FAQs for International Studies Major

Below are a set of FAQS, frequently asked questions, about the international studies major.  We hope these help you in your academic planning.  For further information, please see your advisor or the Director of the International Studies Program.

Do I need to fulfill all of my core before doing my area and policy studies?

There are differing philosophies on sequencing your major.  One is to get through your requirements in the first and second year.  You certainly don't want to be a senior, avid to pursue your own interests, but stuck in an introductory course.  Sometimes, however, the scheduling doesn't work out.  Keep in mind that faculty sabbaticals or leaves may change the normal schedule of a course.  A class normally offered in the Spring, in the Fall or every other year, may be offered during a different semester or year.  Remember it is your responsibility to fit everything in.

The second philosophy in sequencing your major is a mix of core and upper levels.  Make progress on your core courses, but try to accelerate in the discipline or geographic area where you think you will likely concentrate.  You don't want to be a first semester junior taking your first upper level government course if you are interested in international politics.  Why?  The next semester you go away, you are excited about your chosen course of study, you return to Colby but you are not able to pursue upper level work with the right professor because you haven't done much individual work with the faculty member.  Faculty members don't like to assume leadership of senior projects when the student hasn't demonstrated success in relevant courses.

 In addition, you may go on the job market in the fall of your senior year; if you return to campus and ask your professor for a letter, it is likely that the letter will not be able to address your ability to do advanced work.  Rather, it will be based on that one introductory course you took with the professor. Even if you were terrific, there isn't much substantive to say!   Building a course cluster early allows you to add to your expertise in your senior year -- not begin it.

Talk to your advisor about the best strategic course for you.  It often depends on when you declare the major, how many applicable courses you took in your first year and how many all college distribution requirements you have outstanding.   There is no perfect path.

What is the difference between area and policy?

Good question;  it is sometimes ambiguous.   Area is easy enough;  the course is based on an area or country.  Policy is a little trickier.  Some international majors at other colleges are international relations majors.  This major focuses primarily on economics and government foreign policy courses and would correlate broadly with the first kind of policy course.  If the course deals with international systems or relations between countries, it is usually policy.  However, in our major we also consider some of the emerging transnational issues that don't neatly fit in the traditional international relations box.  Therefore, courses dealing with gender, the environment, globalization and other critical issues are usually classified as policy.

Can a course count for both area AND policy?

NO.  Some courses receive dual designations.  For example, Latin American Economic Policy can count toward an area studies or a policy studies BUT NOT BOTH. Furthermore, this same course can be paired with a 2 credit independent study to count as a required senior seminar, but it then cannot be counted as an area or policy.  The rule of thumb:  NO DOUBLE COUNTING.   That is, except for concentrations (see below).

What if I get less than a C- in one of my courses?

You must get at least a C- for the course to count toward the IS major.  If you do not, you must retake the course.  You may retake it at Colby or in a summer program if it is approved by the appropriate department chair (e.g.,  Economics for macro principles.)  You can pick up the form for the department chair to sign at the registrar's office.

Can I fulfill a course requirement in a summer program?

Yes, if it is approved by the appropriate department and the IS director.

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How do I fulfill my language requirement?

You must take two courses beyond the 127 level; this will most frequently  be 128 and 131 or 135.

What if I am studying a language not offered at Colby such as Nepali, Korean  or Hebrew?

If you continue this study independently you may inquire through the director about certification through a test such as that offered at Harvard.  It will be incumbent upon you to prove that you have passed through the equivalent of a 131 Colby level class.

I came to Colby and began in Spanish 135.  Do I have to take another language course?

No.  We are interested in assuring that you have a basic level of functional fluency.   If you began at an advanced level we would count the first course or courses at or above 131.  That is, if you only take 135 or only take 231, this course will count into your GPA for the IS major and it will satisfy your language requirement.

Should I take more than one language?

In our globalizing world,  this is a good idea if you have the time!  If you think you are going to be in a career competing, for example, with Europeans, they may have more than two languages.

Do upper level literature courses count toward area studies?

Absolutely;  this is a great way to learn about a culture.

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Must I  have a concentration?

