Courses & Requirements

Associated Links:
Rohatyn Center for International Affairs:   http://www.middlebury.edu/administration/rcfia 
International Studies:  http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/majors/is/
International
Politics and Economics:
http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/majors/ipe/ 
Study Abroad course information database
http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap/cid/


Frequently Asked Questions


International Studies Major

The faculty for the international studies major is drawn from the following departments and programs: Arabic, Chinese, classics, economics, environmental studies, film and media culture, French, geography, German, history, history of art and architecture, Italian, Japanese, philosophy, political science, religion, Russian, sociology/anthropology, and Spanish.

Director: Thierry Warin (economics);Program Directors: African Studies: Jacob Tropp (history); East Asian studies: Stephen Snyder (Japanese); European studies: TBD; Latin American studies: TBD; Middle East Studies: TBD; Russian and East European studies: TBD; South Asian Studies: Cynthia Packert (history of art and architecture), Program Coordinator: Carolann Davis

Mission: The international studies major provides a carefully constructed blend of language, regional, disciplinary, and global courses that, together with study abroad, seeks to impart to students a deep understanding of a specific geographic region, as well as its place within an interdisciplinary and transnational context.

     In pursuit of this mission, the major is designed to ensure that all IS majors graduate with (1) advanced competency in a language taught at Middlebury, sufficient to read scholarly materials and engage in complex interaction with native-speaking professionals in their field of concentration; (2) broad exposure to the historical and cultural heritage of their region of focus; (3) solid grounding in one or more of the liberal arts disciplines other than language; and (4) an understanding of the transnational and global context that affects all regions.

     International education in a liberal arts context should encourage students to transcend the confines of their own backgrounds and upbringing, apprehend the world through others' eyes, and in the process achieve a deeper understanding of themselves and their place within their own cultures. These transformations are prerequisites for living and working effectively in an increasingly interdependent world.

Courses and Requirements:
All students who major in international studies share elements at the beginning and the end of their college careers, with a core course and a senior program. Students also have a wide variety of choices within the international studies curriculum. They must specialize in one of the seven programs that make up the major: African studies, East Asian studies, European studies, Latin American studies, Middle East studies, Russian and East European studies, and South Asian studies. In addition, students must specialize in one of the traditional liberal arts disciplines, achieve proficiency in one of the languages Middlebury teaches, and study abroad, preferably for a year but at least for one semester. Because of the complex and interdisciplinary nature of the international studies major, students pursuing it are strongly advised not to have an additional major. Any course counted for the IS major may not be counted for any other major or minor. In addition, IS majors may not minor in their disciplinary specialization or their primary language of focus. Beginning with students graduating in February 2009, a minimum of 13 courses must be taken in the IS major in order to graduate. The minimum requirements for the major in international studies are as follows:

     The International Studies Core: Students are required to take INTL 0101 as their sole core course requirement, and are expected to take this course before study abroad.

     Language Study: Students must become proficient in one of the languages that Middlebury teaches. Individual language departments determine what level of study constitutes proficiency, and students are expected to do advanced work in the language that they study. All majors must take at least one advanced course in the language of study upon returning from abroad and are encouraged to take more than one advanced course.

     Regional Specialization: Students must fulfill their program's regional course requirement, listed below. This requirement consists of three or four courses in at least three different departments that focus on the student's region.

     Disciplinary Specialization: Students must take at least five courses within a single discipline; see "disciplinary specializations by department" below. Within a student's disciplinary specialization, at least one of the courses must be an upper-level course, and at least two of the courses should have substantial content on the geographical area of specialization. Where possible, such regional courses should be taken on the Middlebury campus, and IS majors should take at least two of their disciplinary courses before going abroad.

     Study Abroad: Students must study abroad for at least one semester (and preferably for a year) on a Middlebury-approved study abroad program in their region of focus. Students must receive the approval of the relevant departments and/or, as appropriate, the program director to receive major credit for courses taken abroad.

     Senior Program: The IS senior program consists of (1) A senior international studies seminar that is thematic, team-taught, interdisciplinary, or cross-regional, and (2) An upper-level course, preferably two, in the language of emphasis that will be taken after returning from abroad. Students may also elect to write an honors thesis during their senior year. Students writing a two-semester thesis may choose to waive the IS seminar requirement.

