IAFS Major Requirements - Declared Before Fall 2023
If you are not sure when you declared IAFS as your major, it is listed as the "Catalog Year" at the top of your Degree Audit information.
For the Semester Lists of Courses, please make sure you are looking at the correct list (black button).
Reach out to your IAFS Advisor with any questions.
- Complete the following five courses (18 credit hours total):
IAFS 1000 | Global Issues and International Affairs |
PSCI 2223 | Introduction to International Relations |
PSCI 2012 | Introduction to Comparative Politics |
ECON 2010 | Principles of Microeconomics |
ECON 2020 | Principles of Macroeconomics |
- Complete the following three courses (10 credit hours total):
IAFS 1000 | Global Issues and International Affairs |
PSCI 2223 | Introduction to International Relations |
PSCI 2012 | Introduction to Comparative Politics |
Students are required to complete 6–8 credit hours in economics/methods. Choose two courses from the following list. Some of the courses listed may have required or recommended prerequisites.
ANTH 4000 | Quantitative Methods in Anthropology (3 credits) |
ECON 2010 | Principles of Microeconomics (4 credits) |
ECON 2020 | Principles of Macroeconomics (4 credits) |
GEOG 3023 | Statistics and Geographic Data (4 credits |
GEOG 4023 | Advanced Quantitative Methods for Spatial Data (4 credits) |
IAFS/ENVS 3640 | Data Analysis for Global Environmental Affairs (3 credits) |
PSCI 2075 | Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits) |
PSCI 3035 | Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits) |
PSCI 3075 | Applied Political Science Research (3 credits) |
SOCY 2061 | Introduction to Social Statistics (3 credits) |
WGST 3020 | Feminist Methods of Inquiry and Praxis (3 credits) |
- Complete one class in each of the four functional areas and complete two additional classes in any functional area (6 classes, 18 credit hours)
- Students cannot apply more than four functional area classes from one department (i.e., PSCI, ECON).
Click here for the permanent list of functional area classes. Our four functional areas are:
Functional Area I: Development and Culture
Functional Area II: International Economics, Business, and Political Economy
Functional Area III: Political Geography, International Security, and Foreign Policy
Functional Area IV: Institutions, Rights, and Norms
- Complete three classes in your geographic concentration (3 classes, 9 credit hours).
Click here for the permanent list of geographic concentration classes. Students are required to complete three classes concentrating on one of the four following global regions: Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, or Latin America. Students must choose a geographic concentration no later than the beginning of their junior year.
Geographic concentration coursework should be mainly in the social sciences, must include one course in contemporary history and can include a maximum of three credits of regional literature and arts (taught in the foreign language whenever possible).
(1 class, 3 credit hours)
- Complete 3 upper division credit hours to fulfill the Off-Campus Experience from one of: IAFS 4930 Internship in International Affairs; a study abroad course; a CU in DC course; IAFS 3000: Global and Local Engagement (this topic only), or other credit-bearing off-campus experience approved by the program.
Complete one of the following:
IAFS 4500 or
IAFS 4800 (1 class, 3 credit hours) or
PACS 4500 (for IAFS majors enrolled in the PACS certificate only)
Minimum requirement: Third-year, university-level proficiency in a world language appropriate to the area of concentration. This requirement may be met through completion of two 3000-level grammar courses in the language (except Spanish; see below).
Notes on world language proficiency:
- Majors must declare their language with their IAFS academic advisor by the end of their sophomore year. Special circumstances of language proficiency to meet these requirements must be resolved by the end of the sophomore year.
- Students pursuing a language offered at CU-Â鶹ӰԺ should take the placement test of the individual language department by the end of sophomore year. Students must take at least the final semester of the required language sequence at the 3000 level.
- If a student seeks a proficiency waiver from the language requirements by testing out of a language not offered at CU-Â鶹ӰԺ or if the student is a native speaker of a world language, the student must consult with their IAFS academic advisor by the end of the sophomore year.
- For language study while on study abroad, please consult your IAFS academic advisor.
Specific Requirement by Language
For the following languages, the third-year courses which will fulfill the language requirement are:
Language | Courses | Geographic Concentration(s) |
---|---|---|
Arabic | ARAB 3110 & 3120 | Africa/Middle East |
Chinese | CHIN 3110 & 3120 | Asia |
Farsi | FRSI 3110 & 3120 | Africa/Middle East |
French | FREN 3010 & 3050 | Africa/Middle East Europe/Eurasia |
German | GRMN 3010 & 3020 | Europe/Eurasia |
Hebrew | HEBR 3010 & 3020 | Africa/Middle East |
Hindi | HIND 3110 & 3120 | Asia |
Italian | ITAL 3015 & one of the following: ITAL 3025, 3030, or 3040 | Europe/Eurasia |
Japanese | JPNS 3110 & 3120 | Asia |
Korean | KREN 3110 & 3120 | Asia |
Portuguese | PORT 3003 & one of the following: PORT 3230, 4110, or 4150 | Europe/Eurasia Latin America |
Russian | RUSS 3010 & 3020 | Europe/Eurasia |
Spanish | SPAN 3000 OR two of the three following courses: SPAN 3010, SPAN 3100, or SPAN 3120 (with approved prerequisite exemption; contact Spanish and Portuguese for placement exam details) | Europe/Eurasia Latin America |
Swedish | SWED 3010 & 3020 | Europe/Eurasia |
Tutoring Resources:
- The Anderson Language and Technology Center (ALTEC) offers free tutoring for lower-level language classes.
- Other tutoring services are available through the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Advising and Coaching services.
Questions?
- Consult your IAFS academic advisor with questions or to confirm what is necessary to complete the World Language Proficiency requirements.
All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the College of Arts and Sciences who enter the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall of 2018 or thereafter must complete the new General Education (Gen Ed) requirements.
We encourage all IAFS prospective and current students to contact their IAFS academic advisor if they have additional questions about Gen Ed. The new A&S General Education curriculum consists of three basic categories of requirements: Skills, Distribution, and Diversity. For more information on Ged Ed, visit the A&S webpage.
For the A&S Gen Ed Diversity requirement, students must pass a minimum of 3 credits in each of the two Diversity categories for a total of 6 credits in courses that have been identified as fulfilling diversity learning goals. Students may count the same course toward both the Diversity requirement and the Distribution requirement. Currently, we have identified which classes fulfill IAFS course requirements and fulfill the Gen Ed Diversity requirement.
Global Perspective | U.S. Perspective |
COMM 3410 | ECON/GEOG 4292 |
ECON 4784 | SOCY 4052 |
GEOG/WGST 3672 | |
GEOG 3692 | |
LING 3545 | |
PSCI 4012 | |
SOCY/WGST 3012 | |
PACS 3850 | |
PHIL 3260 | |
ARAB/WGST 3410 | |
HIST 4218 | |
GEOG 3822 | |
RUSS 4301 | |
RUSS/WGST 4771 | |
SCAN 3206 | |
PSCI 3052/WMST 3650 |