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International Studies Major

  2. Majors and Minors
  3. Departments and Units
  4. Courses
  5. LSA Degrees
  6. LSA Requirements
  7. LSA Academic Policies
  8. Dates and Deadlines
  9. Academic Integrity
  10. Engaged Learning
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  12. What Will You Do with an LSA Degree?
Advising
Department Website

Effective Winter 2021

Exclusions:

International Studies majors must declare a sub-plan. The sub-plan will be notated on the student's official transcript.

Advising

The International Studies Advisor will assist students in developing a program of study. Advising for the Honors plan is provided by the PICS Director and the PICS Honors Thesis advisor. For more information, see: www.ii.umich.edu/pics/undergraduates/advising.

Grade Policies

Students must earn a C- or better in all required PICS courses. Language requirement courses are not included in the minimum 34 credits required for the major nor in the major GPA.

Prerequisites

The following requirements must be met before declaration:

  • INTLSTD 101: Introduction to International Studies (Grade of C- or better).
  • Students declaring Political Economy & Development sub-plan must complete ECON 101 with a grade of C or better.
  • Students must have started or completed 4th-term language proficiency.

Requirements

Minimum Credits: 34

PICS Language Requirement for the Major.

Sixth-term proficiency in a language other than English must be obtained prior to graduation; therefore, students should begin the language sequence early.

We believe that language study is a vital part of any liberal arts education and that students who major in international studies should be well prepared to work in environments overseas, or in companies or organizations that interact regularly with people from other countries. The PICS language requirement will not only be of benefit to the students in broadening their skills and their vision of the world but will also be an important signal to employers or graduate admissions committees about how our students are well-rounded and focused on the world and not just the United States.

Please see PICS website for details of and further information about the sixth-term language requirement.

See Sub-Plans for course requirements:

Distribution Policy

No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the INTLSTD subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.

Honors

Students interested in the Honors subplan typically elect the Honors section of INTLSTD 101: Introduction to International Studies, and must complete INTLSTD 101 with a grade of B+ or better. Students who have declared a major in International Studies must have an overall GPA of 3.4, must complete all International Studies requirements for the major with a 3.4 or higher average in those courses, and complete a senior Honors thesis.

Students must earn C- or better in all required PICS courses.

During their senior year, students writing a thesis will enroll in INTLSTD 489 during Fall term and INTLSTD 499 during Winter term. The thesis will have a minimum length of 50 pages. Students are responsible for locating their own PICS faculty thesis advisor. Advisor and topic must be approved by PICS director.

An instructor will oversee the Honors subplan. This will include a class meeting with all Honors thesis students as a collective, at least twice per semester of their senior year, and once at the end of their junior year, to review requirements, answer questions, and discuss research practices and principles.

Each student will have an oral defense of the thesis in a meeting with the Honors thesis advisor, the Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, and Honors Education, plus one outside reader from the faculty.

Student grades on the thesis and Honors level will be determined by the PICS instructor in consultation with the Honors thesis advisor.

Advising for the Honors Plan is provided by the Honors advisor and the PICS Honors Plan advisor.

International Studies (Major) (Fall 2020)

Effective Fall 2020

Exclusions:

International Studies majors must declare a sub-plan. The sub-plan will be notated on the student's official transcript.

Advising

The International Studies Advisor will assist students in developing a program of study. Advising for the Honors plan is provided by the PICS Director and the PICS Honors Thesis advisor. For more information, see: www.ii.umich.edu/pics/undergraduates/advising.

Grade Policies

Students must earn a C- or better in all required PICS courses. Language requirement courses are not included in the minimum 34 credits required for the major nor in the major GPA.

Prerequisites

The following requirements must be met before declaration:

  • INTLSTD 101: Introduction to International Studies (Grade of C or better).
  • Students declaring Political Economy & Development sub-plan must complete ECON 101 with a grade of C or better.
  • Students must have started or completed 4th-term language proficiency.

Requirements

Minimum Credits: 34

PICS Language Requirement for the Major.

Sixth-term proficiency in a language other than English must be obtained prior to graduation; therefore, students should begin the language sequence early.

