Franklin & Marshall College

Students interested in International Studies can choose an International Studies minor or a joint major with International Studies and another department. The requirements for the minor are outlined below. A joint major consists of sixteen courses, eight in each department or program.  The joint major in International Studies normally incorporates the language and study abroad requirements for the minor. 

A minor in International Studies requires that a student: (1) take IST 200, typically in the first or sophomore year; (2) propose a coherent program of four specific courses (of which no more than two can overlap with courses in the major) focusing on a particular geographical or topical theme; (3) study for at least one semester outside the United States in a non-English speaking environment, including (where feasible) doing coursework or research in the local language; (4) achieve an approved level of proficiency in a foreign language; and (5) complete IST 489. In addition, while not required, an international internship is highly recommended. 

A minor in Area Studies requires a student to take six courses on a given geographical area, of which at least two must be at the 300 level or above, selected in consultation with a faculty member specializing in that area. The Director of the International Studies Program will refer interested students to an appropriate adviser, with whom the student will develop a list of appropriate courses. The minor declaration form must include signatures of chairpersons of departments offering the courses included in a student’s program and the signature of the Director of the International Studies Program. Topics for which there is no existing minor housed in a regular department or program are appropriate for this minor, which would take its name from the geographical area of its emphasis, for example, African, Chinese, European Union, Francophone, Iberian, Japanese, Middle Eastern or Latin American Studies. An Area Studies minor could include courses in a language other than English, although ordinarily no more than four will be foreign language courses. IST 200 and 489 could be a part of this minor, but are not required. Study Abroad and language proficiency are strongly recommended but not required. 

In addition to the minor, the International Studies Program offers a concentration. Requirements for the concentration are the same as for the International Studies minor except that the concentration requires only two courses in addition to IST 200 and IST 489. These two courses can be either inside or outside the student’s major and are expected to cohere with and bring a significant international dimension to the student’s chosen major. 

Recent students in the program have studied abroad in Italy, Spain, Germany, China, Switzerland, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Uganda and France through programs run by the School for International Training (SIT), the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) and various U.S. colleges and universities. See the International Programs section of the Catalog for further information.