Office of Academic Advising
International Studies
Major
Garland Hall, Suite 300 / 3400 N. Charles St.
Baltimore MD 21218
410-516-8216
advising@jhu.edu
www.advising.jhu.edu
(Entered Fall 2013 and later)
Course No. and Title
Completed
In Progress
To be Done
Language Courses
Language proficiency through the second semester of the advanced level is required. This requirement cannot be waived by
exam. If students have proficiency above the advanced level, they must take either: Option (A), two semesters of an upper-level
literature or culture course offered by the language department; or Option (B), two semesters of another language. Waivers
indicating advanced level language proficiency must be documented on the student’s official academic record in order for a
student to be eligible to complete Option A or B. To receive these waivers, students must complete a proficiency exam on
campus.
.
.
History Courses
Five (5) semester courses (15 credits) in history must be taken. One (1) of the courses must be taken at the 100-level from the
History Department at JHU. Three (3) out of the five courses must be non-Western history chosen from the approved list of
courses on the International Studies website. Two (2) out of the five courses must be taken at the 300-level. A maximum of two
(2) of the required courses may be taken outside of the History Department. ROTC military history courses, art history, history
of science or historically oriented courses in the Political Science Department may not be used.
100.
100.
100.
.
.
Political Science Courses
Six (6) semester courses (18 credits) in political science are required. Courses designated as more than one subject area
(e.g., as both CP and IR) cannot be double-counted to fulfill both requirements. Please consult the POS tag on the course
description in ISIS for course designations.
One (1) course from the following list:
190.209 Contemporary International Politics
190.104 or 190.213 International Politics
190.102 or 190.229 Introduction to Comparative Politics
190.
International Studies Major
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Course No. and Title
Completed
In Progress
To be Done
One (1) additional course in international relations designated (IR):
190.
(IR)
Two (2) additional courses in comparative politics designated (CP):
190.
(CP)
190.
(CP)
One (1) course in American politics designated (AP):
190.
(AP)
One (1) course in political theory designated (PT):
190.
(PT)
Economics Courses:
Four (4) semester courses (12 credits) in economics are required: the two Elements courses, one approved international
economics course taken from the approved courses list on the International Studies web site, and one course of the student’s
choosing taken in the Economics Department at JHU.
180.101 Elements of Macroeconomics
180.102 Elements of Microeconomics
180.
.
Area of Focus (please fill in): _______________________________________________________________________
Students may complete the area of focus in one of two ways:
(1) Pursue one of the tracks or focus areas offered with affiliated departments. Available tracks and focus areas are
listed on the International Studies web site.
(2) Create an area of focus reflecting a coherent combination of coursework equivalent to four semester courses (12
credits). Students may double count courses that fulfill major requirements or through additional courses as
necessary. A foreign language beyond that used to fulfill the language requirement, a region of study (e.g., the
Middle East), or a functional specialization (e.g., International Development) are typical of an appropriate area of
focus. Courses in the area of focus not used to fulfill other major requirements may be eligible for use as
University distribution requirements. Two (2) of the courses must be at the 300-level or higher.
.
.
.
.
International Studies Major
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Course No. and Title
Completed
In Progress
To be Done
Senior Thesis Option
Students may, with permission, write a thesis during their senior year. Those considering this option should consult with and
secure an advisor by the end of their junior year and should enroll in an independent study with the faculty advisor in the fall
semester of their senior year (3 credits). They should enroll in 190.499 Senior Thesis: PoliSci/IR in the spring semester (3
credits). Students must complete a thesis to be eligible for honors in International Studies. Students may choose a faculty
advisor in any department they wish provided that the topic of their thesis is internationally-focused.
Independent Study (3 credits)
190.499 Senior Thesis (3 credits)
Other Departmental Requirements:
All courses required for the International Studies major may not be taken S/U and must receive a grade of C- or better.
Students planning to study abroad or at another accredited college or university's summer program should discuss with the
Associate Director the specific courses they propose to transfer for credit before they enroll.
Honors in Your Major
To graduate with honors in your major, you must complete an HONORS CLEARANCE CHECKLIST by April 1st in the year you
expect to graduate in May. Most commonly, this means by April 1 st of your senior year. Failure to submit this checklist by this
date will mean that you will not receive honors in your major. You cannot complete the checklist before February 1st of the same
year. Please note that these requirements are not related to “General University Honors.” General University Honors are
automatically assigned to all students who graduate with a 3.5 or higher.
To receive Honors in International Studies, you must have met the following criteria:

Have a GPA in your major requirements of a 3.7 or higher.

Complete Senior Thesis
To notify us that you are eligible for honors, you must:
1. Obtain an honors checklist by either downloading it from www.advising.jhu.edu or by picking one up in the Office of
Academic Advising.
2. Complete the checklist after February 1st of your senior year and take it to the International Studies Advising
Coordinator.
3. Return the signed checklist to the Office of Academic Advising by April 1 st. You do not need to make an appointment to
return the checklist, but it must be signed by the correct representative from your department or it will not be
processed.
International Studies Major
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