B.A. in International Studies

Drawing students from all over the world, AU's top-ranked SIS has the largest faculty and most comprehensive curriculum of any school of international affairs in the United States. With our D.C. location and a multidisciplinary approach that marries theory and practice, you won't find a better place to build your global practice of service. Offered by the School of International Service, the BA in International Studies prepares students for internationally-focused careers in government, non-profits, and the private sectors. The curriculum is firmly rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, inherently interdisciplinary, and aimed at helping students to think critically and clearly about the most pressing global challenges. It also affords an opportunity for students to find their truest vocations, to discover their passions, and to become active and engaged citizens in a complex global world that defies simple explanations or solutions. SIS faculty and courses help students acquire critical intellectual dispositions and expanded moral imaginations-enabling them to think critically, creatively, and independently about important international issues-that will help them shape the global future. The seven learning outcomes for the BA in International Studies are: Demonstrate critical thinking as evidenced through both written work and oral presentation. Interpret issues from multiple cultural and philosophical perspectives. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of values, ethics, and justice in international affairs. Understand and apply theories and models drawn from appropriate disciplines such as political science, history, and economics to international affairs. Display in-depth knowledge of one or more global or regional challenges. Demonstrate competency in articulating a research question and designing and executing a research project. Demonstrate at least four-semester proficiency in a foreign language. SIS believes that the best way to prepare students for global citizenship is to give them opportunities to encounter both the breadth and the depth of international studies. The curriculum stretches students' horizons even as it allows individual students to customize their path through SIS so as to focus on the issues and topics that most attract their attention. A central feature of students' intellectual development in SIS involves original student research, which is thoroughly integrated into the entire academic program of study, including two specifically designated research methodology courses. The SIS commitment to undergraduate research helps students develop the critical capacity to question partisan sound bites and to maintain a healthy skepticism about simplistic knowledge claims. The entire curriculum reflects a concerted effort to help students learn to read closely, write cogently, and think critically, thus equipping them with the concepts, skills, and experiences appropriate for internationally-focused careers and vocations. The sequencing of the BA in International Studies is designed to give students a firm grounding in the breadth of the international studies field as well as solid research skills before they further develop their own research and substantive interests. The first year experience includes foundational SIS courses such as World Politics, Cross-Cultural Communication, and a First Year Seminar, together with SIS Mentorship, as a way of making sure that students are well-prepared to take advantage of all of the opportunities afforded them by SIS, American University, and the city of Washington, DC.