We believe that language study is a vital part of any liberal arts education and that students who major in international studies should be well prepared to work in environments overseas, or in companies or organizations that interact regularly with people from other countries. The PICS language requirement will not only be of benefit to the students in broadening their skills and their vision of the world but will also be an important signal to employers or graduate admissions committees about how our students are well-rounded and focused on the world and not just the United States.

Please see PICS website for details of and further information about the sixth-term language requirement.

See Sub-Plans for course requirements:

Distribution Policy

No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the INTLSTD subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.

Honors

Students interested in the Honors subplan typically elect the Honors section of INTLSTD 101: Introduction to International Studies, and must complete INTLSTD 101 with a grade of B+ or better. Students who have declared a major in International Studies must have an overall GPA of 3.4, must complete all International Studies requirements for the major with a 3.4 or higher average in those courses, and complete a senior Honors thesis.

Students must earn C- or better in all required PICS courses.

During their senior year, students writing a thesis will enroll in INTLSTD 489 during Fall term and INTLSTD 499 during Winter term. The thesis will have a minimum length of 50 pages. Students are responsible for locating their own PICS faculty thesis advisor. Advisor and topic must be approved by PICS director.

An instructor will oversee the Honors subplan. This will include a class meeting with all Honors thesis students as a collective, at least twice per semester of their senior year, and once at the end of their junior year, to review requirements, answer questions, and discuss research practices and principles.

Each student will have an oral defense of the thesis in a meeting with the Honors thesis advisor, the Coordinator of Experiential, Independent, and Honors Education, plus one outside reader from the faculty.

Student grades on the thesis and Honors level will be determined by the PICS instructor in consultation with the Honors thesis advisor.

Advising for the Honors Plan is provided by the Honors advisor and the PICS Honors Plan advisor.

International Studies (Major) (Fall 2016 - Summer 2020)

Effective Fall 2016

Advising

The International Studies Advisor will assist students in developing a program of study. Advising for the Honors plan is provided by the PICS Director and the PICS Honors Thesis advisor. For more information, see: www.ii.umich.edu/pics/undergraduates/advising

Grade Policies

Students must earn C- or better in all required PICS courses. Language requirement courses are not included in the minimum 34 credits required for the major nor in the major GPA.

Prerequisites

The following requirements must be met before declaration:

  • INTLSTD 101 (Grade of C- or better)
  • Students declaring Political Economy & Development sub-plan must complete ECON 101 with a grade of C- or better.
  • Students must have started or completed 4th-term language proficiency.

Requirements

Minimum Credits: 34

PICS Language Requirement for the Major.

Sixth-term proficiency in a language other than English must be obtained prior to graduation; therefore, students should begin the language sequence early.

We believe that language study is a vital part of any liberal arts education and that students who major in international studies should be well prepared to work in environments overseas, or in companies or organizations that interact regularly with people from other countries. The PICS language requirement will not only be of benefit to the students in broadening their skills and their vision of the world but will also be an important signal to employers or graduate admissions committees about how our students are well-rounded and focused on the world and not just the United States.

Please see PICS website for details of and further information about the sixth-term language requirement.

See Sub-Plans for course requirements:

Distribution Policy

No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the INTLSTD subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.

Honors

Students interested in an Honors major elect the Honors section of INTLSTD 101, and must complete INTLSTD 101 with a grade of B+ or better. Students who have declared a major in International Studies must have an overall GPA of 3.4, must complete all International Studies requirements for the major with a 3.4 or higher average in those courses, and complete a senior Honors thesis.

Students must earn C- or better in all required PICS courses.

During their senior year, students writing a thesis will enroll in INTLSTD 489 during Fall term and INTLSTD 499 during Winter term. The thesis will have a minimum length of 50 pages. Students are responsible for locating their own thesis advisor. Advisor and topic must be approved by PICS director.

An instructor will oversee the Honors plan. This will include a class meeting with all Honors thesis students as a collective, at least twice per semester of their senior year, and once at the end of their junior year, to review requirements, answer questions, and discuss research practices and principles.

Each student will have an oral defense of the thesis in a meeting with the advisor and the PICS instructor, plus one outside reader from the faculty.

Student grades on the thesis will be determined by the PICS instructor in consultation with the thesis advisor.

Advising for the Honors plan is provided by the Honors thesis advisor and the PICS Honors Plan advisor.

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