International Studies, B.A.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 35-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 34-46 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 24 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (35-44 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
- any CC-CMW courses
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours)
- any CC-ARP courses
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
- Two 4-credit hour CC-SCI laboratory science courses
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required for all baccalaureate degrees. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (3 hours)
- 1
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science and Fine Arts or Humanities (12 hours)
- Social Science (3 hours)
- Fine Arts/Humanities (9 Hours)
- A Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences requires three 3-hour Fine Arts/Humanities Courses
3. Program Requirements (34-46 hours)
Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)
Students must complete a cognate (12 hours) or a minor as part of this program. In lieu of a cognate or minor, an additional major may be added to a student’s program of study. Additional majors must include all major courses as well as any prescribed courses noted (*) in the bulletin. Prescribed courses noted in the bulletin may be shared with Carolina Core, College requirements, and Program requirements in the primary program.
Cognate (12 hours)
The cognate must consist of twelve (12) hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of but related to the major. The cognate may be taken in one or more departments or programs.
Courses offered by departments and programs that are acceptable for cognate credit are outlined in the section titled Courses Acceptable for Cognate Credit in Degree Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. Some major programs have specific cognate requirements. It should be emphasized that the cognate is not a second set of elective courses to be chosen at random by the student. Students are urged to consult their major advisors for specific requirements in their major.
For Bachelor of Arts degrees, all cognate courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
Minor (18 hours)
In place of the cognate a student in the College of Arts and Sciences may choose a minor consisting of at least 18 credit hours of prescribed courses.
The minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. It differs from the cognate inasmuch as the courses must follow a structured sequence.
Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (16-34 hours)
120 (or 128) degree applicable credits are required to complete any degree at UofSC. After the cognate, minor or second major is complete, any additional credits needed to reach 120 (or 128) total credits can be fulfilled by electives. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Note: 1-22 hours of electives will be needed to reach hours to graduate and Program Requirements will range from 22-37 hours, if completing either the Intensive Major or the B.A. with Distinction in International Studies.
4. Major Requirements (24 hours)
A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.
Major Courses (9 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 105 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| POLI 315 | International Relations | 3 |
| POLI 316 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Major Electives (15 hours)
15 hours in approved internationally focused courses, to be chosen from the list below. At least six hours must be POLI courses.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Politics: | ||
| POLI 380 | Comparative Politics of Developing Countries | 3 |
| POLI 381 | Comparative Politics of Industrialized Countries | 3 |
| POLI 383 | Genocide: A Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| POLI 416 | Revolution and Political Violence | 3 |
| POLI 448 | Politics and Government of China | 3 |
| POLI 480 | Politics and Government of Russia | 3 |
| POLI 481 | Politics and Governments of Europe | 3 |
| POLI 483 | Middle East Politics | 3 |
| POLI 487 | Politics and Governments of Africa | 3 |
| POLI 488 | Politics and Governments of Latin America | 3 |
| POLI 489 | Politics and Government of Japan | 3 |
| International Relations: | ||
| POLI 330 | International Organization | 3 |
| POLI 340 | The Conduct and Formulation of United States Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POLI 341 | Contemporary United States Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POLI 342 | National Security Policies of the United States | 3 |
| POLI 417 | Theories of War in International Relations | 3 |
