To narrow an inevitably broad focus in international studies, students are required to pursue a four-course specialization in an internationally-oriented field. Focus areas for International Studies majors fall into three broad categories: linguistic, thematic, and regional.
- Linguistic focus areas are completed by taking courses in the literature, culture, or social sciences related to a particular language, above and beyond the language courses required to satisfy the International Studies language requirement.
- Thematic focus areas can be created by students according to their interests, as long as the coursework is coherent and shows a sufficiently global course of study.
- Regional focus areas require coursework centered on any region of the world, broad or specific.
Popular choices for each type of focus area are listed below, along with related majors and minors that could potentially be completed alongside an International Studies degree, but many other areas of study are possible. Note: Any department-approved double major or major-minor track automatically satisfies the focus area requirement for the International Studies major, but a second major or minor is not required to complete a focus area.
Linguistic Focus Areas
See each linked linguistic focus area for a related major and/or minor.
- French
- Spanish
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Arabic
- Hindi
- Mandarin Chinese
- Hebrew
- Japanese
- Korean
Thematic Focus Areas
See each linked thematic focus area for a related major and/or minor.
- Global security
- Comparative religions
- Environmental studies/sustainability
- Peace and Conflict
- Post-Colonial and Feminist Critiques
- International business
- International economics
- International finance
- Urban Policy
- Global health
- Mathematical methods
Regional Focus Areas
See each linked regional focus area for a related major and/or minor.
- East Asia
- Russia and Eurasian Studies
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Middle East
- Africa
- Islamic World
- European Union