Requirements

International Studies is a 12-course major composed of three elements:

  • a set of four core courses
  • a regional focus (four courses)
  • a thematic focus (four courses)

The language and introductory courses provide the foundation for the major. The thematic focus relates to the social scientific study of some aspect of relations among states and peoples. Potential majors can choose from themes such as Conflict & Conflict Resolution, Global Governance & International Law, and International Political Economy & Development Studies. Students with a major in International Studies may seek to develop their own thematic focus, but the onus is on the student to demonstrate that the theme is appropriate and that there are sufficient courses to support the theme. The thematic focus should provide the student with a significant degree of breadth and depth in the theoretical study of their theme.

In addition to the thematic focus, students with a major in International Studies are expected to develop a degree of regional expertise. They should have sufficient knowledge of the states in a particular region of the world so that they can effectively apply their thematic coursework to that region. The study of a language from their proposed region is central to the major. Students completing the major must pursue a minimum of foreign language study at the 300 level of their language. Students are also strongly advised to study abroad in their language, and (with the exception of varsity athletes) most have studied abroad for at least one semester. Experiencing the part of the world that is the focus of the major and achieving competency in the language is considered an important aspect of the major.

Students interested in the International Studies major should contact the program director to discuss their interests. Students must apply for the major through the Student Program Application system. This is a non-competitive application. There is no cap on the number of majors or minimum GPA requirement for the major. The application is intended to assist students in developing an appropriate major curriculum related to their regional focus and major theme.

Outline of International Studies Major Requirements

Core Requirements (4 courses):

  • Language at the 301 level
  • ECON 110 Principles of Economics
  • 2 of the following 3 courses:
    • POLS-102: Introduction to Comparative Politics
    • POLS-103: Introduction to International Relations
    • ANTH-101: The Anthropological Perspective

ECON 110 and ANTH 101 must be taken within your first two years at Holy Cross.

Geographic Region:

  • One History Course from the region (the IS course list features contemporary History courses)
  • Three electives related to the region (your geographic region should correspond to the language you are studying)

Major Theme (4 courses):

  • 4 courses related to the theme

NOTE: The major curriculum must be approved through the application process, and changes in the curriculum must be approved by the director.

Students majoring in International Studies may count up to 2 courses from one semester abroad and up to 4 courses from a full year abroad toward the International Studies major requirements with the approval of the director. Students pursuing a double major or additional program may count no more than two courses from the second major or program toward the International Studies major. (Note that the double counting rule does not apply to International Studies core requirements, e.g. ANTH 101, ECON 110, or 301 language, with one exception: a POLS double major counting both POLS 102 and 103 towards core requirements is permitted to count one additional POLS course towards the International Studies major.)

The final authority on degree and major requirements is the College Catalog.

Sample Geographic Region Courses

Latin America

  • ANTH 266 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America
  • ANTH 399 Diaspora, Identity and Belonging
  • ECON 239 Latin American Economic Development
  • HIST 127 Modern Latin America
  • HIST 275 US-Mexican Border
  • HIST 277 Afro-Latin America
  • HIST 278 Raza e Identidad
  • HIST 279 America’s Colony: Puerto Rico
  • HIST 299 Sex and Revolution in Latin America
  • HIST 352 Rebels and Radical Thinkers
  • POLS 251 Latin American Politics
  • RELS 280 Liberation Theology
  • RELS 295 Un tal Jesus
  • SPAN 399 Health, Culture, and Social Justice in Latinx/America

Europe

  • AFST 260 Black Europe
  • CISS 392 The Holocaust
  • ECON 210 Economics of the European Union
  • FREN 431 Contemporary France
  • HIST 114 Napoleon to European Union
  • HIST 241 French Rebels and Revolutionaries
  • HIST 242 Britain and Empire, 1783-1901
  • HIST 243 Britain and Empire Since 1901
  • HIST 255 Europe: Mass Politics & Total War 1890-1945
  • HIST 256 Europe and the Superpowers, 1939-1991
  • HIST 261 Germany in the Age of Nationalism
  • HIST 262 Germany from Dictatorship to Democracy
  • ITAL 323 Introduction to Contemporary Italy
  • POLS 242 European Political Parties
  • POLS 265 European Politics
  • POLS 267 Politics of the European Union
  • PSYC 314 Science, Medicine and the Holocaust
  • RELS 327 Holocaust: Confronting Evil
  • SPAN 303 Aspects of Spanish Culture