     Honors: Honors are awarded to students with a GPA* of 3.5 and a thesis grade of B+, high honors to students with a GPA of 3.7 and a thesis grade of A- or A, and highest honors to students with a GPA of 3.8 and a thesis grade of A.

     *The international studies GPA is calculated on the basis of those courses that are required to complete the IS major and that are included on the IS degree audit sheet.

     Note: Thesis grades do not count in the calculation of the GPA for honors.

Winter Term Course: A winter term course taken at Middlebury may count towards the regional and/or disciplinary requirements only with the approval of the track director. Students wishing to count a winter term course must provide the track director with a copy of the course syllabus. No more than one winter term course may count towards the program requirements.

Disciplinary Specializations by Department

Disciplinary requirements are listed below. Students are required to take two courses within their disciplinary specialization that have substantial content in their region of focus. If these regional courses cannot be taken at Middlebury, students may take them while abroad. Area program directors will determine which courses fulfill this regional requirement in consultation with individual departments.

     Economics: ECON 0150, ECON 0155, ECON 0250, ECON 0255, and two departmental electives with an international focus at the 0200-, 0300- or 0400-levels. At least four economics courses meeting the major requirements must be taken at Middlebury, including one of the electives.
     Film and Media Culture: FMMC 0131, FMMS 0231; FMMC 0232 or FMMC 0340; FMMC 0244 or one course offered on a foreign language cinema as available; FMMC 0431; and one elective in Film/Media taught during the regular fall or spring terms.
     Geography: GEOG 0100, GEOG 0206 or GEOG 0210 or GEOG 0211, GEOG 0214 or GEOG 0215, GEOG 0220 or GEOG 0223; GEOG 0310 or GEOG 0320, and one seminar at the 0400 level. Students wishing to write an honors thesis are required to take GEOG 0339.
     History: A 0100-level course and five other courses, including a 0400-level reading seminar normally taken in the senior year.  The reading seminar and at least two other courses should be within the regional focus, and at least one course should be outside the regional focus.  With the permission of the history department chair, up to two of these courses can be taken abroad.
     History of Art and Architecture: HARC 0100; HARC 0102 or another course in non-Western art history; 4 additional courses at the 0200 level or higher, including 1 course outside the region of specialization. In addition, students who elect to write an honors thesis must write the thesis under the auspices of history of art and architecture, which will include HARC 0700, HARC 0710, and ISRU 0701, ISEU 0702, ISLA 0703 or ISEA 0704.
 

     Literature and Culture:

• Chinese: Any five of the following:  CHNS 0219, CHNS 0220, CHNS/HARC 0206, CHNS/FMMC 0250, CHNS 0270, CHNS 0325, CHNS 0330, CHNS 0370, CHNS/LITS 0360, CHNS 0412, CHNS 0475 (one literature course taken during study abroad may be counted toward this requirement).
•      French:  Two courses from FREN 0210, FREN 0221, and FREN 0230; three at the advanced level (taken at Middlebury or in Paris); plus one or more courses at the 0300 or 0400-level upon return from Paris.
•      German: Any five courses at the 0300 level, up to four of which may be taken at Mainz, plus GRMN 0700 or a course at the 0400 level.
•      Italian: In addition to language proficiency, four 0300-level courses, including ITAL 0355 or its equivalent in Florence or Ferrara, plus one 0400-level seminar.
•      Japanese: In addition to language courses, five courses on literature, film, or culture offered by the Department of Japanese Studies.
•     Portuguese: In addition to PGSE 0202 or its equivalent, four upper level courses on literature or culture taken at Middlebury or in Brazil, and PGSE 0500 during the senior year.
•      Russian: RUSS 0151, RUSS 0152, three others (taken either at Middlebury or in Russia), and RUSS 0704.
•      Spanish: Six courses at the 0300 level or above, including SPAN 0300, at least one literature course in the area of interest, at least one culture course in the area of interest, and one 0400-level seminar during the senior year.

