The Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs (INTA) is an interdisciplinary degree that provides a background in social science disciplines and regional studies along with a rigorous foreign language requirement and mandatory international experience. The degree program allows students to develop the tools necessary to succeed in an increasingly globalized world. Students in INTA will develop analytical and extensive writing skills. Students will be qualified to pursue a range of professions, including positions in the federal government, in the private sector with firms dealing with the international economy, and in the state and local governments that interface globally.
The department offers diverse curricula that immerse students in the social, political, economic, and cultural implications of globalization. The BA in International Studies combines linguistic and cultural proficiency with a flexible set of tracks and a mandatory abroad experience.
International Affairs (INTA)
INTA 201 Introduction to International Studies
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the basic concepts and frameworks for analyzing global events and understanding the current international situation; for freshman and transfer international studies majors.
INTA 205 Current Issues in International Studies
Credit 1.
1 Lecture Hour.
Exploration of current issues and problems in International Studies through attendance of events, lectures by noted international academics and professionals, and in-class discussions. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisite: International studies major.
INTA 216 World Cinema and International Politics
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Investigation of film as political discourse; overview of how films and filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and/or the Middle East frame and represent international politics and explore how the influence of film becomes a powerful form of political speech.
INTA 251 Contemporary Issues in the Middle East
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exploration of current political and cultural issues in the Middle East.
INTA 261/AFST 261 Contemporary Issues in the Global South
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exploration of current political and cultural issues in the Global South. May be repeated once for credit. Cross Listing: AFST 261/INTA 261.
INTA 285 Directed Studies
Credits 0 to 3.
0 to 3 Other Hours.
Individual supervision of readings or assigned projects in international studies. May be taken two times for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor and department head.
INTA 289 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the broad range of disciplines and issues explored in the international studies curriculum. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Freshman or sophomore classification.
INTA 300 International Experience
Credits 0.
0 Other Hours.
Language immersion program abroad; minimum of ten weeks; completed after the fourth semester of the target foreign language; study abroad program, internship, volunteer service work, or a combination of these options with department approval. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in INTA 201; grade of C or better in ARAB 202, CHIN 202, FREN 202, GERM 202, ITAL 202, JAPN 202, RUSS 202, SPAN 202, or SPAN 203; major in international studies; junior or senior classification.
INTA 301 Theories of Globalization
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Diverse global and international cultural processes in their economic and political contexts; analyses of theoretical lenses on transnationalism including diaspora, hybridity, liminality, marginality, cyborgism, nomadism, scapes and flows and others; case studies of global cultures. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.
INTA 302 Principles of International Affairs
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Overview of the study of international relations; exploration of theories of international politics, war, nuclear weapons, terrorism, trade, finance, globalization, international law and human rights, and the environment. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 303 Principles of the Global Economy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Instruction in three fundamental aspects of the global economic environment including economics of trade and international trade policies, international finance issues, introduction of international economic issues in developing countries; exposure to analytical tools and concepts in international economics and development economics. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; ECON 202 and ECON 203, or approval of instructor; junior or senior classification.
INTA 321 Political Islam and Jihad
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Interaction between Islamic movements and politics in various Middle Eastern countries; the meaning and evolution of jihad; the role of Islam as a tool for political and social mobilization. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification, or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: HUMA 321 and RELS 321.
INTA 330 Governing Capitalism
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exploration of the interaction between economics and politics; examination of some of the foundational theorists of political economy over the last three centuries. Prerequisites: INTS and INTA majors; junior or senior classification; prior background in introductory economics recommended.
INTA 401/GLST 401 The City and its Global Contexts
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of rural and urban environments affected by global currents in culture, politics, and society; exploration of urbanism as represented by artists, writers, and filmmakers; study of such topics such as urban design. Prerequisites: INTA 201 or GLST 201; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: GLST 401/INTA 401.
INTA 403 Nations and Nationalisms
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Interdisciplinary approach where nation is understood as modern political entity distinct from country; examination of historical and philosophical origins of idea of nationalism; theories on nationhood, national identity and rise of nationalism; global variety of concrete test cases to highlight actual functions (wars, decolonization, symbolic representations in film, etc.). Prerequisites: International studies major; INTA 201.
INTA 405 War and Memory
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of world wars, colonial wars, genocides, and historical crimes from the late nineteenth century until the present; analysis of the changing memory of those traumatic events as evident in historical accounts, commemorations, film, and literature. Prerequisites: International studies major; INTA 201.
