International Studies
internationalstudies.northwestern.edu
International studies is an undergraduate adjunct major taken in conjunction with a disciplinary major. It complements other Weinberg majors with a broad perspective on global issues. It is open to students in all schools.
The adjunct major provides students with a platform for interdisciplinary understanding of international affairs in connection with contemporary politics and society. Students are required to take a core set of courses in history, economy and markets, and US foreign policy that are designed to introduce key elements and concepts related to global and international issues. Each student also chooses a thematic concentration, taking courses from a variety of disciplines such as history, political science, economics, anthropology, literature, art, linguistics, global health, music, and religion. Students complete the major with either an integrating project seminar related to the thematic focus or an honors thesis that includes a 2-quarter honors seminar.
Each student majoring in international studies has a different combination of courses. Because international studies majors must show a minimum of 8 courses not double-counted in any other major(s), students should see an international studies adviser when designing their programs.
International Studies Learning Objectives
The International Studies curriculum is designed to teach students how to engage in clear thinking about important global issues. Students should acquire fundamental analytical skills and concepts needed to engage thoughtfully with global issues, and specialized knowledge of a specific region, problem, or theme. Students learn to analyze scholarly research, for content and for techniques of research, and to engage in original scholarship that employs the best of these practices. Students also learn to integrate practical experience with academic insight and to interact with professionals in the field of international affairs. These skills are the foundation for diverse post-graduate specializations across the fields of science, administration, activism, and research.
International Studies Courses
This list reflects only international studies courses listed under the INTL ST course code; see other parts of this catalog for relevant courses.
INTL_ST 201-0 Thinking Globally — An Introduction to International Studies (1 Unit) This is the gateway course for International Studies students. Students are introduced to the building blocks of International Studies, a field that combines study of history, human sciences, law, and cultural analysis. Students conduct applied research in which they explore an issue, problem or conflict with the goal of developing a frame of understanding and plan of action.
INTL_ST 290-0 Topics in International Studies (1 Unit) Topics vary. Augments offerings of departments. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
INTL_ST 383-1 Elliott Scholars Program: Foundation Topics in Global Affairs (1 Unit) The Elliott Scholars Program, offered with the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, provides an opportunity for a cohort of undergraduates to engage deeply in a critical issue within global affairs from an interdisciplinary perspective. This first seminar will provide students with a foundational understanding of the issue, which will vary as different professors participate. This is an application-based program. Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
INTL_ST 383-2 Elliott Scholars Program: Foundation Topics II in Global Affairs (1 Unit) The Elliott Scholars Program, offered with the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, provides an opportunity for undergraduates to engage deeply in a critical issue within global affairs from an interdisciplinary perspective. This seminar will provide students with a foundational understanding of the issue, which will vary as different professors participate. This is an application-based program. Prerequisites: INTL_ST 383-1. Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
INTL_ST 390-0 Special Topics in International Studies (1 Unit) Topics vary. Augments offerings of departments.
INTL_ST 393-0 Development in the Global Context: Participation, Power, and Social Change (1-3 Units) Central debates and issues of international development. Global poverty, development goals, alternative approaches, participation, scale, sustainability, power, evaluation, and social change. Restricted to students in the Global Engagement Studies Institute program. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
INTL_ST 393-SA Development in the Global Context: Participation, Power, and Social Change (1-3 Units) Central debates and issues of international development. Global poverty, development goals, alternative approaches, participation, scale, sustainability, power, evaluation, and social change. Restricted to students in the Global Engagement Studies Institute program. Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
INTL_ST 395-0 Integrating Project Seminar (1 Unit) Small research seminars allow international studies majors to conduct research in their chosen themes.
INTL_ST 398-1 Honors Seminar (1 Unit) Two consecutive quarters (fall and winter) during which students work on their senior theses. Admission by written application to the program director.
INTL_ST 398-2 Honors Seminar (1 Unit) Two consecutive quarters (fall and winter) during which students work on their senior theses. Admission by written application to the program director.
INTL_ST 399-0 Independent Research (1 Unit) Advanced research is carried out under the supervision of a Northwestern professor. Independent study may count toward completion of a thematic cluster. Consent of the director of the undergraduate's major is required following submission of a written proposal.