Africa

  • ANTH 273 Anthropology of Africa
  • ANTH 251 Informal Economies
  • ECON 215 African Economies
  • HIST 196 African Colonial Lives
  • HIST 198 Modern Africa since 1800
  • HIST 296 South Africa and Apartheid
  • POLS 270 African Politics
  • STWL 235 Topics in African Cinema

Middle East

  • ANTH 299 Arab Women’s Worlds
  • HIST 291 Making of the Modern Middle East 1
  • HIST 292 Making of the Modern Middle East 2
  • HIST 392 Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
  • POLS 235 Islamic Political Thought
  • POLS 272 Politics of the Middle East
  • RELS 147 Judaism
  • RELS 107 Islam
  • RELS 315 Islamic Philosophy & Theology

Asia

  • ENGL 399 Visualizing the Vietnam War
  • HIST 155 World War II in East Asia
  • HIST 282 Modern China
  • HIST 298 Asian Revolutions
  • HIST 299 British Empire and Gandhi
  • HIST 299 Mao and Memory
  • PHIL 361 Confucian Values and Human Rights
  • POLS 276 South Asian Politics
  • POLS 278 East Asia in World Politics
  • RELS 107 Islam
  • RELS 108 Hinduism
  • SOCL 299 Social Stratification in India

Russia and Eastern Europe*
*Contingent on the availability of faculty courses

  • HIST 245 Imperial Russia East/West
  • HIST 253 The Soviet Experiment
  • HIST 256 Europe and the Superpowers
  • HIST 329 Collapse of Communism
  • RUSS 258 Russian Cinema

Sample Theme Courses

International Political Economy & Development Studies

  • ANTH 251 Informal Economies
  • ANTH 253 Gender & Development
  • ANTH 257 Anthropology of Debt
  • CISS 250 Introduction to Global Health
  • ECON 210 Economics of the European Union
  • ECON 239 Latin American Economic Development
  • ECON 299 Gender in Latin American Economic Development
  • ECON 299 Development Economics
  • HIST 212 History of Capitalism in US & World
  • HIST 244 Medicine, Health, and Empire
  • HIST 399 Gilded Age-US and World
  • POLS 257 Politics of Development
  • POLS 275 International Political Economy
  • POLS 287 Humanitarianism
  • POLS 288 Politics of Globalization
  • SOCL 210 Consumer & Corporate Sustainability
  • SOCL 281 Sociology of Travel & Tourism
  • SOCL 399 Food + Mobility

Conflict & Conflict Resolution

  • ANTH 264 Race, Racism and Anthropology
  • ANTH 299 Anthropology of Law
  • ANTH 386 Global Queer Activism
  • CISS 392 The Holocaust
  • CLSS 199 Stolen History
  • ENGL 399 Visualizing the Vietnam War
  • HIST 155 World War II in East Asia
  • HIST 241 French Rebels and Revolutionaries
  • HIST 242 Britain and Empire, 1783-1901
  • HIST 255 Europe: Mass Politics & Total War 1890-1945
  • HIST 296 South Africa and Apartheid
  • ITAL 299 Race, Migration and Identity
  • MUSC 299 Music in Global Protest
  • POLS 217 The Constitution in Wartime
  • POLS 278 East Asia in World Politics
  • POLS 282 American Foreign Policy
  • POLS 284 Human Rights
  • POLS 287 Humanitarianism
  • POLS 289 International Law
  • POLS 290 National Security Policy
  • POLS 333 Ethics & International Relations
  • POLS 337 Refugees
  • RELS 124 Theology of Protest
  • RELS 279 Religion and Violence
  • RELS 280 Liberation Theology
  • SOCL 299 Social Stratification in India
  • SOCL 299 Global Anti-Racism

Global Governance & International Law

  • CISS 209 Section One – Pandemic Policy (counts as POLS)
  • ECON 210 Economics of the European Union
  • POLS 275 International Political Economy
  • POLS 281 Global Governance
  • POLS 282 American Foreign Policy
  • POLS 284 Human Rights
  • POLS 287 Humanitarianism
  • POLS 288 Politics of Globalization
  • POLS 289 International Law
  • POLS 299 European Union Politics
  • POLS 333 Ethics & International Relations
  • POLS 337 Refugees