These lower-division courses are prerequisites required for International Affairs core courses. They will give you a better grasp of international affairs across disciplines, setting you up for success when you begin taking your core classes. Many of these courses can be used simultaneously to satisfy university core curriculum requirements and requirements for other majors.

While these courses are required of all International Affairs majors, they do not count as part of the 30 credit hours required for the major. Since these are background courses, the minimum requirements for grades for courses required for majors do not apply.

Want to Double Major?

Our background courses help students who would like to double major. If you are completing a double major or minor, you should be aware that some departments require you to complete a minimum number of courses that you only count toward that major or minor (called “unique credit hours”). For example, the Political Science major requires that fifteen of the credits counted to fulfill the major not be counted toward any other major or minor. **International Affairs background courses do not count against this fifteen credit rule.** Therefore, for example, two of the required background courses for the International Affairs major may also count as “unique credits” toward a Political Science major. This is one reason International Affairs majors often pick up additional majors and minors.

Since many of these courses are prerequisites for other required courses, you should complete these courses as soon as possible.

The Required Background Courses Are:

  1. Growth of Western Civilization (HIST 1001 or HIST 1002) and one of the following courses: Latin America (HIST 1301), Africa (1401), East Asia (HIST 1501)
  2. Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (ECON 1103 and 1104)
  3. Comparative Politics (POSC 2401) and International Politics (POSC 2601)
  4. Statistics (one of the following: BUAD 1560, SOCI 2060, MATH 1700, or PSYC 2001)
  5. Foreign Language (through the intermediate level, i.e., 2002 level)

International Affairs students are encouraged to take at least two language courses beyond the intermediate level.