  
    Philosophy: PHIL 0150 or 0151; PHIL 0180; one course in history of philosophy (PHIL 0201, PHIL/CLAS 0175, or PHIL 0250); one 0400-level seminar to be taken in the last three semesters; and one course from each of the following areas: (1) ethics and social and political philosophy (ESP); (2) epistemology, language, metaphysics, mind and science (ELMMS).
     Political Science: PSCI 0103 and PSCI 0109; one course from PSCI 0101, PSCI 0102, PSCI 0104, PSCI 0107; two other courses at the 0200 or 0300 level from either comparative politics or international relations and foreign policy categories, plus one 0400-level seminar in one of these categories at Middlebury in junior or senior year. INTL seminars co-taught by PSCI faculty cannot substitute for 0400-level PSCI seminars, but will count towards the six required courses in political science. 
     Religion: Three courses on religious traditions in the region (at least one of which is a 0300-level seminar); one course on a tradition or area outside that region; and either a senior project or a senior thesis in religion focusing on the region of specialization.
     Sociology/Anthropology: SOAN 0103, SOAN 0105, SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302, SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306, plus two other Sociology/Anthropology electives.

International Studies Courses

INTL 0101 Introduction to International Studies (Fall)
This is the core course of the International Studies major. It is an introduction to key international issues and problems that will likely feature prominently in their courses at Middlebury and study abroad. Issues covered will differ from year to year, but they may include war, globalization, immigration, racism, imperialism, nationalism, world organizations, non-governmental organizations, the European Union, the rise of East Asia, politics and society in Latin America, and anti-Americanism. CMP (D. Rosenberg, T. Sasson)

INTL/PSCI 0250 International Diplomacy and Modern South Asia (Fall)
In this course we will examine current political and economic issues in the countries of South Asia - Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. We will first examine the background of the South Asian region in general (pre-colonial and colonial eras) and of South Asian countries after independence. We will look at specific interstate and intrastate issues, focusing on the combined quests for political stability and economic development. Students will look at topical issues from the perspective of an officer working in a U.S. Embassy or in a U.S. foreign policy agency. The course will combine rigorous academic understanding of the region with current policy issues. Readings will include both academic studies and contemporary policy/issues papers. SOC AAL (J. Lunstead)

INTL 0251 Identity and Conflict in South Asia (Spring)
In this course we will examine political development and conflict in South Asia through the concept of identity. South Asians take on a variety of identities -- ethnic, religious, linguistic, caste, national, etc. These identities often form the basis of political mobilization and both inter- and intrastate conflict. We will study the general concept of identity, including how identities are constructed and used, and then specific manifestations in South Asia. We will also examine the question of whether these identities were constructed during colonial or post-colonial times, or have an earlier basis. This course is equivalent to PSCI 0251. SOC AAL (J. Lunstead)

INTL 0343 Contemporary Israel: State and Society (not offered)
In this course we will examine Israeli society in a period of rapid and profound transformation. Following an introductory unit, our topics will include the rise and decline of Ashkenazi hegemony; recent waves of immigration and the advent of multiculturalism; struggles over the role of religion in society; the changing character of core institutions; the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; civil rights and the democratic character of the state. Course materials will include books, articles, and films. This course is equivalent to SOAN 0343. Ocassional evening screenings. 3 hrs. lect./scr. SOC AAL (T. Sasson)

INTL/ENVS 0380 Global Challenges of the 21st Century (Fall)
See program in Environmental Studies for course description. This course will count as an IS senior seminar. 3 hr. sem. SOC (J. Isham)

INTL 0436 Terrorism (Fall)
Terrorism, the act of violent resistance against real or perceived oppression, has taken on new dimensions in an age dominated by mass media and technology. Can we make reliable distinctions between terrorism, anarchism, guerrilla warfare, and random mass murder? What are the political, social, and cultural conditions that favor terrorism? What makes an individual a terrorist? How have governments coped with terrorist movements: What is “state terrorism?” Looking at terrorist movements across the globe, as well as the historical evolution of terrorism, this course will examine explanations for this disintegrative phenomenon given by social scientists, historians, writers, and filmmakers. Students interested in the possibility of receiving German credit for this course should contact Michael Geisler. This course is equivalent to GRMN 0436 and PSCI 0439. (Approval required) 3 hr. sem. (M. Geisler, K. Carmola)

