International Affairs Major

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About

International Affairs (IA) majors at Eastern pursue a course of study in world politics that includes classes in International Relations, Political Science, Economics, History, Environmental Politics, Regional Studies, Languages, and other fields.

IA majors may focus on a range of issues including international security, international trade and finance, political and economic development, human rights and humanitarian policy, democratization, climate change, global health as well as the politics, history, and cultures of other countries and world regions. All IA majors are encouraged to spend at least one quarter studying abroad and become familiar with a foreign language.

The IA major prepares students for going into a wide array of graduate studies. Given the broad, interdisciplinary field of International Affairs, Top Graduate Schools consider the major an excellent field for going into Doctoral and Master’s programs, including specialization in law, business, economics, political science, journalism, as well as the fields of diplomacy, humanitarian, military, intelligence, security, and foreign affairs.

Curriculum & Requirements Curriculum Map

With Minor Option

Curriculum & Requirements

International Affairs Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Note: two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single college-level foreign language is required.

Core–no substitutions for core courses unless approved by program director.
Required Disciplinary Foundation Courses
INST 200GLOBAL ISSUES4
POLI 203INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS5
POLI 204INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS5
Required Disciplinary Core Courses
POLI 320INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS5
POLI 321INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS5
POLI 322INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY5
POLI 323U.S. FOREIGN POLICY5
POLI 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
POLI 493PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT1-2
Required Area Studies in Security and Economic Policies, Practices, and Norms (Depending on your regional interest, take three courses from this category)15
EUROPEAN POLITICS
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
POLITICS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA
TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS (program director approval required )
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Required Interdisciplinary Courses (With approval from director of the International Affairs Program, take 20 credits from three of the following disciplines): ANTH, GEOS, HIST, ECON, PLAN, SOCI.20
Total Credits75-76

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Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully earn a BA In International Affairs from EWU should be able to do the following:

  • analyze global public policy;
  • communicate about global public policy in a professional manner;
  • conduct original research on a global public policy;
  • evaluate global public policy literature;
  • explain how socio-economic and political diversity plays a role in international affairs;
  • identify major international issues.

With Minor Option

This program requires students to complete a separate minor. 

Note: two years of a single high school foreign language or one year of a single college-level foreign language is required.

Core–no substitutions for core courses unless approved by program director
Required Disciplinary Foundation Courses
INST 200GLOBAL ISSUES4
POLI 203INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS5
POLI 204INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS5
Required Disciplinary Core Courses (Depending on your interest, take four courses from this category)20
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
SENIOR CAPSTONE
Required Area Studies in Security and Economic Policies, Practices, and Norms (Depending on your regional interest, take two courses from this category)10
EUROPEAN POLITICS
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
POLITICS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA
TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS ((program director approval required))
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Required Interdisciplinary Courses (With approval from director of the International Affairs Program, take 10 credits from three of the following disciplines): ANTH, GEOS, HIST, ECON, PLAN, SOCI.10
Total Credits54

Minors to Consider

Eastern offers a wide range of minors that you can choose from depending on your concentration. Selection will be made with approval from the IA Program Director. Here are a few examples that work with with the IA with a Minor option.

Foreign Language

Political Science

Urban and Regional Planning

Philosophy

International Business

Economics

History

Sociology

Sample Courses

POLI 320. INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 203 or POLI 204.
This course is a focused study of contemporary theories, debates and major scholarly traditions in the study of international politics. By studying and analyzing contending perspectives in world politics, the course covers how scholars of international relations differ from each other in their conceptualization of what the system is or ought to be. The course enables students to have a comprehensive appreciation of the global issues, difficulties and challenges that states and non-state actors face as they interact in the global arena.

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POLI 323. U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 203 or POLI 204.
In this course students analyze important cases in U.S. foreign policy formulation since WW II with particular emphasis on the bureaucratic factors that shape foreign policy decisions.

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POLI 402. TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS. 5 Credits.

Notes: may be repeated for credit.
Pre-requisites: POLI 203 or POLI 204.
The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter, depending on student and faculty interests. Topics in the past have included international law, international organizations (especially the European Union), problems of the international political system, comparative analysis of West European gender regimes, causes of political change and political stability, modernization and political development, causes and results of revolutions, the impact of social forces on the political system. The course may cover other topics as faculty and student interests change.

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POLI 420. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: POLI 320, POLI 321 or POLI 322.
This course examines the dynamics of environmental politics through the politico- economic international system that includes states, civil society, corporations, international institutions and treaties. Moving beyond technical fixes to environmental problems it discusses questions of power, agency, the relationship of state and society and sovereignty over natural resources. It is inclusive of alternative discourses on sustainability, ecological justice, environmental security and development.

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