The International Affairs major offers students an interdisciplinary approach to studying global issues such as pandemics, climate change, racial justice, economic inequality, religious conflict, and war. Courses in history, politics, and economics help you understand the roots of these challenges from multiple angles. Courses in language and culture help you understand differences in how people view these challenges. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of global issues, our students leave Marquette qualified for internationally oriented careers.
What's more, we offer internationally focused internship experiences during a semester in Washington D.C. through the Les Aspin Center or through the Kleczka Program in Milwaukee. We also make it easy for students to study abroad by counting most international coursework toward the major. When it comes time to graduate, our extensive alumni network helps students get jobs in internationally oriented government agencies, non-governmental organizations, international business, and media organizations. The International Affairs major allows students to choose from six concentrations, focusing on the issues that most interest them.
Choose your concentration
The Interdisciplinary Major in International Affairs allows students to focus on the types of issues that most interest them. Students can choose among five concentrations: Area Studies, Cross-Cultural Studies, International Economic Relations, International Political-Military Relations, International Communication, and Peace Studies. Students may also customized their own concentration (e.g., international health, international cyber security, or international business). For details and requirements for all concentrations, be sure to check the Undergraduate Bulletin.
Expand all | Collapse all
The Area Studies concentration narrows students’ focus to one particular region of the world (e.g., Middle East, European Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, or developing countries). By selecting courses focused on the history, culture, language, economic development and politics in one area, students become specialists in their region. This concentration is an excellent choice for students pursuing a particular language, immersive study abroad experience or hoping to pursue professional opportunities abroad.
The Cross-Cultural Studies concentration provides students the opportunity to examine multiple cultures through a variety of disciplinary lenses such as anthropology, sociology and theology, while focusing on persistent themes such as human security, migration and revolution. Identifying patterns of change and stability resulting from global events and economic developments, students are equipped with critical analysis skills. These skills are in high demand in a globalized world in which a pandemic and climate change are possible.
International Political Economy
The International Political Economy concentration focuses on issues related to economics, public policy and international development. A wide range of courses offers students the opportunity to focus on traditional topics (e.g., international trade, public policy and international finance), but also economic inequalities and hidden markets (e.g., human trafficking, illegal migration, illicit global economies and unequal access to health and natural resources). This concentration is an excellent choice for students pursuing careers in global policy or diplomacy.
International Political-Military Relations
The International Political-Military Relations concentration explores the security dimensions of international affairs. Students gain a broader understanding of the increasingly complex political, economic and social issues that transcend national boundaries (e.g., a pandemic, cyber security breaches, unequal access to vaccinations and changing climate). Students learn about theoretical and policy issues affected by international politics and culture, the ideas and values that influence the behavior of state and non-state actors. Students also hone critical thinking, analytical and communication skills needed to successfully foster transnational relationships in an increasingly globalized environment.
The Peace Studies concentration examines international escalation, crisis and de-escalation as well as the cycle of conflict as it has occurred and continues to occur around the world, focusing on economic, religious and political clashes as well as competition for resources in a changing climate and pandemic. Students concerned with international injustice, humanitarian relief and nonviolence can pursue courses in international communication, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, as well as politics and economics to understand both the origins of conflicts and strategies used to resolve them.
Global Sustainable Development
The Global Sustainable Development concentration allows students to examine the underlying causes and effects of climate change through social, economic, and political lenses. As patterns of adaptation emerge across longitudes and latitudes, methods of public engagement and policy initiatives around the world come to bear. Emphasizing the social sciences more than the life sciences, this INIA concentration offers flexibility to non-life science majors and allows students to quickly enter careers in transnational or international sustainability initiatives upon graduating, a critical and growing career field.
Individualized Concentration
The Individualized concentration allows students to work with their adviser and the program director to design their own curriculum. The depth and breadth of the interdisciplinary major in international affairs allows students greater range than any other major on campus. At a time when climate change, cyber security breaches and a pandemic are possible, the traditional international affairs curriculum can inadvertently limit the scope of study as the world changes faster than textbooks can be revised.
Ready to declare?
- First, choose a concentration and complete the Major Declaration form.
- E-mail INIA Director Jessica Rich to request a 30-minute office hours appointment.
- During the appointment, Professor Rich will explain the major requirements, ask you about your interests and discuss opportunities for majors.
Background Requirements
These lower-division courses are prerequisites required for International Affairs core courses. They will give you a better grasp of international affairs across disciplines, setting you up for success when you begin taking your core classes. Many of these courses can be used simultaneously to satisfy university core curriculum requirements and requirements for other majors.
While these courses are required of all International Affairs majors, they do not count as part of the 30 credit hours required for the major. Since these are background courses, the minimum requirements for grades for courses required for majors do not apply.
Want to Double Major?
Nearly half of our students declare INIA as a secondary major or add it as a minor to lend context to their primary discipline. So while it may seem unusual for a nursing student, computer science student or economics student to pursue the INIA major, the pandemic, cyber security attacks and inflation underscore the need for global context in every discipline. Our background courses help students who would like to double major. If you are completing a double major or minor, you should be aware that some departments require you to complete a minimum number of courses that you only count toward that major or minor (called “unique credit hours”). For example, the Political Science major requires that fifteen of the credits counted to fulfill the major not be counted toward any other major or minor. **International Affairs background courses do not count against this fifteen credit rule.** Therefore, for example, two of the required background courses for the International Affairs major may also count as “unique credits” toward a Political Science major. This is one reason International Affairs majors often pick up additional majors and minors.
Since many of these courses are prerequisites for other required courses, you should complete these courses as soon as possible.
The Required Background Courses Are:
- Growth of Western Civilization (HIST 1001 or HIST 1002) and one of the following courses: Latin America (HIST 1301), Africa (1401), East Asia (HIST 1501)
- Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (ECON 1103 and 1104)
- Comparative Politics (POSC 2401) and International Politics (POSC 2601)
- Statistics (one of the following: BUAD 1560, SOCI 2060, MATH 1700, or PSYC 2001)
- Foreign Language (through the intermediate level, i.e., 2002 level)
International Affairs students are encouraged to take at least two language courses beyond the intermediate level.