| POLI 420 | International Law | 3 |
| POLI 421 | Law and Contemporary International Problems | 3 |
| POLI 430 | Ideology and World Politics | 3 |
| POLI 432 | Nationalism and Ethnicity in World Politics | 3 |
| POLI 433 | Economic Aspects of International Politics | 3 |
| POLI 437 | International Relations of Latin America | 3 |
| POLI 440 | Russian Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POLI 442 | Globalization and Security | 3 |
| POLI 443 | International Relations of East Asia and the Pacific | 3 |
| POLI 444 | International Relations in Japan | 3 |
| POLI 445 | Political Economy of Africa's Regions | 3 |
| POLI 446 | International Relations of Africa | 3 |
| POLI 447 | Foreign Policies of Selected Powers | 3 |
| POLI 449 | International Relations of the Middle East | 3 |
| Approved Non-POLI Major Courses 1 | ||
| ANTH 203 | Comparing Cultures Through Film | 3 |
| ANTH 204 | Plagues Past and Present | 3 |
| ANTH 207 | Gender and Culture | 3 |
| ANTH 208 | Anthropology of Globalization and Development | 3 |
| ANTH 210 | Human Life Cycles in Different Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 211 | Learning Across Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 212 | Food and Culture | 3 |
| ANTH 213 | Ethnobotany: Plants and Peoples | 3 |
| ANTH 216 | Violence and Peace: Anthropological Perspectives | 3 |
| ANTH 234 | Caribbean Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 236 | Cultures of Africa | 3 |
| ANTH 237 | Cultures of Islam | 3 |
| ANTH 238 | Middle Eastern Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 240 | South Asian Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 241 | Southeast Asian Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 242 | Chinese Popular Culture | 3 |
| ANTH 243 | Japanese Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 273 | Cross-Cultural Communication | 3 |
| ANTH 280 | Humans Going Nuclear: Atomic Bombs, Cold War, and the Fallout | 3 |
| ANTH 301 | Latin American Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 342 | Environmental Anthropology: Cross-cultural Perspectives on Environmental Change | 3 |
| ANTH 350 | Anthropology & Development | 3 |
| ANTH 351 | The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 3 |
| ANTH 353 | Anthropology of Law and Conflict | 3 |
| ANTH 355 | Language, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| ANTH 356 | Anthropology of Art | 3 |
| ANTH 357 | Psychological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 359 | Theories of Culture | 3 |
| ANTH 360 | Anthropology of Sex | 3 |
| ANTH 373 | Introduction to Language Sciences | 3 |
| ANTH 381 | Gender and Globalization | 3 |
| ANTH 388 | Cultures, Pregnancy, and Birth | 3 |
| ANTH 392 | Global Women's Health | 3 |
| ANTH 512 | Gender Issues in China | 3 |
| ANTH 515 | Tradition and Transformations in Islamic Cultures | 3 |
| ANTH 552 | Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 553 | Anthropological Approaches to Narrative and Performance | 3 |
| ANTH 556 | Language and Globalization | 3 |
| ANTH 557 | Psychological Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 568 | Nutritional Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 569 | International Development and the Environment | 3 |
| ANTH 572 | Temporal Processes in Culture | 3 |
| ANTH 575 | Economic Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 576 | Archaeology of the African Diaspora | 3 |
| ANTH 580 | Culture and Identity in the African Diaspora | 3 |
| ANTH 581 | Globalization and Cultural Questions | 3 |
| ARAB 320 | Introduction to Modern Arab Literature in Translation | 3 |
| CHIN 335 | Women in China | 3 |
| CHIN 341 | Modern Chinese Literature | 3 |
| CRJU 440 | Homeland Security and Terrorism | 3 |
| ECON 303 | The International Economy | 3 |
| ECON 503 | International Trade Economics | 3 |
| ECON 504 | International Monetary Economics | 3 |
| ECON 505 | International Development Economics | 3 |
| ECON 507 | Comparative Economic Systems | 3 |
| ECON 509 | Economics of Sustainable Development | 3 |
| ECON 514 | The Economics of Terrorism | 3 |
| EURO 300 | Introduction to European Studies | 3 |
| FAMS 308 | Global Media Industries | 3 |
| FAMS 360 | Special Topics in Global Media | 3 |
| FAMS 361 | Middle East on Screen | 3 |
| FAMS 363 | Hong Kong Action Cinema | 3 |
| FAMS 365 | Screening China | 3 |
| FAMS 598 | Special Topics in Global Film and Media | 3 |
| FREN 330 | The French Theatre Experience | 3 |
| FREN 397 | World Cinemas in French | 3 |
| FREN 452 | French Literature and Culture After 1800 | 3 |
| FREN 453 | Francophone Literatures and Cultures | 3 |
| FREN 501 | Contemporary France | 3 |
| FREN 510 | Current Events in the France and the Francophone World | 3 |
| GEOG 210 | Peoples, Places, and Environments | 3 |
