Open primary navigation menu
Mobile Dropdown Button

Minor in International Studies

The University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a Minor in International Studies, an interdisciplinary program of ten participating Departments jointly offering 61 courses. International Studies prepares students for dialogue between cultures and civilizations.

First, it is a multi-disciplinary field, in which students are exposed to economics, art, social and political history, literature, and a modern language (other than English) of their choice. Indeed, any discipline can enrich International Studies if it contributes to a better understanding of the nature of international issues. The International Studies Minor broadens the knowledge base of University of Mount Saint Vincent students wishing to pursue a graduate education in law or in international studies, as well as those who wish to obtain careers in international affairs, business, government, non-governmental organizations or international organizations.

Second, the field of International Studies emphasizes a multi-cultural world view and values multi-lingual competency, thus fostering understanding and communication across cultural divides. Currently, University of Mount Saint Vincent students originate from many different countries, and the proportion of students whose mother tongue is not English is over 40%. Given its multi-cultural orientation, the International Studies Minor is well suited to meet both the interpersonal and the intellectual needs of this diverse group of students.

Program Goals

The goal of the International Studies minor is to contribute to a better understanding of the nature of international issues by equipping students with a relational, interdisciplinary and multicultural perspective on international society and systems, at both the intergovernmental and non-governmental levels. Emphasis is placed on cross-cultural communication and the acquisition of multilingual competency.

Program Requirements

  1. The minor in International Studies is 18 course credits.
  2. One course must be in Modern Languages and Literatures, in addition to the 6-credit core curriculum requirement. This can be any 200- or 300-level language or culture course, according the student’s needs.
  3. Five additional courses must be taken in the eligible disciplines, which include Accounting, Business, and Economics, Communication, English, Fine Arts, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy/Religious Studies, Psychology, and Sociology. At least one course must be in Accounting, Business, and Economics, and at least one in History.
  4. No more than two courses can be taken in any one discipline.
  5. At least four of the courses must be at the 300/400 level.
  6. A minimum grade of C is required for credit in each of the six courses.
  7. No more than six credits can be accepted from courses that have been taken to satisfy requirements in a student’s major or minor, or in the core curriculum.
  8. A minor contract must be approved by the coordinator(s) of the minor in International Studies.

Course Requirements

Category A. One course in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, in addition to the six-credit core curriculum requirement. This can be any 200- or 300-level language or culture course, according to the student’s level of proficiency. See course descriptions (3 credits).

Category B. Five courses from the following list of courses, no more than two of which can be taken in any one discipline. At least one course must be in Accounting, Business, and Economics, and one in History (15 credits).

Accounting, Business, and Economics

BUSN 309 International Business
BUSN/ECON 370, 470 Special Topics in Business/Economics
BUSN 401 International Political Economy
BUSN 409 International Marketing
BUSN 419 International Finance
ECON 336 International Trade

Communication

COMM 370, 470 Topics in Communication I, II, III, IV, V, VI
COMM 371 Intercultural Communication

English

ENG 215 Dialogue with World Writers
ENG 421 Topics in Literature II

Fine Arts

ART 313 Nineteenth Century Art
ART 314 Modern Art
ART 431 Art of Native Cultures
ART 436 Topics in Art

History

HIST 315 Colonial Latin America
HIST 317 Modern Latin America in the 19th and 20th Centuries
HIST 330 Colonialism in Africa and Asia
HIST 333 Modern Asia
HIST 349 Modern Africa
HIST 376, 476 Topics in World History
HIST 414 History of Russia
HIST 417 The U.S. Role in Vietnam, 1940-1975
HIST 430 Europe, 1830-1914: Industrialization, Ideologies, Imperialism
HIST 437 Europe, 1914-45: World Wars and the Holocaust
HIST 445 Europe, 1945-1995: From the Cold War to Democratic Revolutions
HIST 447 Modern Irish Politics: North and South
HIST 448 Modern France. 1789 to the Present
HIST 466 International Terrorism

Modern Languages and Literatures

Prerequisite for all 300-level courses is one of the following: French/Italian/ Spanish 209, and 210 or 216, or placement with an extraordinary background in French/Italian/Spanish, or near-native fluency.

Prerequisite for all 400-level courses: 307, 350, and one of the following: 340, 341, 342 or 351; or with the permission of the Chairperson

FREN 216/316 Aspects of French and Francophone Culture
FREN 303 French and Francophone Culture through Film
FREN 340 French Civilization
FREN 341 Contemporary French Civilization
FREN 342 The Francophone World: A Cultural Study
FREN 420 Special Topics in French
ITAL 216, 316 Aspects of Italian Culture
ITAL 303 Italian Culture through Film
ITAL 340 Medieval and Renaissance Italian Civilization
ITAL 341 Contemporary Italian Civilization
ITAL 420, 320 Special Topics in Italian
SPAN 300 Hispanic Musical Heritage
SPAN 303 Hispanic Culture through Film
SPAN 340 Spanish Civilization
SPAN 341 Latin American Civilization
SPAN 420, 320 Special Topics in Spanish
SPAN 440 Gender Studies in Hispanic Literature

Philosophy/Religious Studies

PHIL 326 Thought and Culture
PHIL 370, 470 Topics in Philosophy
RELS 215 Introduction to the Eastern Religions
RELS 370, 470 Topics in Religion

Psychology

PSYC 321 Social Psychology
PSYC 330 Special Topics in Psychology

Sociology

SOC 302 Race and Ethnicity
SOC 304 Globalization and Inequality
SOC 305 Urban Sociology
SOC 362 Organized Crime
SOC 399 Sociology of Gender

Contact
(718) 405-3493 or 3787
[email protected]