UIS Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic Year 2006 - 2007

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Undergraduate Minor

Associated Faculty  Heather Bailey, Terry Bodenhorn, Peter Boltuc, Cecilia Cornell, Heather Dell, Jan Droegkamp, Kathryn Eisenhart, Lynn Fisher, Hugh Harris, Barbara Hayler, Remi Imeokparia, Sandra Mills, Nancy Scannell, Stephen Schwark, Baker Siddiquee, Robert Sipe, Tih-Fen Ting
Adjunct Faculty Jonathan GoldbergBelle
Emeritus Faculty  Larry Golden, Proshanta Nandi, Michael Quam, Bill Warren, Roy Wehrle

Contact: (217) 206-6650
ins@uis.edu or www.uis.edu/internationalstudies

An international studies minor provides students with the tools necessary to better understand the complex and changing world of the 21st century. Major objectives of the minor are to convey knowledge not only of international relations but also of comparative methods of analysis (i.e., the similarities and differences between and among states, societies, and cultures); and to provide an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the knowledge and methods that history, political studies, economics, sociology/anthropology, women's studies, and geography/environmental studies have to offer.

To earn a minor in international studies, students must complete a minimum of 16 semester hours of upper‑division course work at the University of Illinois at Springfield. In exceptional cases, a student may petition the International Studies Committee to accept up to eight hours of transfer credit. Transfer students still must take the core course and follow distribution requirements.

The core course is POS 270 Global Issues. Electives totaling 12 semester hours must be taken from two areas: courses that provide an international perspective and courses that provide a comparative perspective.

Students may not take more than one course in their major field of study to fulfill the international studies minor requirements. Students should consult with an international studies faculty member to ensure that they are meeting their individual needs and the requirements for the major. 

International courses include --
ECO 449 International Business
ENS 412/HIS 459 World Environmental Thought
HIS 443 American Foreign Relations in the 20th Century
POS 473 War and Peace
POS 474 American Foreign Policy
POS 475 International Organizations and Integration 

Public affairs colloquia that focus on international policy issues may be taken as well. These include such courses as Geopolitics: Geographic Factors of International Affairs, The Vietnam War, and War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

Comparative courses include --
ECO 421 Comparative Economic Systems
HIS 476 Modern China
POS 471 Comparative Politics
POS 477 Russian Politics
POS 479 African Politics
SOA 302 Understanding Other Cultures
SOA 453/WMS 453 Women Across Cultures

Applicable public affairs colloquia may be taken as well. Some examples are The Middle East and The Vietnam War. 

Other programs associated with international studies include the following.

The Model United Nations Club is designed to teach students how the United Nations fosters peace in the international system. The MUN Club allows students to participate in committee simulations where world problems are debated and solutions are presented. Students learn how to operate in a caucus environment while role-playing a country that is not their native homeland. The club is specifically designed to prepare UIS students to compete at the National Model United Nations Conference held annually in New York City.

The Global Experience/Study Abroad Program is designed to provide students with opportunities to participate in seminars organized by UIS faculty such as those in Ashikaga, Japan (UNI 460 course) and provide students with the option to study at any other university or academic program in the world, such as Southampton University in England and Trinity College in Ireland (UNI 480). For more information on those options, call 206-6678 or e-mail ins@uis.edu.

The Faculty Exchange Program allows UIS and international faculty to exchange teaching assignments in the summer or academic year. Currently, UIS has an exchange program with Heilongjiang University in China. For more information on this, contact the political studies department at 206-6646.

Other UIS partnerships to promote international studies include the Sister Cities Association of Springfield, World Affairs Council of Springfield, and the Illinois International Studies and Foreign Language Consortium.