Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Degree Requirements 

The international studies major is an interdisciplinary 120-hour course of study. To earn a degree in international studies from SIUE, students must complete all general education and specific program and concentration requirements, as follows:

• A 36 credit hour university general education requirement (including a choice of an IS course with a global focus)
• A foreign language requirement (demonstration of a foreign language equivalent to passing the intermediate level of college-level courses, which can be achieved through 16 credit hours of foreign language courses)
• A 42 credit hour major requirement, including:
  • 12 credit hours of core courses
  • 6 credit hours of international travel study
  • 24 credit hours of major electives
• An 18 credit hour minor
• Additional general electives adding up to the 120-hour course of study

Foreign Language Requirement

Students majoring in international studies must demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language equivalent to passing the intermediate level of college-level courses, which can be achieved through 16 credit hours of foreign language courses.

High school students who plan to major in international studies at SIUE are highly recommended to complete at least three to four years of a foreign language.

New students at SIUE with an interest in international studies, as well as community college students who want to transfer to SIUE’s international studies program, should plan to take four semesters of foreign language coursework prior to declaring the international studies major.

Study Abroad Requirement

This major requires six credit hours of international travel study, either for the duration of a semester or during a summer session, and thus immersion in a foreign culture and firsthand exposure to international issues. The international travel study must be chosen in consultation with the international studies program director and international studies advisor.

Core Courses (18 credit hours)

International studies majors complete the following core courses:

INTS 200 Essentials of International Studies

The course is designed to introduce students to the interdisciplinary character of international studies and to acquaint them with the major trends and themes in global affairs today. International studies topics are approached from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

GEOG 201 World Regions

This course offers a survey of major world areas in terms of population, settlement, and related human occupancy patterns.

POLS 370 Introduction to International Relations

The course provides an overview of the past and current nation-state system, addressing power, national interests, foreign policy processes, war, international law and organizations, global problems and prospects

INTS 499 International Studies Senior Assignment

The course is designed to provide a capstone experience for the students in the interdisciplinary major of International Studies. It provides an opportunity to conduct research on an international studies topic selected by the student, connected to a concentration area and linking specific disciplinary and geographic foci.

Elective Courses (24 credit hours)

Major electives must be selected in such a way as to be pertinent to the concentration area of interest to each student, in consultation with the international studies program director and international studies advisor.

Below are suggested elective courses:

• INTS 400 - Internship in International Studies (6 credit hours)
• INTS 401 - Independent Project in International Studies (3 credit hours)
• An internship with an international focus (INTS 400) and an independent project with an international focus (INTS 401) are not required but highly encouraged as major electives.

Anthropology

• ANTH 111B - Human Culture and Communication
• ANTH 202 - Anthropology Through Film and Fiction
• ANTH 204 - Anthropology of the Paranormal through Popular Media
• ANTH 205 - Introduction to Native American Studies
• ANTH 206 - Anthropology of Disasters
• ANTH 305 - People and Cultures of Native North America
• ANTH 308 - Religion and Culture
• ANTH 312 - Contemporary Native Americans
• ANTH 332 - Ancient Cities of the Tigris, Euphrates, and Beyond
• ANTH 333 - Aztec, Maya, and Inca Origins
• ANTH 334 - Food and Cultural Change
• ANTH 340 - Environmental Anthropology
• ANTH 352 - Medical Anthropology
• ANTH 359 - Legal Anthropology
• ANTH 404 - Anthropology and the Arts
• ANTH 405 - Alternative Tourisms
• ANTH 411 - Urban Anthropology
• ANTH 435 - Living Cultural Heritage

Applied Communications Studies

• ACS 210 - Interracial Communication
• ACS 213 - Introduction to Public Relations
• ACS 270 - Risk and Crisis Communication
• ACS 304 - Conflict Management and Communication
• ACS 311 - Intercultural Communication
• ACS 331 - Gender and Communication
• ACS 413 - Case Studies in Public Relations
• ACS 416 - International Public Relations
• ACS 431 - Public Relations Visual Communication
• ACS 434 - Nonverbal Communication

