http://www.odu.edu/intlstudies

Timothy Kidd, Director and Chief Program Advisor
Ana Marku, Assistant Program Advisor

Bachelor of Arts—International Studies Major

The Bachelor of Arts in international studies (BAIS) is an interdisciplinary program that offers students a chance to explore the interrelations among nations and peoples and to study world affairs from a variety of perspectives. The BAIS major and minor center on studies in world languages and cultures, geography, history, and political science. Students have considerable flexibility to structure their academic programs to meet their particular needs and interests or to focus in a variety of geographical or topical fields.

Lower-Division General Education and Major Requirements

Elective Credit

Elective credit will be needed to meet the minimum requirement of 120 credit hours.

Study Abroad/International Experience

Study abroad or international experience is encouraged for international studies majors, and Old Dominion University credit is available for study abroad programs. The Office of Study Abroad offers information, advising services and scholarships for enrolled students.

Upper-Division General Education

• Option A. Approved Minor, 12-24 hours, 3 of which may be in the major area of study; also second degree or second major
• Option B. Interdisciplinary Minor, 12 hours specified by the department, 3 of which may be in the major area of study
• Option C. International business and regional courses or an approved certification program, such as teaching licensure
• Option D. Two Upper-Division Courses from outside the College of Arts and Letters or from the Arts and Humanities Component within the College of Arts and Letters that are not required by the major (6 hours). IS courses and any course listed as an elective choice for the major cannot be used to meet this option.

Requirements for Graduation

Requirements for graduation include a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 overall and in the major, 120 credit hours, which must include both a minimum of 30 credit hours overall and 12 credit hours of upper-level courses in the major program from Old Dominion University, completion of ENGL 110C, ENGL 211C or ENGL 221C or ENGL 231C, and the writing intensive (W) course in the major with a grade of C or better, and completion of Senior Assessment.

Four-Year Plan - International Studies - BA

This is a suggested curriculum plan to complete this degree program in four years.  Please consult information in this Catalog, Degree Works, and your academic advisor for more specific information on course requirements for this degree.

Bachelor of Arts with Honors—International Studies Major

Students may earn honors in the major by fulfilling all the degree requirements and meeting the honors requirements indicated below. The requirements for honors do not increase the credit hours necessary for the major. The requirements are as follows:

1. Attain an overall grade point average of 3.25.
2. Attain a grade point average in the major of 3.5.
3. Earn honors in nine hours of courses in the major at the 300/400 level, with no more than six hours taken from the same instructor.

Minor in International Studies

The minor in international studies requires 15 credit hours including:

1. GEOG 100S or GEOG 250 or  POLS 100S or POLS 102S is a prerequisite course for the minor and is not included in the calculation of the grade point average for the minor.
2. Twelve hours of upper-division approved electives to include:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   GEOG 300-400 level elective		3
   HIST 300-400 level elective		3
   POLS 300-400 level elective		3
   300-400 level elective		3

Approved courses appear on the "Approved List of Courses for International Studies" available from the program director or at http://www.odu.edu/intlstudies. Additional courses with an international focus may be approved by the program director. Up to three credits may be taken through participation in a model international organization (Model United Nations, Model Organization of American States or Model League of Arab States).

For completion of a minor, a student must have a minimum overall cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all courses specified as a requirement for the minor exclusive of lower-level courses and prerequisite courses and complete a minimum of six hours in upper-level courses in the minor requirement through courses offered by Old Dominion University.

Linked B.A./M.A. Program in International Studies

Qualified students can apply for admission to the linked B.A./M.A graduate degree program in international studies. The program allows exceptional students to count up to 12 credit hours of international studies courses toward both an undergraduate and graduate degree. Students must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours (120 discrete credits for the undergraduate degree and 30 discrete credits for the graduate degree).

