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

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

International Affairs Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Note: two years of a single high school world language or one year of a single college-level world 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

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

This major requires the completion of the World Language requirement. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree must complete two years of a single language in high school or one year of a single language in college.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 1075
Humanities & Arts BACR 115POLI 204 (Global Studies - graduation requirement)5POLI 2035
Social Science BACR 115Humanities & Arts BACR 215Social Science BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
INST 2004International Affairs Area Studies Electives25International Affairs Area Studies Electives25
Diversity - graduation requirement15International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives5
Natural Science BACR 115Natural Science BACR 215International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives5
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective1  
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 3205POLI 3215POLI 3225
International Affairs Area Studies Electives25Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
 15 15 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 3235Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5POLI 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5POLI 4931
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
  Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective4
 15 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Required Area Studies in Security and Economic Policies, Practices, and Norms (Depending on your regional interest, take three courses from this category selected from the approved list).

3

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.

Students who earn a BA In International Affairs from EWU should be able to:

  • 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.

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

This major requires the completion of the World Language requirement. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree must complete two years of a single language in high school or one year of a single language in college.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 1075
Humanities & Arts BACR 115POLI 204 (Global Studies - graduation requirement)5POLI 2035
Social Science BACR 115Humanities & Arts BACR 215Social Science BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
INST 2004International Affairs Area Studies Electives25International Affairs Area Studies Electives25
Diversity - graduation requirement15International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives5
Natural Science BACR 115Natural Science BACR 215International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives5
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective1  
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 3205POLI 3215POLI 3225
International Affairs Area Studies Electives25Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
 15 15 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 3235Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5POLI 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5POLI 4931
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
  Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective4
 15 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Required Area Studies in Security and Economic Policies, Practices, and Norms (Depending on your regional interest, take three courses from this category selected from the approved list).

3

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.

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.

Catalog Listing

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.

Catalog Listing

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.

Catalog Listing

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.

Catalog Listing