International Affairs

Faculty

Dr. Susan Farnsworth, Professor of History (program chair)
Dr. James Stocker, Assistant Professor of International Affairs
Faculty representing diverse disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences collaborate with and contribute to the International Affairs Program.

Description

Trinity’s program in International Affairs offers an interdisciplinary major and minor to undergraduate students. Students enrolled in the International Affairs program gain knowledge and analytical skills that will enable them to respond to urgent, worldwide needs for informed citizen awareness and active citizen engagement in contemporary global issues.

The program in International Affairs involves faculty from such disciplines as business, communication, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology, all of whom have strong interest and involvement in international issues. The major and minor combine work in the classroom with opportunities to move beyond the traditional curriculum and make optimal use of the University’s location in one of the world’s leading international cities.

Concrete knowledge of international topics, with particular emphasis on their economic, geographic, historical, political, and sociological components, is essential to fostering students’ effective global awareness and involvement. In this regard, Trinity’s undergraduate program in International Affairs seeks to instill within each student the following learning outcomes:

  • An understanding of the nature of international affairs, fostering, where possible, an emphasis on the relationship between international issues and issues of gender;
  • Acquisition of knowledge and familiarity with the disciplinary methods required for critical assessment of global events, processes, trends and issues;
  • An understanding of the interrelationship of disciplines and the interdisciplinary approach;
  • Acquisition of competency in one of five areas of concentration within the major;
  • Advancement to the level of intermediate written and oral competency in a second language;
  • An ability to collect, compile, analyze, and corroborate factual data through effective independent research and organization of research findings;
  • An ability to communicate effectively in written and oral presentations;
  • An opportunity to exercise leadership and collaborative skills in and beyond the classroom;
  • The orientation of student learning toward career options and/or the pursuit of graduate or professional study upon completion of the program.

Students seeking an undergraduate degree in International Affairs are required to complete 27 core credits along with 18 credits in one of five interdisciplinary areas of concentration. The areas of concentration are: Area and Cultural Studies, International Relations, The Global Economy, Conflict Management and Diplomacy, and Global Migration. International Affairs majors are also required to attain the equivalent of a minimum proficiency level of three college semesters in a second language, along with at least one other course that advances multi-cultural understanding.

Students are strongly encouraged to elect internationally oriented courses offered as part of the general education curriculum and to take advantage of courses scheduled on a cyclical basis by academic programs participating in the major. All international affairs majors are strongly encouraged to elect a three-credit internship and to consider study abroad opportunities.

The major in International Affairs is offered to students in the College of Arts and Sciences.  An 18 credit minor in International Affairs is also offered.

Major Requirements

Required Core Courses

The core courses for the major total 27 credits.

Introduction to International Affairs (required):

INAF 201 Introduction to International Affairs

Students who plan to major in international affairs are strongly recommended to take INAF 201 as early as possible in their undergraduate careers.

World Geography (one required):

INAF 251 Geography of the Americas and Europe
INAF 252 Geography of Africa and Asia

Global Economy (one required):

ECON 252 Comparative Capitalist Systems
ECON 253 Issues in Economic Development
ECON 351 International Trade
ECON 353 International Finance
BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?
BADM 350 Understanding Global Institutions
INAF 385 Politics and Policy in International Trade

Students planning to major in international affairs should take ECON 100 as a part of their general education requirements; it is a prerequisite for any economics course chosen to fulfill the INAF major economics requirement.

Political Science (both required):

POLS 231 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POLS 241 Introduction to International Relations

History (two required):

HIS 255 Contemporary History of the Third World
HIS 342 U.S. History from 1946 through 1988
HIS 358 The Modern Middle East
HIS 360 Ethics & Power: Contemporary Diplomatic History of the US
HIS 369 Vietnam
HIS 485 Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945

Sociology (one required):

SOCY 103 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
SOCY 131 Global Social Issues
SOCY 231 International Migration

Senior Seminar (required):