Requirements for Admission

Requirements for admission are:

1. A declared major in the B.A. program in international studies (BAIS).
2. A minimum of 60 hours completed, including at least six hours of 300/400 courses in the major.
3. A minimum GPA of 3.5 at the time of application.
4. Application to the linked B.A./M.A. program in international studies, approved by both the B.A. and M.A. directors.
5. Take the GRE during the last semester of BAIS work with an expected minimum score of 1100 (verbal and quantitative totals).
6. Complete an application form for Old Dominion University graduate admission. Students specializing in a region (e.g. Asia, Latin America, etc.) are encouraged to complete a minor at the undergraduate level.

Program Requirements

Students pursuing the linked B.A./M.A program will fulfill all lower-level General Education requirements that have been approved for the BAIS and meet the requirements to earn a B.A. in international studies.

The B.A. in international studies will be awarded on completion of 120 credit hours including all the preceding courses and other University requirements for graduation.

Master of Arts Requirements

After obtaining the B.A. in international studies, students must complete the following:

1. Four graduate courses in one of the following fields of concentration (instead of the three required for M.A. students): international relations/U.S. foreign policy; conflict and cooperation; international political economy and development; and interdependence and transnationalism.
2. Two electives at the 600 level or above. At least one should have a regional focus (e.g. Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America).

The M.A. in international studies requires 18 credits beyond the four Bridge Courses (the MAIS core courses). It is anticipated that a student who has completed the BAIS could thus take three courses in the fall and spring semesters. There will be no thesis option.

Additional Requirements

Students in the linked B.A./M.A. program must also complete the following:

1. Fulfill the BAIS language requirement (which also fulfills MAIS requirements).
2. Take the GRE during the last semester of BAIS work with a minimum expected score of 1100 (verbal and quantitative totals).
3. Have an overall GPA of 3.00 in the seven core undergraduate courses and at least a GPA of 3.00 in the four Bridge courses (MAIS core courses).
4. Maintain an overall GPA of 3.00. (Students failing to maintain a 3.00 GPA may revert to the regular BAIS degree and count up to 12 hours of completed graduate core courses toward the BAIS.)
5. Complete an application form for Old Dominion University graduate admission. Students specializing in a region (e.g. Asia, Latin America, etc.) are encouraged to complete a minor at the undergraduate level.

Additional Explanations

1. Students interested in the B.A./M.A. program will be advised as early as possible, and admitted students will start the program during their Junior year in order to meet all the requirements. Thus, students may apply for admission to the linked program after they have earned 60 credits (including at least six hours of 300/400 courses in the major). Applications can be filed with the undergraduate director on or before April 1 for admission in the following Fall semester and on or before November 1 for admission in the following Spring semester. Notifications of acceptance to students will be forwarded by May 1 and December 1, respectively.
2. Students fulfill the BAIS language requirement (which also fulfills MAIS requirements).
3. Students will receive the B.A. degree after fulfilling all the requirements for the undergraduate degree. Students whose overall GPA drops below a 3.00 before attaining the B.A. degree can revert to the regular BAIS program and count any graduate credits they may have earned toward the BAIS. Students with a GPA of less than 3.00 at the end of their fourth year will not be permitted to continue toward the M.A. degree.
4. Students in the linked program must meet the BAIS requirement that students must receive a minimum grade of C (2.00) in the following undergraduate courses:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   ENGL 110C	English Composition	3
   ENGL 211C	Introduction to Academic Writing	3
   GEOG 100S	Cultural Geography	3
   POLS 100S	Introduction to International Politics	3
   or POLS 102S	Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
   ECON 201S	Principles of Macroeconomics	3
   Select one of the following:		3
   HIST 100H	Interpreting the World Past Since 1500
   HIST 101H	Interpreting the Asian Past
   HIST 102H	Interpreting the European Past
   HIST 103H	Interpreting the Latin America Past
   HIST 105H	Interpreting the African Past
   Not accepted for the major:
   HIST 104H	Interpreting the American Past

5. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for additional information on the M.A. in international studies as well as the doctoral program in international studies.