• FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What Can I Do With a Major in International Studies?

2. Can I Do An International Internship And Get Credit Towards The Major For My Internship?

3. How Does Study Abroad Fit Into The International Studies Major?

4. Can I Use International Studies Courses In Fulfillment Of My Distribution Requirements?

5. How Do The "Double-Counting" Restrictions Work?

6. What are the differences between the two plans, and is one better than the other?

7. What Global History class should I take?

8. When should I declare?

1. WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MAJOR IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES?

ANSWER: Career options for International Studies majors are as many and varied as their options for the primary major. The adjunct major is designed to develop global perspective skills, critical thinking abilities, language ability and the cultural sensitivity to work with people from all backgrounds. It is our belief that in the 21st century these skills will be required in all fields, from engineering to medicine to teaching and business consulting.

Recent International Studies graduates have accepted job offers in the fields of civil engineering (overseas), business consulting, advertising, investment banking, telecommunications, print journalism, educational policy, and public affairs. Many of our graduates are accepted to graduate programs of international affairs, business or law; a significant number win prestigious scholarships such as Fulbright, DAAD, Mellon or Truman Fellowships which help support their graduate study. Often, International Studies majors are among those NU students chosen to participate in the Peace Corps program and the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. For more information, see the link on our link "Jobs & More".

For information on occupational fields, skills and ability assessment, and job-search workshops, be sure to contact NU Career Services at 601 University Place. For Information on "What can I do with a major in...?" you may want to check out the following career service advising page, which links specific disciplines to careers: UNCW career services. Astute readers will note that interdisciplinary majors such as International Studies are not dealt with in these categorizations; you may want to search under "Political Science" or under "Cultural and Area Studies", in addition to your primary major.

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2. CAN I DO AN INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP AND GET CREDIT TOWARDS THE MAJOR FOR MY INTERNSHIP?

ANSWER: It is the policy of Weinberg College not to grant credit for paid internships, experiential education or internships without a substantial academic component. That said, it should be emphasized that both Northwestern University, through its Campaign Northwestern initiatives, and the International Studies Undergraduate Program are actively seeking to develop new options such as senior linkage seminars, and field studies options which link students' academic program to problems and issues of the real world.

International Studies majors whose primary major is outside Weinberg College may, subject to the policies of their undergraduate school, receive credit for an internship, practicum or field studies course towards their primary major. Journalism majors with French proficiency will want to pay particular emphasis to the new exchange program in Paris, which pairs a fall semester of study with an overseas media internship the following spring.

International Studies does not at this time offer an internship or field studies option which fits within the 11 required courses of the major; although we hope to develop such an option. Nonetheless, we encourage students to pursue paid or unpaid internships in their primary field of study, and we cooperate with NUSEP, Chicago Field Studies and other departments in locating sites within the Chicago business community for internationally-oriented placements. Some Weinberg College departments or programs which offer an internship or Field Study course include: African-American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Business Institutions, Chicago Field Studies, Center for the Humanities, Environmental Sciences, and Women's Studies. The Political Science department maintains a list of internship opportunities for students with interests in politics and government.

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3. HOW DOES STUDY ABROAD FIT INTO THE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES MAJOR?

ANSWER: International Studies encourages and supports study abroad for all of its majors, irrespective of school or primary major. With proper planning and program selection, students can complete both majors, and a study abroad sojourn within their regular 4-year study period at NU. As a general rule of thumb, and subject to the study abroad policies of the university, International Studies counsels students who are considering study abroad to plan on completing their regional concentration courses during their sojourn. Students are encouraged to complete most of their core IS requirements, particularly the 201 series and 202, prior to going abroad.

Students must be sure to check with the undergraduate adviser in their primary majors for information on applicability of study abroad credit towards the primary major. See our Study Abroad page on procedures and policies.

For information on specific programs and application procedures, contact the Study Abroad Office, at 630 Dartmouth Place, or studyabroad@northwestern.edu. The resource library of the Study Abroad Office is a wonderful resource on affiliated and non-affiliated programs, and is open for walk-in traffic from 1:00-5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

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4. CAN I USE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES COURSES IN FULFILLMENT OF MY DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS?

ANSWER: Yes, you may use any number of IS courses for distribution credit without affecting your double-counting limit. Only courses which constitute the primary major are subject to the double-counting rule. At present several of the core requirements for the major count for WCAS and Communication distribution credit, as do some of the courses which count towards regional concentrations. Similar distribution or general education requirements in other undergraduate schools allow education, engineering, music and journalism students to benefit from this option, as well.

