he Minor in International Studies is an interdisciplinary minor meant to compliment any major on campus either by adding an international component to that major or by strengthening an existing international emphasis. The minor provides a broad overview of international issues while also permitting some degree of specialization on a particular issue or region of the world. These objectives are accomplished not only through a flexible selection of courses outside the major, but also through direct engagement that might include study abroad, internships, homestays, the study of foreign language and the development of a final senior project that allows the student to integrate learning from both major and minor into a project with an international focus.

The International Studies Minor is administered and supervised by the Committee on International Studies (CIS), an interdisciplinary faculty committee, centered in the College of Arts & Sciences. Programs of Study and Senior Projects must be approved by the committee.

Students entering the program may be advised by any member of the Committee on International Studies or by their Major adviser in collaboration with the CIS. The Program of Study should have either a topical or regional focus and courses in the Core Requirements should be selected from at least two disciplines outside the student’s major. Study Abroad is an important component of this Minor and students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities for overseas study offered by Radford University or other institutions.

The content of the Minor will vary with each student. The following suggest some of the possibilities, but are not fully inclusive: The Role of Dance in Culture; Economics of Developing Countries, Japanese (or European) Studies, Educational Systems in Africa; the Politics of Fundamentalist Islam.

In this site you will find course requirements, sample programs, an evolving student page, committee information, RU & international research links, and contact info.

Requirements for the Minor in International Studies total 18 semester hours which include the following (also see sample programs):

A. INTRODUCTORY: 3 semester hours

One of the following courses:

INST 101. Introduction to International Studies.
ANTH 121. Cultural Anthropology.
HIST 101. World History to 1650.
HIST 102. World History After 1650.

B. EXPERIENCE IN A TARGET CULTURE: No credit.
This requirement may be met in any number of ways including Study Abroad, Internships, Homestays, or Service Learning Projects. While the Study Abroad option is not required, it is strongly encouraged. Students receive no specific credit for the Study Abroad experience, but courses taken overseas and transferred to Radford University may be used to meet the requirements of a student’s General Degree program or those in the student’s major or minor.

C. CORE: 12 semester hours.

Hours should be chosen from at least two disciplines outside the student’s major and reflect in some fashion the topical or regional focus of the student’s Minor in International Studies

D. SENIOR PROJECT: 3 semester hours. [read more!]

INST 488. International Studies: Senior Project.
Ideally this course is taken during the student’s last semester and is a culmination of the international knowledge and experiences gained. The project may be a research paper, a work of art or multi-media presentation, a film, series of articles, etc. A Senior Project Proposal must be submitted to the Committee on International Studies for approval in the semester prior to the student’s enrollment. The project is supervised and graded by a designated faculty member, preferably in the student’s major department. Students must earn a grade of A or B in the course to have met the requirements for the Minor. Students are encouraged to give a public presentation of their work in some forum.

E. RECOMMENDED:

The following elective coursework is recommended in conjunction with the Minor in International Studies.

COMM 200. Intercultural Communication.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE. The study of foreign language is important in the understanding of other cultures, and as such, students are encouraged to complement their Minor with Foreign Language study, particularly as part of a Study Abroad experience.

[Sample Programs]