| Oberlin offers the International Studies
Concentration (ISC) to help prepare students for careers and lives engaged in
pursuits spanning national boundaries. It is grounded in social sciences and focused on
contemporary issues in order to contribute to students' understanding of the current
dominant modes of international interaction and the global nature and consequences of
those interactions. The ISC draws on more than 110 courses across the curriculum --
designed to help explain political, economic, historical, sociological, cultural, and
religious factors shaping contemporary global affairs. The ISC focuses students' course selections to complement their majors by including elements from across the curriculum that help develop their abilities to analyze global issues, to understand dynamics of cross-cultural communication and to appreciate the characteristics of regions outside the United States. All students, regardless of their departmental majors and minors, can pursue an ISC. The ISC does not substitute for a major or minor. Its completion will be noted on the student's final transcripts along with majors, minors, and honors. Students pursuing an ISC will work with an advisor from the ISC Committee to develop their programs. To sign up for the ISC, students file an ISC declaration form with the committee chair. The ISC consists of three components: (a) Two Core Courses which are one introductory international relations/international politics course and one international economic course. (b) A minimum of five additional courses from the ISC Course List which are courses that deal with non-U.S. regions, countries, humanities and/or social science methodologies for understanding international dynamics including but not restricted to politics and economics. In consultation with an ISC advisor, the student will develop a program of courses drawn from the ISC list. The (at least) five courses will include i) not more than two at the introductory level, (ii) at least two focused on two different non-U.S. regions or countries, and (iii) at least one at the 300/400 level. (c) A language requirement: Second-year proficiency or its equivalent of an appropriate modern foreign language. Study abroad is strongly encouraged. At least four out of the seven (core and additional) courses must be completed at Oberlin or in Oberlin programs such as the London semester or Strasbourg program. |