INTL 0469 Fascism: Italy and Germany Compared (Spring)
Fascism was one of the major threats to Western democracy in the twentieth century and left a lasting legacy in world politics. In this course we will explore fascism in the two countries where it had its greatest development: Italy and Germany. In each, fascist political rule established a complex network of social, cultural, aesthetic, and ideological values. We will also address a variety of issues, including the attraction of fascism for leaders and the masses, the construction and reaction to enemies of the state, the creation of distinct aesthetic ideals in Germany and Italy, and the legacy of fascism today. This course is equivalent to HIST 0469 3 hrs. sem. HIS CMP EUR (R. Bennette, N. Chang)

INTL 0470 Marxism Today (Fall)
The Berlin Wall may have fallen and China and Russia embraced capitalism, yet in a world where economic exploitation, inequality and social marginalization have devastating effects on people’s lives, Marxist thought continues to have an urgent relevance across the world. In this course, we will explore some of the key texts of Marxist theory, focusing in particular on culture and geography. We will read texts by Marx and Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Luxemberg, Lukacs, Benjamin, Adorno and the Frankfurt School, Antonio Gramsci, Mao Tse Tung, Raymond Williams, Althusser, Lefebvre, David Harvey, Fredric Jameson, and Hardt and Negri. Some of the key concepts that we will explore are: ideology and discourse, commoditization and reification, territoriality and hypermobility, agency and structure, resistance and hegemony, materialism and alienation. This course is equivalent to ENAM 0470 and GEOG 0470. 3 hr. sem. (G. Herb, Y. Siddiqi)

INTL 0472 “The Religious Life”: Buddhist and Christian Monastic Traditions Compared (Spring)
Both Buddhism and Christianity include traditions of monasticism, of men and women leaving home for "the religious life." In this course, we will study and compare Buddhist monasticism in Asia and Christian monasticism in the Mediterranean and Europe from historical and religious perspectives. We will read primary sources, from the Life of St. Anthony and the Rule of St. Benedict to the verses attributed to the first Buddhist nuns and a Zen monastic code. We will examine monastic vocation, the role of gender, monastic-state relations, the integration of monasteries into society, and the adaptation of monasticism to different cultures. We will conclude with attention to contemporary manifestations of monastic culture, including Buddhist-Christian dialogue on monastic life. This course is equivalent to HIST 0472 and RELI 0472. (Approval required) 3 hr sem. HIS PHL CMP (L. Burnham, E. Morrison)

INTL 0500 East Asian Studies Independent Project (Winter)

INTL 0501 Latin American Studies Independent Project (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0502 Middle East Studies Independent Project (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0503 African Studies Independent Project (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0504 South Asian Studies Independent Project (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0505 European Studies Independent Project (Fall, Winter, Spring) 

INTL 0701 Russian and East European Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0702 European Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0703 Latin American Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0704 East Asian Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter)

INTL 0705 African Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0706 Middle East Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)

INTL 0707 South Asian Studies Senior Thesis (Fall, Winter, Spring)

Modern Hebrew

HEBM 0101 Intoductory Modern Hebrew I (Fall)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)

HEBM 0103 Introductory Modern Hebrew III (Spring)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)

HEBM/LITP 0220 Modern Hebrew Culture in Translation (Spring)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LIT CMP (N. Devir)

HEBM 0221 Readings in Modern Hebrew (Fall)
See Hebrew section of the catalog for course description. LNG (N. Devir)

Frequently Asked Questions

1) For courses I have taken on campus, who should I see to know whether they count for my major?

If you want to count a course in your regional specialization, the track director is the person to contact.

If you want to count a course in your discipline, the chair of the respective department is the person to contact.

2) For courses taken abroad from one of our schools abroad, who should I see to know whether they count for my major?

First of all, these courses are automatically transferred for general credit.

Second of all, if you want to count a course in your discipline, then you should contact the chair of the respective department. However, if you want to count a course in your regional specialization, the track director is the person to contact. This course does not have to be validated by the chair of the department since it does not have to count for the major in the discipline considered.

3) For courses taken abroad, but not from one of our schools abroad, who should I see to know whether they count for my major?

If this is a course counting for your discipline, you need to get pre-approval from the chair of the respective department before going abroad, and then when you are back, you need her/his final approval.

If this is a course counting for your regional specialization, you need to get pre-approval from the track director before going abroad, and then when you are back, you need her/his final approval.

4) How many courses taken abroad can I count towards my major?

For courses counting for your discipline, it varies across departments. It may go up to two courses. You need to contact the chair of the respective department. See questions above also.