INAF 499 Senior Seminar in International Affairs

Second Language Requirement

Trinity’s International Affairs major recognizes the importance of the ability to communicate effectively in more than one language.  All majors must demonstrate a competency in a second language equivalent to at least the third semester in a second language. Ideally, students will be able to continue their language studies and progress through the fourth semester of intermediate study. The completion of four semesters in a second language is one option for meeting the second language requirement.  Alternatively, students may follow the third semester of second language study with the completion of another course that deepens their knowledge of the importance of language and culture.  For example, after completing the 201 course in a second language, students then could take a course such as COM 225 Intercultural Communication, Intercultural Communication, or another literature, cultural studies, or history course dealing with the regions in which this language is prominent. Students should plan their approach to the satisfaction of this requirement in close consultation with the program chair and program faculty.  In short, the second language requirement represents 12 credits of study, completed through one of two possible pathways. This proficiency may be demonstrated through course work, approved language tests, or other means approved by the program chair.

Area of Concentration

Majors must complete ONE of the areas of concentration listed below. Courses counted toward an area of concentration must constitute 18 credits in addition to those counted toward the required courses for the major; no course may be counted toward the fulfillment of both required major courses and an area of concentration.

I. Area and Cultural Studies

In the Area Studies concentration, students select a combination of courses within which they can develop their knowledge of a specific global region.  These courses may be directly focused on a global region or provide the opportunity through course assignments for a student to focus her attention on her region of interest.  International Affairs majors have pursued Area and Cultural Studies concentrations that explore the contemporary experiences of Latin America and the Caribbean, The Spanish or French Speaking Worlds, The Middle East, Europe, The Developing World. The exact composition of the Area Studies concentration can be shaped to each major’s particular emphases. Courses in support of the designated Area Studies concentration can be drawn from all areas of the curriculum.

Students interested in designing an Area Studies concentration work closely with the program chair and faculty to choose a balanced and diverse range of courses.

II. International Relations

The International Relations concentration combines the complementary methodological and interpretive perspectives of the social sciences in the analysis of current international issues. Students in the area of concentration distribute their courses to include one approved course in economics, one approved course in political science and four other courses drawn from across the social science disciplines.  Students are strongly encouraged to include INAF 491 Internship as part of this concentration. Students should work closely with the program chair and faculty in developing a balanced and diverse range of courses in the completion of this concentration.

III. The Global Economy

The Global Economy concentration develops a basic understanding of current issues and trends in the globalizing world economy, drawing from principles of economics as well as fundamental business concepts that govern international commercial and financial transactions. Students should choose at least one course in Business Administration and at least one course in Economics from the list below, with the remaining concentration courses chosen to reflect particular student interests and goals. All ECON courses require completion of ECON 100 Principles of Economics as a pre-requisite.

Approved courses in BADM

BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?
BADM 236 Theories of Leadership
BADM 307 International Business
BADM 320 International Management Global Leadership
BADM 328 Business, Government, and Society
BADM 330 Sustainability, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
BADM 350 Understanding Global Institutions

Approved courses in ECON

ECON 221 Environmental Economics
ECON 223 Women in the Economy
ECON 252 Comparative Capitalist Systems
ECON 253 Issues in Economic Development
ECON 351 International Trade
ECON 353 International Finance

Additional economics and business courses may be approved for the concentration in consultation with the INAF, BADM and ECON program chairs.

IV. Conflict Management and Diplomacy

The Conflict Management and Diplomacy concentration examines the theories and techniques that have been developed to understand international conflicts and to promote their resolution. All students in this area of concentration are strongly urged to take POLS 443 Seminar on Conflict Theory and Management. The remaining 15 credits can be distributed in various patterns and should be drawn from at least three of the core INAF disciplines. Students selecting this concentration should work closely with the program chair and faculty. INAF 491 Internship is strongly recommended. Majors in this concentration are also encouraged to participate in the activities of the Capital Area Association of Peace Studies.

Students electing this concentration may choose to enroll in regionally-oriented courses offered by the Economics, History, International Affairs, and Political Science programs; they can then focus their course projects on conflict management.

