Location: Founders Hall 555
Telephone: 859-572-5321
Fax: 859-572-6184
Email Address: psc@nku.edu
Web Address: http://inside.nku.edu/artsci/departments/pscjol/programs/internationalstudies.html
Program Coordinator: Edward Kwon, Department of Political Science, Criminal Justice and Organizational Leadership
International relations are shaped by the forces of culture, ideology, identity, geography, history, religion, social relations, and economics. International studies is an interdisciplinary major that focuses on understanding these dynamic transnational factors and issues that influence relations between actors in the world system. The international studies major requires completing 15 hours in required classes; 27 hours in electives, with one course from each of the four international fields (business and economics, culture and ideas, development, and politics and policy); and five additional elective courses. Students are encouraged to take classes from a variety of pre-fixes to become more versed in international studies from a broad prospective. Student must take classes in three of the following five prefixes (ANT, GEO, HIS, PSC, and SOC).
Students must also complete 12 hours in a foreign language.
Only courses with a grade of C- or better may count toward an international studies major, minor, or area of focus. Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their degree coursework to qualify for graduation. Students are encouraged to complete study-abroad courses and internships toward the international studies major. Topics courses and independent study credit hours may fulfill secondary course requirements. Contact the international studies coordinator prior to enrolling in any of these options to verify whether the credit hours qualify, and if so, how much they will apply toward completing the major degree program requirements.
The Office of Education Abroad (University Center 330) can help with scholarship applications to offset expenses, including university scholarships, as well as a “beyond the classroom” scholarship toward study abroad, sponsored by the sociology department, for which all majors are eligible.
Special admission requirements: To declare a major in political science, criminal justice, organizational leadership, or international studies, students - including transfer students - must have earned a GPA of at least 2.0 in all prior college work. First-semester students who wish to declare a major in one of the above programs are required to have ACT scores of at least 18 for English, Math, and Reading or SAT scores of at least 430 for Math and Writing and 450 for Critical Reading, or 23.5 for Math and 25 for Reading, Writing, and Language.
Four-Year Plan: Click here to view the Four-Year Plan for this specific program. To find out more about Four-Year Plans, visit the Policies and Procedures page.
♦ Indicates prerequisite.