INTA 406 Technology and Global Change
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Interdisciplinary examination of the transformative impact of new technologies on global social, economic, political and cultural reality; focus on changes in the exercise of power and state sovereignty, labor and economic transactions, war and social activism, subjectivity and social interactions, surveillance and anonymity, internet of things and artificial intelligence. Prerequisite: INTA 201; international studies major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 409 Culture, Neoliberalism and Globalism
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of largely North Atlantic cultural forms and meanings that arise in the context of neoliberalism from the late 1970’s to the present; cultural studies and broad-based social analysis to identify and interrogate the many relational contexts where power circulates through cultural objects and meanings. Prerequisites: INTA 201; international studies major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 410/GLST 410 Gender and Globalization
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Concepts of gender from a global perspective; global theories of gender and sexuality across media. Prerequisites: INTA 201 or GLST 201; junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. Cross Listing: GLST 410/INTA 410.
INTA 415 American Foreign Policy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of political, economic, cultural, and military dimensions of the United States’ interactions with the world since the 19th century; focus on how interests of soldiers, business people, missionaries, civilians within the United States and in combat zones impact policy. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 418 Economic Statecraft
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to emerging field of economic statecraft; use of economic tools of national power; overview of important seminal works on economic statecraft; instruction in theoretical and empirical aspects of economic statecraft. Prerequisites: International Affairs major, junior or senior classification, and ECON 202, ECON 203, INTA 301, and INTA 303 or approval of instructor.
INTA 443 International Organizations
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theoretical and empirical aspects of the role, potentials, and limitations of major International Organizations (IO) in world politics; study of norms and rules that govern international relations and institutions where those rules are formulated and implemented; survey of IOs in areas of peace operations, human rights, environment and international trade. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 445 Women and International Affairs
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Overview of important dimensions of women and international affairs; stratification of human society by sex, women and international political economy, women and national/international security, women and international human rights; examination of international efforts to improve women’s situation worldwide and other international policy initiatives. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 452 Intelligence and National Security
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of historical and contemporary Intelligence capabilities as a part of the National Security environment, study of teamwork used by multiple organizations to inform world leaders; understanding of the major intelligence disciplines; instruction in how the intelligence cycle collects, analyses, and informs decisions related to National Security matters. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 455 European Politics
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Historical examination of the evolution of the European Union and its contemporary politics; overview of formation of the European Union and its integration processes, contemporary European Politics in Western and Eastern Europe and security developments in the European Union. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 473 Modern Chinese Political History
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Exposure to the origins and development of the contemporary political system of China; instruction in history and foundational experiences of the Chinese Communist Party, its revolutionary and reformist leaderships, and trace the origins of contemporary China’s political institutions. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; INTA 205 and INTA 301, or approval of the instructor.
INTA 476 International Politics of the Middle East
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of interactions among states of the region, the region’s non-state actors and outside powers in the post-World War II period; topics include power distributions within the region and globally, effects of transnational ideological and identity movements, domestic political institutions in the region’s states, regional economic systems, outside power policies in the region, war and peace decisions, alliance and alignment patterns, and regional modes of statecraft. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 481 Senior Seminar in International Studies
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Capstone course designed to produce in-depth research projects; based on student's international experience and specific area of expertise acquired in major. Prerequisite: International Studies major; INTA 201; 6 hours of INTA 401/GLST 401, 403, 405, 407, 409, 410 or INTA 489; senior classification; INTA 300.
INTA 484 Directed Internship
Credits 0 to 3.
0 to 3 Other Hours.
Directed internship in a private firm, government or non-profit agency outside the United States; provide on-the-job experience appropriate to the student's program of work and career objectives. To be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Maximum of 3 credit hours may count towards degree. Prerequisites: INTA 201; approval of internship coordinator.
INTA 485 Directed Studies
Credits 0 to 3.
0 to 3 Other Hours.
Research problems and readings for students majoring in international studies; directed independent study of an international issue related to student's area of interest. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.
INTA 486 Russia and the Former Soviet Union
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Investigation of how history, institutions, and political culture in Russia influences choices that elites and ordinary people make about politics; overview of Tsarist Russian imperialism, Soviet experiment in modernization and multinational governance, collapse of Soviet Union and creation of 15 independent states; examination of processes of political change and governance in post-communist Russia, and factors that influence processes. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 489 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of international affairs. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor; INTS and INTA majors.