Art and Design

• ART 225A - History of Western Art: Prehistoric through Medieval
• ART 225B - History of Western Art: Renaissance to Present
• ART 424 - Baroque Art
• ART 447A - Ancient Art
• ART 447B - Ancient Art: Greek High Classic to Rome
• ART 448 - Early Christian and Medieval Art
• ART 449 - Italian Renaissance Art
• ART 451 - Northern Renaissance Art
• ART 467 - Islamic Art and Architecture
• ART 468A - Native Arts of the Americas
• ART 468B - Native Arts of the Americas: North America
• ART 469A - Art of Africa
• ART 469B - Art of Oceania
• ART 470 - Topics in Art History
• ART 471 - Topics in Renaissance and Baroque Art
• ART 472 - Topics in Modern Art
• ART 473 - Women in Art
• ART 474 - Topics in Public Art
•  ART 475 - History of Photography
• ART 476 - History of Modern Architecture & Design
• ART 480 - American Art
• ART 481 - Modern Art
• ART 482 - Contemporary Art

Biological Sciences

• BIOL 205 - Human Diseases
• BIOL 330 - Environmental Health
• BIOL 365 - Ecology
• BIOL 371 - Plants and Civilization
• BIOL 435 - Ecological Risk Assessment
• BIOL 462 - Biogeography
• BIOL 463 - Conservation Biology
• BIOL 465 - Aquatic Ecosystems
• BIOL 466 - Terrestial Ecosystems
• BIOL 468 - Pollution Ecology
• BIOL 470 - Field Biology

Criminal Justice

• CJ 311 - Perspectives on Terrorism
• CJ 348- Law and Society
• CJ 366 - Race and Class in Criminal Justice
• CJ 367 - Gender and Criminal Justice
• CJ 490 - Cybercrime

Economics

• ECON 111 - Principles of Macroeconomics
• ECON 112 - Principles of Microeconomics
• ECON 301 - Consumer and Firm Decision-making
• ECON 302 - Economic Growth and Stability
• ECON 327 - Social Economics: Issues of Income, Employment, and Social Policy
• ECON 461 - International Economics
• FIN 450 - International Finance

English Language & Literature

• ENG 207 - Language Awareness
• ENG 214 - Topics in World Literature: Ancient to Medieval
• ENG 215 - Topics in World Literature: Renaissance to Modern
• ENG 315 - Literature and Sustainability
• ENG 318 - Language Endangerment and Death
• ENG 340 - Topics in Global Literatures
• ENG 344 - Topics in Ethnic Literature
• ENG 370 - Morphological Analysis
• ENG 400 - Principles of Linguistics
• ENG 410 - Rhetoric, Writing, and Citizenship
• ENG 412 - Digital Literacies
• ENG 416 - Language and Society
• ENG 417 - Language and Ethnicity
• ENG 420 - Topics in Film Studies
• ENG 457 - Topics in Postcolonial Literature and Criticism
• ENG 468 - Second Language Acquisition
• ENG 472 - Assessment and Testing in English as a Second Language
• ENG 474 - Bilingualism and Bilingual Education
• ENG 478 - Studies in Women, Language, and Literature
• ENG 488 - Rhetoric, Politics, and the Law

Environmental Sciences

• ENSC 111 - Survey of Environmental Studies and Sustainability
• ENSC 125 - Topics of Environmental Health and Toxicology
• ENSC 210 - Applied Research Methods
• ENSC 220 - Principles of Environmental Sciences
• ENSC 220L - Principles of Environmental Sciences Laboratory
• ENSC 330 - Environmental Health
• ENSC 340 - Ecosystem Management and Sustainability
• ENSC 401 - Environmental Policy
• ENSC 402 - Environmental Law
• ENSC 431- Environmental Toxicology
• ENSC 435 - Ecological Risk Assessment
• ENSC 440 - Sustainable Environmental Practices
• ENSC 473 - Occupational Health

