International Studies
Bachelor of Arts Degree
The International Studies Program is highly structured into five components; leading to the B.A. degree in Interdepartmental Studies.
- Orientation to International Studies - a one hour course covering topics such as internships, study abroad, international career opportunities, and graduate study.
- Introductory Core - four courses selected from a total of 23, which provide students with a broad background in various disciplines and subjects. This background prepares students to undertake more advanced study later in their programs, and also offers them an opportunity to experiment with several disciplines and world regions before entering into specialized areas of course concentration.
- Advanced Core - four courses selected from a total of 11, which enable students to gain a more thorough understanding of global institutions, processes, and trends.
- Foreign Language - Except for students employing English as a second language, International Studies students complete at least three years of foreign language study (six courses) or demonstrate equivalent advanced competency in a language approved by the Program. At WVU three-year sequences are regularly offered in the following foreign languages; French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Students are also strongly encouraged to take additional coursework in these languages and in others which may be offered. Some of this additional study may be applied to help satisfy other Program requirements. Students employing English as a second language are exempted from the foreign-language requirement. Instead, they must complete five courses in the Introductory Core and five courses in the Advanced Core.
- Area of Concentration - Students complete the International Studies major by selecting seven courses from one of the following areas of course concentration; Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Development Studies. To reinforce the interdisciplinary quality of their study programs, in each area of concentration students may not select more than three courses in any one department.
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