Note that there are restrictions on the use of Study Abroad courses for WCAS distribution credit. According to current college policy: "Courses taken abroad as part of an affiliated program (but not approved or ad hoc programs) may be used to satisfy Weinberg College distribution requirements, provided they are substantially similar to courses on the Weinberg College approved list and conform to the defining language of the distribution requirements. However, such approval is not automatic..." Please check with the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies of Weinberg College for details of up-to-date policy on distribution courses.

Currently the following core requirements of International Studies fulfill WCAS distribution credit. HOWEVER, since the distribution course list does change from year to year, please read the official Weinberg College distribution requirement list(or that of your own undergraduate school) for confirmation of applicability for distribution credit. Remember, too, that a number of the regional concentration options, too numerous to note individually, count for distribution credit in the areas of Historical Studies, Values, or Literature and The Arts.

INTL 201 (Intro to the World System) parts one and two: Area IV, Historical Studies

INTL 201 part three: Area III, Social and Behavioral Sciences

PSC 240 (Intro to International Relations): Area III Social Sciences

ANTH 211(Culture and Society): Area III Social Sciences

ANTH 215 Study of Culture Through Language: Area III Social Sciences
LING 220 (Language and Society): Area III Social Sciences

REL 110 (Religion in Human Experience): Area V, Values

INTL 202 (International Ethics): Area V, Values

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5. HOW DO THE "DOUBLE-COUNTING" RESTRICTIONS WORK?

ANSWER:It depends on which plan you are following:

Core Elective (old); Of the eleven courses required, at least 9 courses may not be used in fulfillment of any other major which the student is undertaking. This means students can double count two courses from their major. For example a Political Science major could double count Poli Sci 240 and a Poli Sci 395 class but not the related courses given by other departments.

Thematic Cluster (new); Of the twelve courses required, at least 8 courses may not be used in fulfillment of any other major which the student is undertaking. Again these have to be courses offered by your major department as stated above.

Students who have chosen Political Science, Economics, or a language/area studies major as their primary major will want to consult with the International Studies director or advisor early in their course of study to make certain they are completing enough courses for both majors.

In most cases, no courses may be double-counted between an adjunct major and a minor. However, certain interdisciplinary minors do allow limited double-counting with a major or adjunct major. They are: African Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Business Institutions, Integrated Arts, Jewish Studies, Latin American-Caribbean Studies, Science in Human Culture, and Gender Studies. For these minors only, at least five of the courses used in fulfilling their requirements must be free-standing; ie may not be double-counted with another major. Please see the Undergraduate Catalog for more information about these minors.  

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6. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO PLANS AND IS ONE BETTER THAN THE OTHER ONE?

ANSWER: There are a few main differences in the programs such as requirements, study abroad credits, double counting, and planning.

Requirements:

Study Abroad: For the Core Elective (old) plan, study abroad credits can be earned in the regional requirement, upper level seminar, and on occasion in the core elective courses all with departmental approval. In the Thematic Cluster (new) plan, students that study abroad automatically earn credits for their regional cluster as long as three classes are taken while abroad and do not conflict with double counting rules. It is possible to have study abroad courses count towards the thematic cluster; however students will need approval for those courses from the Associate Director of International Studies.

Double Counting: 2 classes can be double counted with a disciplinary major in the Core Elective (old) plan while 4 classes can be double counted towards the Thematic Cluster (new) plan.

Planning: The Core Elective (old) plan courses can be taken in any order at any time. On the Thematic Cluster (new) plan students must plan their courses more in order to complete the 3 thematic cluster classes and most of the core requirements before enrolling in the Integrating Project Seminar in their spring of Junior year or Senior year.

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7. WHAT GLOBAL HISTORY CLASS SHOULD I TAKE?

If you have already petitioned to graduate , these changes will be accounted for as I have been in discussion with the degree auditors. However these changes may not appear automatically on CESAR for a few weeks. The Registrar's Office needs time to enter the new program requirements into the system before it will appear in CESAR.

If you have already petitioned to graduate, and you would like to follow the NEW & REVISED plan please set up an appointment to fill out another petition to graduate because it will need to be resubmitted.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your petition.

International Studies Courses that will count toward the Third World Systems Course for the Core Elective (old) Program

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8. WHEN SHOULD I DECLARE?

ANSWER: You should declare as soon as you know you want to study international studies. Most students declare in their freshman or sophomore years especially if they need to declare in order to study abroad. It is highly recommended to declare in your freshman year for several reasons; you will be placed on the International Studies Listserv where you will receive updates on events, courses, awards, and internships and you will have pre registration rights to International Studies courses (ie. Courses such as Int St 201-1, 2). It is not recommended that you declare in your junior or senior year for the Thematic Cluster (new) plan.

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