Foreign Languages & Literature

• FL 111A - Introduction to Foreign Studies: French
• FL 111B - Introduction to Foreign Studies: German
• FL 111C - Introduction to Hispanic Civilization
• FL 111D - Introduction to Foreign Studies: Chinese
• FL 111E - Introduction to Foreign Studies: The French Speaking World
• FL 111F - Latin American Culture
• FL 220 - Brazilian History through Film
• FL 345 - Literature in Translation
• FL 491 - Cultural and Language Workshop
• FR 311 - Contemporary France
• FR 312 - Quebecois Culture and Literature
• FR 320 - Advanced French Conversations
• FR 351 - Survey of French Literature: Middle Ages through Classicism
• FR 352 - Survey of French Literature: Enlightenment to Present
• FR 353 - Survey of French Novel
• FR 377 - French Culture Through Cinema
• FR 402 - Business French
• FR 451 - Studies in French Literature: Middle Ages through Renaissance
• FR 452 - Studies in French Literature: Classicism through Enlightenment
• FR 453 - Studies in French Literature: Romanticism to Present
• FR 455 - French Drama
• FR 456 - Seminar on Women Writers
• FR 457 - African & Caribbean Literature of French Expression
• FR 491 - Cultural and Language Workshop: French
• GER 304 - German in Commerce and Government
• GER 311 - German Culture
• GER 320 - Advanced German Conversation
• GER 351 - Survey of German Literature: Middle Ages through Romanticism
• GER 352 - Survey of German Literature: Realism to Present
• GER 353A - Survey of a German Genre: Poetry
• GER 353B - Survey of a German Genre: Novelle
• GER 353C - Survey of a German Genre: Drama
• GER 402 - Business German
• GER 411 - German Civilization
• GER 452 - Faust
• GER 453 - Seminar in German Literature
• GER 491 - Cultural and Language Workshop: German
• ITAL 220 - Intermediate Italian Conversation
• SPAN 302 - Advanced Spanish - Introduction to Literature
• SPAN 305 - Computer Assisted Written Translation
• SPAN 307 - Business Spanish
• SPAN 309 - Medical Spanish
• SPAN 311 - Contemporary Spain
• SPAN 312 - Contemporary Spanish America
• SPAN 320 - Advanced Spanish Conversation
• SPAN 351 - Survey of Spanish Literature: Peninsular
• SPAN 352 - Survey of Spanish-American Literature: Colonial Period until the Present
• SPAN 353 - Survey of Drama in the Spanish Language
• SPAN 412A - U.S.A. Hispanics: Mexican Americans
• SPAN 412B - U.S.A. Hispanics: Cuban & Puerto Rican Americans
• SPAN 440 - Contemporary Spanish American Cinema
• SPAN 451 - Studies in Spanish Literature: Beginnings through 17th Century
• SPAN 452 - Studies in Spanish Literature: 17th through 20th Centuries
• SPAN 453 - Seminar in Hispanic Literature
• SPAN 471 - Spanish-American Literature: Short Stories and Novel
• SPAN 491 - Cultural and Language Workshop: Spanish

Geography

• GEOG 202 - Natural Resource Management and Sustainability
• GEOG 205 - Human Geography
• GEOG 300 - Population Geography
• GEOG 301 - Economic Geography
• GEOG 303 - Introduction to Urban Geography
• GEOG 314 - Climatology
• GEOG 316 - Introduction to Biogeography
• GEOG 330 - Geography of Europe
• GEOG 332 - Geography of Africa
• GEOG 333 - Geography of Asia
• GEOG 334 - Geography of Latin America
• GEOG 335 - Geography of North America
• GEOG 401 - Geography of Development
• GEOG 402 - Cultural Landscape
• GEOG 403 - Advanced Urban Geography
• GEOG 404 - Medical Geography
• GEOG 405 - Geography of Food
• GEOG 406 - Political Geography
• GEOG 416 - Conservation Biogeography
• GEOG 430 - Global Climate Change
• GEOG 453 - Topics in Regional Geography

