International Affairs

Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs

Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and a minimum of 51 hours of specified courses with a grade of C- or better (none may be taken pass/fail), distributed as follows

Required Courses and Semester Credit Hours

Lower-division (18 hours)

• ECON 2010 Principles of Microeconomics—4
• ECON 2020 Principles of Macroeconomics—4
• IAFS 1000 Global Issues and International Affairs—4
• PSCI 2012 Introduction to Comparative Politics—3
• PSCI 2223 Introduction to International Relations—3

Upper-division

Functional Area (18 hours)
Students must complete one class in each of the four functional areas and complete two additional classes in any functional area.  Students cannot apply more than four functional area classes from any one department.

Geographic Concentration (9 hours)
Students are required to complete three classes concentrating on one of the four following global regions: Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, or Latin America. Students should choose a geographic concentration and a language appropriate to that geographic concentration no later than the beginning of their junior year.

Geographic concentration coursework should be mainly in the social sciences, must include one course in contemporary history, and can include a maximum of three credits of contemporary literature (taught in the foreign language).  See iafs.colorado.edu for geographic concentration courses.

Major Elective (3 hours)

Students must complete one additional class from any functional area or the student’s geographic concentration.

Language Requirement

A third-year university-level proficiency in a foreign language appropriate to the geographic concentration is required. This requirement may be met by completion of one or two semester-long, third year, university-level grammar courses (depending on the language) with a grade C- of or better, while also satisfying language department requirements for advancement through the sequence, or by certification from the appropriate department of such competence.

Senior Seminar (3 hours)

IAFS 4500 Post-Cold War World or IAFS 4800 Honors Seminar in International Affairs is required.

Recommendations

• All international affairs majors should have a good command of the English language.
• Students should choose electives with a view to their relevance to this program or usefulness as prerequisites for upper-division work.
• During the semester prior to graduation, students must complete a statement of major status obtained from their advisor.
• Students in the international affairs program are encouraged to consider the possibility of participating in one of the Study Abroad programs affiliated with the University of Colorado. Students wishing to participate in such a program should contact their advisor to work out an appropriate program. 
• Internships are a useful experience for students seeking a career in international affairs. The Internship in International Affairs (IAFS 4930) provides the opportunity to earn academic credit for appropriate internships in the field. This course is generally offered during the spring and fall semesters and during summer sessions; enrollments are limited. Interested sophomores, juniors, or seniors should consult with the director of the Internship Program. An application is required for admission to the Internship Program; see iafs.colorado.edu for more details. IAFS 4930 could count for major elective and/or geographic concentration credit with approval from the internship director.
• The IAFS Honors Program offers the opportunity to learn and apply research skills for a select number of IAFS majors. Entry into the IAFS Honors Program is limited to seniors with a 3.40 major GPA and a 3.30 overall GPA. The Honors Seminar in International Affairs (IAFS 4800—offered each fall semester) provides instruction in research methods and facilitates the development of a sound research project. Research continues into the spring semester under the guidance of individual faculty members and through the continuation course, Honors in International Affairs (IAFS 4810). Interested and eligible students should consult with their academic advisor and the director of the Honors Program before spring break of their junior year. An application is required for admission to the Honors Program; see iafs.colorado.edu for more details. IAFS 4810 could count for either an upper-division functional area and/or a geographic concentration class with approval from the honors director.
• Students interested in international affairs may want to consider the Global Studies Residential Academic Program offered through the residence halls. See Residential Academic Programs for information.

The specific courses that may be counted to meet the requirements in this program are determined by the committee on international affairs and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduating in Four Years

Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of “adequate progress” as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in international affairs, students should meet the following requirements: 

• Declare the major by the beginning of the second semester.
• Begin language study by the third semester.
• Complete the lower-division requirements by the end of the sophomore year.
• Begin area of geographic concentration courses in first semester of the junior year.
• Begin upper-division general international affairs requirements in the first semester of the junior year.
• Successfully complete any remaining major requirements by the end of the eighth semester.