Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs
Requirements Pre-Fall 2024
Students admitted to GW before the Fall 2024 semester should follow these requirements. See the requirements in the drop-down menus below. While students will be meeting the pre-Fall 2024 requirements, students should search the current Bulletin for courses that meet those requirements.
Plan of Study Elements
- Introduction to the Major (19 credits)
Detailed Explanation of Major
Required:
The following courses must be taken in the first year. With the exception of IAFF 1001 (fall), ECON 1011 (fall) and ECON 1012 (spring), courses can be taken in fall or spring. IAFF 1001 is not required for internal or external transfer students.
- IAFF 1001 First-Year Experience
- IAFF 1005 Introduction to International Affairs
- ECON 1011 Principles of Economics I
- ECON 1012 Principles of Economics II
- HIST 1011 World History from 1500 to Present
- PSC 1001 Introduction to Comparative Politics
One of the following (not required in the first year):
- ANTH 1002 Sociocultural Anthropology
- ANTH 1004 Language in Culture and Society
- GEOG 1001 Introduction to Human Geography
- GEOG 1003 Society and Environment
- Supporting Courses in the Liberal Arts (25-26 credits)
Supporting Courses in the Liberal Arts
Writing (minimum 10 credits)
Writing requirements are established by the University Writing Program. Students must complete UW 1020 before completing 6 credits in writing in the disciplines (WID) courses. These 6 credits must be taken in separate semesters. UW 1020 must be completed in the first year before enrolling in a WID course for credit toward this requirement. WID courses should be taken in the student's major, minor, or a related field. WID courses are designated in the Bulletin with a "W" appended to the course number (e.g., HIST 2340W).
Mathematics or statistics (3 credits)
MATH courses numbered 1051 and above require a placement test. Credit for only one of the following MATH courses may be applied toward a degree: MATH 1221, MATH 1231, or MATH 1252. Credit for only one of the following STAT courses may be applied toward a degree: STAT 1051, STAT 1053, STAT 1111, or STAT 1127. STAT courses may not be double-counted between the Mathematics requirement and the Research Methods requirement (see “Major Requirements.”)
Science (3 to 4 credits), lab required
Humanities/Creative Arts (9 credits)
Humanities courses to fulfill this requirement can be taken from either the GPAC Critical Thinking in the Humanities (CAH) or the Creative or Critical Thinking in the Arts (CAA) list, accessed here.
- Major Requirements (15-18 credits)
Detailed List of Major Requirements
All courses taken to satisfy major requirements, including 3rd year language proficiency courses, must be completed with grades no lower than C-.
Research methods (3 credits)
One course pertaining to qualitative or quantitative social science research methods.
International economics (3 or 6 credits)
3 or 6 credits (one or two courses) pertaining to the theory of international economics, selected from options 1 and 2 outlined in the PDF linked above.
Historical analysis: U.S. foreign policy (3 credits)
One course pertaining to the history of the U.S. approach to contemporary international affairs.
Upper-level international and comparative politics (3 credits)
One upper-level course pertaining to international political issues or comparative politics, including politics in a particular country or region, and taught from a political science perspective.
Upper-level anthropology or geography (3 credits)
One upper-level course in anthropology or geography relevant to international affairs. Many of the courses listed in the PDF have lower-level prerequisites as detailed in their course descriptions.
Regional foundations (6 credits)
Students in the BA in international affairs program take one course from two regions (for a total of two courses) to gain an understanding of two regions or countries of the world outside of the United States. These courses are typically offered as IAFF, ANTH, ECON, GEOG, HIST and PSC. They address the contemporary era (post World War II) and can be focused on single or multiple countries in a region.
- Language Requirement (0-22 credits)
Students must demonstrate third-year proficiency in a modern language by examination or coursework. If taking coursework, students can satisfy the language requirement by taking a course that is equivalent to third-year proficiency, or by taking a course beyond the third year which has a listed prerequisite of the second semester of the third year. Please note that the language placement exam determines the level at which students begin their language study. Additional information regarding the Elliott School language examinations is available from your academic advisor. This requirement is satisfied automatically for students who were required to take the TOEFL or IELTS examination as part of GW's admissions process.
- Concentrations (15 credits)
Concentrations
Concentrations must be declared by the end of the sophomore year using the Concentration Declaration Form and must consist of courses from at least two different academic disciplines (e.g., HIST and PSC).
- Electives
Courses that do not satisfy specific requirements are considered electives. Electives are taken in addition to the courses used to satisfy the requirements above to earn 120 credits.