses (depending on the language) with a grade of C- or better, or by certification from the appropriate department of such competence.
Critical Thinking Seminar +
Recommendations +
• All international affairs majors should have a good command of the English language.The specific courses that may be counted to meet the requirements in this program are determined by the committee on international affairs and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Students should choose electives with a view to their relevance to this program or usefulness as prerequisites for upper-division work.
• During the semester prior to graduation, students must complete a statement of major status obtained from their advisor.
• Students in the international affairs program are encouraged to consider the possibility of participating in one of the Study Abroad programs affiliated with the University of Colorado. Students wishing to participate in such a program should contact their advisor to work out an appropriate program.
• Internships are a useful experience for students seeking a career in international affairs. The Internship in International Affairs (IAFS 4930) provides the opportunity to earn academic credit for appropriate internships in the field. This course is generally offered during the spring and summer sessions; enrollments are limited. Interested sophomores, juniors, or seniors should consult with the director of the Internship Program. An application for admission is required for admission to the Internship Program; see iafs.colorado.edu for more details. IAFS 4930 could count for upper-division functional area or a geographic concentration credit with approval from the internship director.
• The Departmental Honors Program offers the opportunity to learn and apply research skills for a select number of IAFS majors. Entry into the IAFS Honors Program is limited to seniors with a 3.400 major GPA and a 3.300 overall GPA. The Honors Seminar in International Affairs (IAFS 4800—offered each fall semester) provides instruction in research methods and facilitates the development of a sound research project. Research continues into the spring semester under the guidance of individual faculty members and through the continuation course, Honors in International Affairs (IAFS 4810). Interested and eligible students should consult with their academic advisor and the director of the Honors Program before the end of their junior year. An application is required for admission to the Honors Program; see iafs.colorado.edu for more details. IAFS 4810 could count for either an upper-division functional area or a geographic concentration class with approval from the honors director.
• Students interested in international affairs may want to consider the Global Studies Residential Academic Program offered through the residence halls. See Residential Academic Programs for information.
Graduating in Four Years +
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of “adequate progress” as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in international affairs, students should meet the following requirements:
| Declare the major by the beginning of the second semester. | |
| Begin language study by the third semester. | |
| Complete the lower-division requirements by the end of the sophomore year. | |
| Begin area of geographic concentration courses in first semester of the junior year. | |
| Begin upper-division general international affairs requirements in the first semester of the junior year. | |
| Successfully complete any remaining major requirements by the end of the eighth semester. |
International Media Certificate +
An International Media Certificate is available to students majoring in international affairs or enrolled in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. This certificate offers international affairs majors courses in the journalism school that present the basics of journalism and the practice of news gathering and dissemination internationally. It provides journalism students with courses in the College of Arts and Sciences that offer context and perspective on contemporary global issues.
The certificate requires 24–25 credit hours (depending on the lower-division courses chosen). Fifteen of the credit hours must be upper-division courses. Students majoring in international affairs or enrolled in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication are eligible to apply for admission to the certificate program if they have completed 30 credit hours and 6 credits of courses in their major with a GPA of 2.750 or better. For more information consult iafs.colorado.edu or www.colorado.edu/journalism.