Yes, if you do not have a relevant double major or a minor in addition to your international studies major.  Relevant double majors include all those represented within the IS course selections.  A relevant minor would include a minor in anthropology, Chinese, East Asian studies, economics, environmental studies, French studies, German studies, government, history, Italian, Japanese, Latin American studies, Russian, or Spanish.  We require a concentration to encourage you to deepen your expertise in a given international area or policy interest; a relevant double major or minor accomplishes the same end.

Do I have to take extra courses to fulfill the concentration?

Not necessarily, but probably a few.  If, for example, you select an area studies concentration such as Latin America, you might have 2 of the required 3 area studies courses in Latin America, plus the study abroad experience where it is possible that you would have approved two additional courses.  Your language would be Spanish and you would complete a senior seminar with a topic treating Latin America.  In this case there are no additional courses-just a careful plan that targets your area interest.   You might, however, be interested in a foreign policy concentration.  In addition to the government courses that would count for your policy requirement, if you didn't get foreign policy study credit for study abroad because you went on a language program, you would need two additional courses from the concentration list, and a senior  seminar where the topic dealt with foreign policy.  Alternatively, you might build on your policy interest in the selection of your study abroad program, and have the courses count toward your concentration.

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What if I don't have a 2.7 GPA for study abroad?

Remember you must have a 2.7 GPA to study abroad.  If you are below the 2.7 but above 2.5 you may petition the Off Campus Study advisory committee to waive the 2.7 requirement.  However, it is not automatic that you will be allowed to go; if your petition fails, you will be required to drop the international studies major unless (a) you completed a first year freshman program abroad  or (b) you take an approved, 9 credit summer program.

How do I get my study abroad classes preapproved?

You will find preapproval form on the web page.    You must submit these forms in paper copy with printed course descriptions appended.  The director will review the forms and let you know the outcome.  Please remember to put your email address and your campus phone number on the form to make it easier to contact you.   Please do NOT email these forms to the director.  The director is not a printer, and for your own protection in verifying graduation requirements, we need signed, paper copies in your file.   You do NOT need to make an appointment to get your forms preapproved.  Drop them off outside the director's door.  Give the director AT LEAST  a week to turn the forms around.  If you haven't heard back from the director in two weeks, please send a gentle email reminder that you had dropped the forms off and you were hoping to hear whether the courses were approved.

What if I didn't pre-approve my study abroad classes or if the class I approved changed?

You may post-approve classes, but you have assumed the risk if the class is not approved to count for either policy or area for the major.  You will find the post-approval form on the web. You must supply a full course description, a syllabus (which often contains a description) and any material you believe will substantiate your case to the Director of the IS program (not your advisor).  Please leave this in hard copy outside the director's door.

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What senior seminar will fulfill my concentration?

This will vary each year.  Remember that the seminar need not be entirely dedicated to your concentration field.  For example, one could have a concentration in Europe but still take the senior seminar in International Environmental Economics if the seminar paper was written on a topic with a substantially European perspective.  Senior seminars in languages will satisfy those doing an area concentration or double count for those with a double major.  For example, if you are a double major with French Studies or an IS major with a European concentration,  the French senior seminar counts toward your international studies senior requirement.

Can I use an independent study (IS 491)  to fulfill my senior seminar requirement?

Absolutely-but not without permission of the faculty member you would like to supervise your work.  It is best if you email the likely supervisor over the summer before your senior year or stop by in the first days of the fall semester -- even if you hope to write the paper in the spring.  The paper must be for 4 credits (or be a 2 credit independent combined with a 4 credit course); the length is up to the instructor but a rule of thumb is about 40-60 pages.  The ideal supervisor is someone with whom you have completed prior course work.  You should approach the potential supervisor with an independent study topic;  better yet a 1-2 page proposal with bibliography is always impressive!

What is the 2 credit add-on option?

To increase the number of possible courses to fulfill your senior requirement, we allow you to attach a 2 credit independent study to a seminar-like class (one where there is active participation and student responsibility for work).  This is done ONLY at the discretion of the instructor.  Please consult with your instructor and the director of the IS program if you are considering this option.  You would sign up for the 3-4 credit class plus two credits of IS491.  Economics majors writing their EC391 in the senior year may use the EC 391 if associated with a seminar like class (such as International Finance or Latin American Economic Policy.)

