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Academic Course Map for International Affairs (B.A.)
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs (IAFS) at CU Boulder is an energetic and academically challenging undergraduate program that provides students with a strong interdisciplinary perspective on world issues. The IAFS major requires courses from the Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History and Political Science departments, as well as other departments across the college and campus. Through your geographic concentration, you will deepen your knowledge about a selected region of the world and attain proficiency in a language of that region, as well as familiarity with its cultural and political activities. Regions of geographic concentration include: Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia and Latin America.
The IAFS program offers an honors program and an internship class, as well as certificates in International Media, Global Environmental Affairs, Global Public Health, EU Studies, Arctic Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies. IAFS majors, in addition to graduating with an in-depth knowledge of world affairs, politics, economics, culture, geography, history and language, also leave school with several valuable soft skills. They include listening, speaking, critical thinking, problem-solving and writing skills. This strong foundation will qualify you to work both in the corporate and non-profit sectors. IAFS majors go on to have careers in government, law, politics, business, education, media and international affairs.
Admission Requirements
Students who begin at a Colorado Community College can transfer directly to CU Boulder to finish their degree in any of the programs offered by the College of Arts and Sciences. Please see the CU Boulder College of Arts & Sciences’ Colorado Community College webpage for more information detailed information admissions requirements for students transfering from a Colorado Community College.
Transfer Recommendations
To graduate in a 4-year time frame, it is important that students follow this schedule. Students who wish to continue their education at the community college beyond the number of credits specified below should explore with both community college and CU Boulder staff how their graduation timeline, COF stipend, and financial aid will be affected. Students who wish to pursue the IAFS major should have completed the fourth semester of World Language before transferring to CU Boulder.
Suggested Four-Year Course Plan for the International Affairs (IAFS) major
This is a suggested guide of coursework only and is subject to change. Always consult your academic advisor for graduation planning purposes. Depending on a student’s situation, a different plan might be more applicable.
Community College (first two years)
Fall Semester 1
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POS 205/2005* | International Relations (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| Guaranteed Transfer History Course (GT-HI1) [HIS 247/2015 Twentieth Century World History recommended] | 3 | |
| ENG 121/1021 | English Composition I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| 1st semester World Language course* | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Spring Semester 1
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POS 225/2025 | Comparative Government (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| ENG 122/1022 | English Composition II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| MAT 120/1240 | Math for the Liberal Arts or any other GT-MA1 course | 3 |
| 2nd semester World Language course | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Fall Semester 2
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 202/2002 | Principles of Microeconomics (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| COM 220/2300 | Intercultural Communication (GT- SS3) | 3 |
| 3rd semester World Language course | 3 | |
| Guaranteed Transfer Natural & Physical Sciences Course (GT-SC1) | 4 | |
| Guaranteed Transfer Arts & Humanities Course (GT-AH1, GT-AH2, or GT-AH3) | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 16 |
Spring Semester 2
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 201/2001 | Principles of Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) | 3 |
| 4th semester World Language course | 3 | |
| Guaranteed Transfer Natural & Physical Sciences Course (GT-SC1 or GT-SC2) | 4 | |
| 2nd Guaranteed Transfer Arts & Humanities Course from different GT-AH category than the 1st | 3 | |
| Transfer elective [HIS 260/2120 US Foreign Relations History (GT-HI1) recommended] | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 16 |
Total community college credits: 60
Completion of all the four semesters of coursework above fulfills the requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at your community college and fulfills the General Education requirements at CU Boulder.
CU Boulder (last two years)
Fall Semester 3
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| IAFS 1000 | Global Issues and International Affairs | 4 |
| IAFS Area 1 major course- Development & Culture | 3 | |
| IAFS Area 2 major course - International Economics | 4 | |
| 5th semester World Language course* | 3-5 | |
| Elective (depends on Foreign Language) | 0-2 | |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Spring Semester 3
| Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|
| IAFS Area 3 major course - Political Geography | 3 |
| IAFS Area 4 major course - International Institutions | 3 |
| IAFS Concentration requirement major course - Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, or Latin America (Contemporary History) | 3 |
| 6th semester World Language course (if the your language is Spanish this is an elective) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Fall Semester 4
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| IAFS 4500 | The Post-Cold War World (senior seminar) | 3 |
| IAFS Additional Functional Area major course | 3 | |
| IAFS Concentration requirement major course - Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, or Latin America | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Spring Semester 4
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| IAFS 4930 | Internship in International Affairs (to fulfill Off-Campus Experience if not studying abroad) | 3 |
| IAFS Concentration requirement major course - Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, or Latin America | 3 | |
| IAFS Additional Functional Area major course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Non-Major Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 15 |
Total credits at CU Boulder: 60
Completion of all eight semester of coursework above fulfills the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in in International Affairs at CU Boulder.
*For community college courses, the first course number is before summer 2022, and the second course number is in summer 2022 and after.
**Students must complete one of the following four-semester World Languages sequences: FRE 111/1011, 112/1012, 211/2011, 212/2012 (French); JAP 111/1011, 112/1012, 211/2011, 212/2012 (Japanese) or SPA 111/1011, 112/1012, 211/2011, 212/2012 (Spanish). Students taking Spanish will need one additional course at CU Boulder while those taking French will need two more courses and those taking Japanese will need three more courses.
***Students who took Japanese while in community college will either need to take JPNS 2120 at CU Boulder in the summer before starting their first fall semester at CU Boulder or wait to start at CU Boulder until the spring since JPNS 2120 is not taught in the fall.