INTA 491 Research
Credits 0 to 3.
0 to 3 Other Hours.
Research conducted under the direction of faculty member in international studies. Prerequisites: INTA 201; junior or senior classification and approval of instructor.
INTA 494 Latin American Politics
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Examination of political and economic change in twentieth and twenty-first century Latin America with focus on the rise of industrialization and populism, the establishment of military regimes and return to democracy, economic liberation and decentralization; exploration of theoretical underpinnings of the causes and consequences of populism, industrialization, authoritarianism, democratization, neoliberalism and popular representation. Prerequisites: International Affairs major; junior or senior classification.
INTA 497 Independent Honors Study
Credits 3.
3 Other Hours.
Directed independent studies designed to produce a senior honors thesis; based on international experience and interdisciplinary expertise acquired in major. Prerequisites: INTA major; honors candidate; completed international experience.
Bartel, Michael, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Cornell University, 2017
Bearce, David, Professor
International Affairs
PHD, The Ohio State University, 2001
Brown, Gary, Associate Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
JD, University of Nebraska, 1987
JD, University of Nebraska College of Law, 1987
LLM, University of Cambridge, 1988
Carley, Robert, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2012
Castillo, Jasen J, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Chicago, 2003
Cerrato, Maddalena A, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Italian Institute for Human Sciences, 2013
Chinchilla, Alexandra, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Chicago, 2021
Denly, Michael, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Texas at Austin, 2022
Garritano, Carmela, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Michigan State University, 2001
Gause III, Francis G, Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Harvard University, 1987
Golsan, Richard J, Distinguished Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1981
Hamie, Christine S, Instructional Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of York, 2007
Helms, Benjamin, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Virginia, 2022
Hennessey-Niland, John, Professor Of The Practice
International Affairs
MA, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, 1987
Howell, Michael, Associate Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
MA, U.S. Naval War College, 2009
Huang, Reyko, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Columbia University, 2012
Hudson, Valerie M, University Distinguished Professor
International Affairs
PHD, The Ohio State University, 1983
Jackson, Michael, Lecturer
International Affairs
MS, National Defense University, 2012
Karasipahi, Sena, Instructional Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Universiteit Leiden, 2006
Kaspar, Wendi, Professor
International Affairs
MS, Texas A&M University, 2010
Laurienti, Jerry, Lecturer
International Affairs
PHD, University of Denver, 2006
Layne, Christopher, University Distinguished Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of California at Berkeley, 1981
Lee, Su Min, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Rutgers University, 2022
Lemon, Edward, Research Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Exeter, 2016
Marin Thornton, Gabriela, Instructional Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Miami, 2006
Morriss, Andrew, Professor
International Affairs
JD, University of Texas at Austin, 1984
PHD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1994
Mu, Ren, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Michigan State University, 2004
Napper, Larry C, Emeritus Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
MS, University of Virginia, 1974
Natsios, Andrew S, Executive Professor
International Affairs
MPA, Harvard University, 1979
Norris, William J, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010
Oberhelman, Steven M, Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Minnesota, 1981
Olson, James M, Emeritus Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
JD, The University of Iowa, 1969
Raisor, Cynthia, Lecturer
International Affairs
MA, Texas A&M University, 1986
Robertson, Raymond, Professor
International Affairs
PHD, The University of Texas at Austin, 1997
Ross, Andrew L, Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Cornell University, 1984
Ross, Gershon, Associate Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
MS, National Intelligence University, 2008
Ruyle, Leslie E, Lecturer
International Affairs
PHD, University of Georgia, 2012
Schuessler, John M, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Chicago, 2007
Serra, Danila, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Oxford and Centre for the Study of African Economies, 2009
Shandley, Robert R, Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1996
Shim, Gyu Sang, Instructional Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of Rochester, 2022
Shynkaruk, Kateryna, Senior Lecturer
International Affairs
PHD, National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, 2011
Sievert, Ronald J, Associate Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
JD, The University of Texas at Austin, 1977
Tabaar, Mohammad A, Associate Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Georgetown University, 2012
Teague, Aileen, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, Vanderbilt University, 2018
Vogle, Gregory, Professor Of The Practice
International Affairs
BA, The Citadel, 1981
Weary, Katherine T, Associate Professor of the Practice
International Affairs
MA, The George Washington University, 2005
Young, Michael, Professor
International Affairs
DJ, Harvard Law School, 1976
Zarate Barrera, Tatiana, Assistant Professor
International Affairs
PHD, University of British Columbia, 2023