| GEOG 223 | Geography of Latin America | 3 |
| GEOG 225 | Geography of Europe | 3 |
| GEOG 226 | Geography of the Middle East | 3 |
| GEOG 228 | Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa | 3 |
| GEOG 311 | Landscape and Cultural Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 312 | Geography and Global Geopolitics | 3 |
| GEOG 330 | The Geography of Disasters | 3 |
| GEOG 343 | Environment and Society | 3 |
| GEOG 512 | Migration and Globalization | 3 |
| GEOG 515 | Political Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 538 | Global Food Politics | 3 |
| GEOG 568 | Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change | 3 |
| GEOG 569 | International Development and the Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 581 | Globalization and Cultural Questions | 3 |
| GERM 320 | German Kabarett Production | 3 |
| GERM 340 | Readings in German Literature | 3 |
| GERM 450 | German Literature from 1890-1945 | 3 |
| GERM 460 | Post-War and Contemporary German Literature | 3 |
| GERM 500 | Survey of German Culture | 3 |
| GERM 518 | German Sociolinguistics | 3 |
| GERM 580 | Topics in German Film | 3 |
| GLST 300 | Introduction to International Development | 3 |
| GLST 308 | Global Media Industries | 3 |
| GLST 370 | History of Capitalism From the Industrial Revolution to the Global Economy | 3 |
| HIST 314 | Video Games and History | 3 |
| HIST 317 | Contemporary Europe from World War I to World War II | 3 |
| HIST 318 | Europe from World War II to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 329 | Modern and Contemporary Britain | 3 |
| HIST 333 | France Since 1815 | 3 |
| HIST 335 | The History of Modern Russia and the Soviet Union | 3 |
| HIST 336 | Russian and Soviet Diplomatic History | 3 |
| HIST 338 | Modern Germany | 3 |
| HIST 344 | Eastern Europe Since WWI | 3 |
| HIST 347 | The Middle East in Modern Times | 3 |
| HIST 348 | North Africa from Colonialism to Revolution: 1830-1962 | 3 |
| HIST 349 | The Contemporary Middle East and North Africa | 3 |
| HIST 350 | Saving Africa: Development and Humanitarianism in Historical Perspective | 3 |
| HIST 352 | Africa since 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 353 | Problems in the History of Africa South of the Sahara | 3 |
| HIST 354 | Modern East Asia | 3 |
| HIST 356 | China Since 1949 | 3 |
| HIST 358 | Japan since 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 360 | Into the Wild: Global Conservation since 1800 | 3 |
| HIST 365 | East Africa and the Indian Ocean World | 3 |
| HIST 367 | 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan | 3 |
| HIST 370 | History of Capitalism 2: From the Industrial Revolution to the Global Economy | 3 |
| HIST 371 | History of Airpower | 3 |
| HIST 372 | History of Modern Sea Power | 3 |
| HIST 374 | Nationalism: Myth and Reality | 3 |
| HIST 375 | Nazis and Fascists in European History, 1919-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 376 | War and European Society, 1914-1945 | 3 |
| HIST 377 | Business in Historical Perspective | 3 |
| HIST 378 | Urban Experience in Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 379 | Women in Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 380 | History of the Holocaust | 3 |
| HIST 381 | The Nobel Peace Prize: Peace, War, and Politics | 3 |
| HIST 384 | Jewish History II: 1500 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 386 | Islamic Institutions and Traditions | 3 |
| HIST 387 | Messiahs, Mystics and Rebels in the Islamic World | 3 |
| HIST 389 | Science, Magic and Religion | 3 |
| HIST 395 | Plagues and Societies in World History | 3 |
| HIST 398 | Sustainability in World History from Early Times to the Anthropocene | 3 |
| HIST 413 | History of Canada | 3 |
| HIST 421 | Modern Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 422 | Social and Economic History of Latin America | 3 |
| HIST 423 | History of Mexico | 3 |
| HIST 446 | Immigration and Ethnicity in America | 3 |
| HIST 465 | American Diplomatic History | 3 |
| HIST 466 | American Diplomatic History | 3 |
| HIST 468 | American Military Experience | 3 |
| HIST 562 | The Middle East and the United States: 1800 to the Present | 3 |
| HPEB 470 | Principles of Global Health | 3 |
| ITAL 400 | Contemporary Italian Civilization | 3 |
| ITAL 404 | Twentieth Century Italian Literature | 3 |
| ITAL 412 | Post-World War II Italian Cinema | 3 |
| JAPA 340 | Introduction to Japanese Culture and Literature | 3 |
| JAPA 341 | Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| JAPA 350 | Japanese Culture and Society through Film | 3 |
| JAPA 351 | Japanese Culture and Society through Theatre | 3 |
| JAPA 353 | Japanese Culture and Society through Animation | 3 |