History

• HIST 111A - History of Western Civilization I: Prehistory to 500 AD
• HIST 111B - History of Western Civilization II: 500-1715
• HIST 111C - History of Western Civilization III: 1715-Present
• HIST 112A - World History to 1500
• HIST 112B - World History: 1500 to Present
• HIST 210A - Early Asian History
• HIST 210B - Comparative Asian Civilizations: 1600 to Present
• HIST 211A - History of Africa: Prehistoric to Colonial Times
• HIST 211B - History of Africa: Colonial Times to the Present
• HIST 212A - Islamic History, 600-1800
• HIST 212B - Modern Middle East
• HIST 213A - History of Latin America: From Pre-Columbian Civilizations to the Mid-Nineteenth Century
• HIST 213B - History of Latin America: From the Mid-19th Century to the Present
• HIST 308A - Imperium and Christianity: Western Europe 300-1000 C.E.
• HIST 308B - Medieval Conquests and Kingdoms: 1000-1500 C.E.
• HIST 313 - Monsters, Magic, and the Unnatural
• HIST 315 - History of Religion in Europe
• HIST 320 - The Renaissance in Europe
• HIST 321 - Reformation Europe: 1500-1648
• HIST 332 - Women, Health, and Science in History
• HIST 354 - History of the Ottoman Empire, 1300-1924
• HIST 356B - History of China: 1644 to the Present
• HIST 358 - History of Japan
• HIST 415 - Modern German History
• HIST 416 - World War I and Its Aftermath: 1914 - 1921
• HIST 418 - World War II
• HIST 420B - European Social, Cultural, and Intellectual History: French Revolution to Present
• HIST 422A - Late Modern Europe: Vienna Congress to the Great War
• HIST 422B - Late Modern Europe: World War I through World War II
• HIST 422C - Late Modern Europe: Europe since World War II
• HIST 423A - Trail of Tears: Native American History from Columbus to Removal
• HIST 423B - Indian Wars, Progressives and Casinos: Native American History from Removal to Present
• HIST 424 - Topics in East European History
• HIST 427 - History of South Africa
• HIST 428 - Topics in European Women’s History
• HIST 439 - Aid to Africa: Humanitarianism and Development in African History
• HIST 452 - Native American Women
• HIST 455 - Women and Gender in Islamic History

Humanities

• HUM 310A - Esperanto

Mass Communication

• MC 201 - Mass Media in Society
• MC 351 - Women in Mass Communications
• MC 403 - Cultural Studies in Media
• MC 452 - New Media and Technology
• MC 453 - Transnational Media
• MC 478 - International Advertising

Music

• MUS 111 - Introduction to Music History/Literature
• MUS 105 - World Music Ensemble (1 credit option)
• MUS 267, 367A, 367B - History of Music I, II, III (2 credits each)
• MUS 305 - Non-Western Music
• MUS 337 - Evolution of Jazz Styles
• MUS 338 - Introduction to Jazz

Philosophy

• PHIL 222 - Environmental Ethics
• PHIL 225 - Contemporary Moral Issues
• PHIL 226 - Philosophy and Film
• PHIL 228 - Philosophy and Literature
• PHIL 231 - Philosophy, Science, and Religion
• PHIL 233 - Philosophy in Diverse Cultures
• PHIL 234 - World Religions
• PHIL 235 - Existentialism
• PHIL 300 - Classical Greek Philosophy
• PHIL 301 - Medieval Western Philosophy
• PHIL 302 - Hellenistic Philosophy
• PHIL 303 - Nineteenth Century Western Philosophy
• PHIL 304 - Eighteenth Century Philosophy
• PHIL 307 - Seventeenth Century Philosophy
• PHIL 308 - Twentieth Century European Philosophy
• PHIL 335 - Islamic Thought
• PHIL 336 - Christian Thought
• PHIL 337 - American Indian Thought
• PHIL 340 - Social & Political Philosophy
• PHIL 343 - Philosophy of Law
• PHIL 344 - Women and Values
• PHIL 347 - Philosophy of Race
• PHIL 348 - Law and Society
• PHIL 355- Philosophy of Language
• PHIL 440 - Classical Political Theory
• PHIL 441 - Modern Political Theory

Physics

• PHYS 115 - Energy and the Environment

Political Science

• POLS 150 - Introduction to Comparative Politics
• POLS 344 - Urban Politics
• POLS 350 - Western European Political Systems
• POLS 351 - Eastern European Political Systems in Transition
• POLS 352 - Politics of Development
• POLS 353 - Politics of the Middle East
• POLS 354 - Women and Cross-National Politics
• POLS 355 - Political Systems of Latin America
• POLS 356 - Political Systems of Asia
• POLS 371 - International Political Economy
• POLS 392 - Law and Society
• POLS 425 - Environmental Public Policy and Administration
• POLS 446 - Gay and Lesbian Politics
• POLS 451 - Comparative Law and Courts
• POLS 453 - Ethnic Conflict
• POLS 459 - Topics in Comparative Politics
• POLS 472 - International Organizations
• POLS 473 - United States Foreign Policy
• POLS 479 - Topics in International Relations
• POLS 497 - Environmental Law