V. Global Migration

The Global Migration concentration examines global migration with particular emphasis on current trends related to women and children: human smuggling and trafficking; immigrant identity; transnational relationships between emigrant and immigrant communities. Students selecting this concentration area are required to take SOCY 231 International Migration.  Other courses in International Affairs, History, Language and Culture, Political Science and Sociology can be chosen to support this concentration.  Students are urged to work closely with the program chair to design their concentration.

Minor Requirements

The international affairs minor requires 18 credits.

Introduction to International Affairs (required):

INAF 201 Introduction to International Affairs

World Geography (one required):

INAF 251 Geography of the Americas and Europe
INAF 252 Geography of Africa and Asia

Global Economy (one required):

ECON 252 Comparative Capitalist Systems
ECON 253 Issues in Economic Development
ECON 351 International Trade
ECON 353 International Finance
BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?
BADM 350 Understanding Global Institutions
INAF 385 Politics and Policy in International Trade

Political Science (both required):

POLS 231 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POLS 241 Introduction to International Relations

History (one required):

HIS 255 Contemporary History of the Third World
HIS 342 U.S. History from 1946 through 1988
HIS 358 The Modern Middle East
HIS 360 Ethics & Power: Contemporary Diplomatic History of the US
HIS 369 Vietnam
HIS 485 Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945

Students choosing to minor in international affairs are urged to plan their program with the advice of the Program Chair.

Program Policies

Advanced Placement Policy:
As an interdisciplinary program, the International Affairs Program follows the policies of its disciplinary components on issues applicable to this major. Please refer to the statements of the appropriate program for policies on credits earned through advanced placement examinations.

CLEP Policy:
The International Affairs Program follows the program policies of its component disciplines for credits earned through CLEP examinations.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in the courses required in the major for graduation.

Pass/No Pass:
Courses fulfilling the major requirement may not be taken pass/no pass.

Senior Assessment:
All majors in their senior year must complete an independent research paper examining an issue in contemporary international affairs under the direction of the Program Chair.  Seniors present and assess their research findings in an oral discussion with the Program Chair and a second member of the international affairs faculty.

TELL Policy:
The International Affairs Program follows the program policies of its component disciplines for TELL credits applicable towards the major.

Transfer Credits:
Because it is an interdisciplinary program, the International Affairs Program follows the transfer policies of the contributing disciplines in determining the applicability of transfer credit to the requirements of the major. At least 12 credits in the major must be taken at Trinity, including INAF 499.

Course Descriptions

INAF 201 Introduction to International Affairs
INAF 251 Geography of the Americas and Europe
INAF 252 Geography of Africa and Asia
INAF 300 Feminization of International Migration
INAF 310 Current Issues in Asia
INAF 311 Current Issues in the Americas
INAF 313 Current Issues in Haiti
INAF 321 Contemporary Issues in Africa
INAF 363 U.S. Intelligence and World Affairs
INAF 371 International Terrorism
INAF 372 International Migration and Hum Traff
INAF 381 Contemporary Topics in International Affairs
INAF 382 Oil and International Affairs
INAF 383 Poverty & Humanitarianism
INAF 491 Internship
INAF 497 Directed Reading International Affairs
INAF 498 Independent Study
INAF 499 Senior Seminar in International Affairs
BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?
BADM 236 Theories of Leadership
BADM 307 International Business
BADM 320 International Management Global Leadership
BADM 328 Business, Government, and Society
BADM 330 Sustainability, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
BADM 350 Understanding Global Institutions
COM 225 Intercultural Communication
COM 335 International Communication
COM 388 Gender and Communication
ECON 221 Environmental Economics
ECON 223 Women in the Economy
ECON 252 Comparative Capitalist Systems
ECON 253 Issues in Economic Development
ECON 351 International Trade
ECON 353 International Finance
HIS 255 Contemporary History of the Third World
HIS 342 U.S. History from 1946 through 1988
HIS 358 The Modern Middle East
HIS 369 Vietnam
HIS 485 Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945
POLS 231 Introduction to Comparative Politics
POLS 241 Introduction to International Relations
POLS 443 Seminar on Conflict Theory and Management
SOCY 103 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
SOCY 131 Global Social Issues
SOCY 231 International Migration
SOCY 333 Women and Third World Development