| JAPA 500 | Japanese Language in Society | 3 |
| LASP-all | ||
| LING 303 | Chinese Language and Society | 3 |
| LING 340 | Language, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| LING 546 | Japanese Language in Society | 3 |
| LING 556 | Language and Globalization | 3 |
| RELG 210 | Introduction to Hinduism | 3 |
| RELG 219 | Ethics and the Good Life in Asian Religions | 3 |
| RELG 220 | Introduction to Buddhism | 3 |
| RELG 221 | Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice | 3 |
| RELG 230 | Introduction to Judaism | 3 |
| RELG 240 | Introduction to Christianity | 3 |
| RELG 250 | Introduction to Islam | 3 |
| RELG 260 | Anthropology of Magic and Religion | 3 |
| RELG 261 | Global Human Religiosity | 3 |
| RELG 314 | Religion and Culture | 3 |
| RELG 334 | Asian Religious Philosophy | 3 |
| RELG 343 | Religions of the African Diaspora | 3 |
| RELG 344 | Hindu Devotional Traditions | 3 |
| RELG 349 | Tantra: Sex, Power, and Bliss in South Asian Religions | 3 |
| RELG 350 | Buddhist Stories, Poetry, and Films | 3 |
| RELG 351 | Yoga: The Art of Spiritual Transformation | 3 |
| RELG 352 | Religions of East Asia | 3 |
| RELG 354 | Islamic Institutions and Traditions | 3 |
| RELG 358 | The Qur'an and Hadith | 3 |
| RELG 359 | Islamic Theology and Philosophical Thought | 3 |
| RELG 362 | Science, Magic and Religion | 3 |
| RELG 367 | Sufism | 3 |
| RELG 368 | Messiahs, Mystics and Rebels in the Islamic World | 3 |
| RELG 369 | Islamic Law | 3 |
| RELG 373 | Literature and Film of the Holocaust | 3 |
| RELG 382 | Jewish History II: 1500 to the Present | 3 |
| RELG 387 | Jews and Muslims | 3 |
| RELG 551 | Tradition and Transformations in Islamic Cultures | 3 |
| RUSS 320 | Twentieth-Century Russian Literature in Translation | 3 |
| SOCY 315 | Global Population Issues | 3 |
| SOCY 512 | Internal and International Migration | 3 |
| SPAN 380 | The Cinema of Spain | 3 |
| SPAN 381 | The Cinema of Latin America | 3 |
| SPAN 400 | Spanish Culture | 3 |
| SPAN 401 | Latin American Culture | 3 |
| SPAN 500 | Contemporary Spain | 3 |
| SPAN 501 | Contemporary Latin America | 3 |
| SPAN 538 | Twentieth-Century Spanish Literature | 3 |
| SPAN 543 | Spanish-American Literature from the Independence Through Modernism | 3 |
| SPAN 555 | Spanish-American Literature from Modernism Through 1960 | 3 |
| SPAN 557 | Contemporary Spanish-American Literature | 3 |
| WGST 335 | Women in China | 3 |
| WGST 351 | The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 3 |
| WGST 379 | Women in Modern Europe | 3 |
| WGST 381 | Gender and Globalization | 3 |
| WGST 388 | Cultures, Pregnancy, and Birth | 3 |
| WGST 392 | Global Women's Health | 3 |
- 1
Students are NOT required to take non-POLI courses for this major, but they may opt to take up to nine hours toward major credit from the list of approved courses.
Intensive Major (33 hours)
A minimum grade of B is required in all major courses.
In addition to the requirements for the General Major, Intensive majors must complete the following:
- An additional 6 hours of International Studies-related courses (approved by the major advisor)
- POLI 499
- Demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language through the intermediate level
Note: Foreign language proficiency will be demonstrated by earning a rating of “intermediate high” on the ACTFL/ETS examination or a “1+” rating on the Interagency Roundtable (ILR) examination. In thoselanguages for which such testing is not available within a foreign language department, proficiency will be demonstrated by passing with a C or better a minimum of 15 hours of one foreign language.
B.A. with Distinction (33 hours)
Departmental Undergraduate Research Track available to students majoring in International Studies who wish to participate in significant research activities of the major field in collaboration with, or under the supervision of, a faculty mentor.
In addition to the requirements for the General Major, “B.A. with Distinction” majors must complete the following:
Prerequisites
- A minimum GPA of 3.60
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30
Requirements
- POLI 301
- POLI 498
- POLI 499
- Public presentation of the Senior Thesis in a venue approved by the faculty mentor, such as:
- annual meeting of the South Carolina Political Science Association (or any other annual meeting of the appropriate professional organization)
- a regular (or special) session of the Political Science Research Workshop
- sessions scheduled for the Political Science Awards Day activities
- USC Discovery Day
- submission to a professional journal
- A written sponsorship agreement from the faculty mentor to be placed on file in the department or college office
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.