International Affairs
Majid Sharifi, Director
program web page
Degrees
Required courses in these programs of study may have prerequisites. Reference the course description section for clarification.
Undergraduate Program
The International Affairs (IA) Program, housed in the Political Science & Public Policy Department, is designed for students interested in international politics and global languages and cultures. It offers a carefully integrated and relatively flexible interdisciplinary set of courses in the social sciences leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs. The goal of this major is to provide students with a solid foundation in the liberal arts for employment and/or advanced study in an international field.
International Affairs students learn to consider issues broadly, see interconnections among geographic regions, and engage in critical and creative thinking about them. The IA major prepares students for employment, lifelong learning, and life enrichment, and fits Eastern Washington University’s larger purpose of providing quality liberal arts education with meaningful career preparation.
All IA majors are strongly encouraged to pursue study abroad as part of their undergraduate education. The IA major culminates in a Senior Capstone seminar, in which students demonstrate their ability to master analytical approaches to the complex process of globalization and to apply those approaches to a specific issue or process related to globalization. This course thus brings to bear their acquired knowledge of world events and their critical thinking skills on an issue, process or region of significance to the particular student.
Students majoring in International Affairs will gain competency in current global relations scholarship and skills in research, writing, and oral communication. Students will be prepared to go on to graduate study in a wide array of disciplines such as international studies, development, education, political science, or law. They will also be well equipped for career opportunities in the public, private and non-profit sectors.
The International Affairs program, in conjunction with EWU’s chapter of the political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, sponsors lectures, forums, and debates on campus which encourage students to consider the integrated character of global and regional political, economic, and social issues. IA students regularly participate in these clubs.