Social Work

• SOCW 301 - Introduction to Social Welfare Policy
• SOCW 302 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment I
• SOCW 303 - Human Behavior in the Social Environment II
• SOCW 390 - Diversity and Issues of Social and Economic Justice
• SOCW 401 - Social Welfare Policy Analysis
• SOCW 430 - Integrating Spirituality and Religion in Social Work Practice
• SOCW 440 - International & Global Issues in Social Work
• SOCW 454 - Disability in Society

Sociology

• SOC 111 - Introduction to Sociology
• SOC 300 - Social Problems
• SOC 304 - Race and Ethnic Relations
• SOC 308 - Gender and Society
• SOC 309 - Social Class and Inequality
• SOC 310 - The Sociological Study of Sexualities and Society
• SOC 323 - Sustainability in Organizations
• SOC 325 - Creating Social Change
• SOC 334 - Sociology of Food
• SOC 335 - Urban Sociology
• SOC 360 - Sociology of Immigration
• SOC 383 - Medicine, Health, & Society
• SOC 411 - Social Movements
• SOC 423 - Social Justice and Leadership
• SOC 470 - Sociology of Deviance
• SOC 474 - Victims and Society

Theater and Dance

• THEA 111 - The Dramatic Experience
• THEA 141 - Film Analysis
• THEA 201A, B - Core: History of the Theater
• THEA 312 - Multicultural Theater in America
• THEA 399 - Special Topics in Theatre: Study Abroad in London

Women's Studies

• WMST 300 - Women's Health
• WMST 308 - Gender & Society
• WMST 313 - Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective
• WMST 332 - Women, Health, Science in History
• WMST 345 - Women, Knowledge, and Reality
• WMST 353 - Representing Women's Bodies 300-1500
• WMST 354 - Women and Cross-National Politics
• WMST 428 - Topics in European Women's History
• WMST 456 - Seminar on Women Writers
• WMST 473 - Women in Art

Recommended IS Courses

• IS 303 - The Greatest Motion Pictures
• IS 305 - Native American Studies
• IS 306 - Myth and Music
• IS 309 - Cultural History of Popular Music
• IS 310 - Meditation and Mindfulness: Mind, Body and Society
• IS 324 - People and Cultures of the East
• IS 328 - History and Science
• IS 331 - Mind and Language
• IS 333 - Diversity, Culture, and Comic Books
• IS 334 - Natural Resources: Issues & Conflicts
• IS 336 - Global Problems and Human Survival
• IS 340 - The Problem of War and Peace
• IS 342 - Death and Dying
• IS 343 - Contemporary Health Care Issues
• IS 344 - Global History of Nursing and Healthcare
• IS 353 - Representing Women’s Bodies 300-1500
• IS 354 - Islam and Politics
• IS 361 - Music: Art and Science
• IS 363 - Living Ecologically
• IS 364 - The Atomic Era: Hitler, the Holocaust and the Bomb
• IS 370 - History of Museums
• IS 372 - Understanding Violence in the Human Community
• IS 375 - Technology and Public Policy
• IS 376 - Information Technology and Society
• IS 380 - Broadway Beat: Style in American Musical Theatre
• IS 386 - Cyberarts: Exploring Fine Arts & Computer Technology
• IS 400 - History, Culture and Language of China
• IS 403 - Global Health
• IS 444 - Deconstructing Race, Class, and Gender in the Media
• GBA 383 - Business and Society

Elective courses may be selected from an array of academic areas, including anthropology, applied communication studies, art and design, biological sciences, criminal justice, economics, English language and literature, environmental sciences, foreign languages and literature, geography, history, humanities, mass communications, music, philosophy, physics, political science, public administration and policy analysis, social work, sociology, theater and dance, and interdisciplinary studies (IS).