Can I do my senior seminar or my independent paper in my junior year?

Normally, no.  The intent is for this to be a culminating experience.  It is hard to culminate when you still have a year to go.  However, there may be extenuating circumstances.  For example, you want to write on the Middle East and Prof. Denoeux is on sabbatical your senior year.  You may request in writing to the IS director a waiver of the requirement that the project take place in your senior year.  Likewise, you may be intensely interested in Latin American politics and Prof.  Armony's senior seminar is the perfect capstone -- but he is going on leave your senior year.  Again, petition.  You can see that it is useful to look ahead and ask your favorite professor whether he or she will be offering the course you intend to use as your senior requirement in your senior year.

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What if my advisor has gone away for the year or the semester?

The automatic default by the registrar is to assign you to the director.  Because of this, the advisor often has in excess of 60 advisees.  If you would like individual attention, it is a good idea in the spring semester to ask your advisor if he or she is on leave in the following year.  Your advisor may help you identify someone who would be a likely follow-up advisor.

How do I change my advisor?

The goal in international studies is to match you with an advisor with a similar field or area interest.  This only works if you take initiative.  If your interests have changed, if your advisor has left, or if you have developed through a class a closer relationship with a faculty member, please send by email a request to the director of the program to change your advisor.  Indicate who you would like as your new advisor and why.  Provide alternatives if possible.   The director will contact the person on your behalf and report back to you if the person is able to take you on.  Sometimes a faculty member already has too many advisees and you may have to go to a second choice.   We will work to find a good match -- but it is still up to you to build the relationship.  Have you ever thought of taking your advisor to lunch when you have a long list of questions?  It is free -- sign  it to the Dean of Student's office on a dining hall slip.  Faculty like to eat!

I changed my advisor temporarily while the faculty member was on leave but my schedule still shows the temporary person.  What do I do?

There is no automatic reverse on the registrar's advising list.  The Registrar's office is patient enough with us in selecting your own advisor as most departments rely on the simpler but less satisfying A-M and N-Z distribution.    Send an email to the director as in the FAQ above on changing your advisor and we will work to get you back with your original choice.

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What counts into my international studies major GPA?

All courses that are requirements for the major, plus any additional courses you might take above the basic requirements counts toward your major GPA.  That is, you can't select which ones you want to count in calculating your final GPA in your senior year.

What if I have a double major such as French -- does the additional literature course I take for my French major also count into my international studies GPA?

Yes.  It would be unfair to pick and choose, so they all count.

What GPA in the major is needed for Distinction at Graduation?

3.4

What GPA in the major is necessary to be eligible to apply to write an honors thesis?

3.4

What GPA in the major is necessary to graduate at all?

2.0

What GPA is necessary for study abroad?

2.7;  one may normally petition with a 2.5, but there is no guarantee of approval.

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If I want to write an honors thesis, when should I start thinking about it?

In your sophomore year.  No kidding.  An honors thesis should be the culmination of all your work over time.  You need to have taken the courses that would support advanced work in your chosen field.  If you have general ideas as to your topic, you can ideally do some preliminary work during your junior study abroad.  Be in contact with your intended advisor about possible ideas; topics rarely emerge in their first round.  You are required to submit a letter of intent to the IS director by May 1 of your junior year; this is to allow you to begin reading and narrowing the topic in the following summer. For more information, visit the Honors Program Policy Guidelines.

Is there funding for senior projects and honors theses?

Yes.  Thanks to the generosity of alumni David P. Hunt there are funds available to support research during January of the senior year.  This research normally takes place overseas, but you might use it to support archival work or interviews in a city such as  DC.  You must submit a proposal  by the third Friday in September. You may also apply for up to $500 from the Dean of Faculty's special student projects fund to support independent research.   This, for example, might support a research trip to Washington  (crashing on recent alums couches) to generate material or conduct interviews for your project.

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Email the Director of the International Studies Department, Jennifer Yoder, at jayoder@colby.edu.

Hope these FAQs  helped you think more clearly about your International Studies major!

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