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International Affairs Major, Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The EWU Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs (IA) provides a cutting-edge curriculum that focuses on today’s global challenges in security, economics, and environmental issues.  As the only International Affairs Program in the Inland Northwest, the program has a successful record of preparing its graduates for careers in public service, research, international organizations, law, non-governmental organizations, political advocacy, policymaking, academia, and the foreign service, among other areas. 

World Language Requirement: Two years of a single high school world language or one year of a single college-level world language is required.

Core–no substitutions for core courses unless approved by program director.
Required Disciplinary Foundation Courses
POLI 203INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS5
POLI 204INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS5
Required Disciplinary Core Courses
POLI 321INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS5
POLI 322INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY5
POLI 323U.S. FOREIGN POLICY5
Required Area Studies in Security and Economic Policies, Practices, and Norms. Choose three courses from this category according to regional interest.15
EUROPEAN POLITICS
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
POLITICS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
POLITICS OF SOUTH ASIA
TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COMPARATIVE POLITICS
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Required Interdisciplinary Courses (With approval from director of the International Affairs Program, choose 25 credits from three of the following disciplines): ANTH, GEOS, HIST, ECON, PLAN, SOCI.25
Required Senior-Year Courses
POLI 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
POLI 493PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT2
Total Credits72

Plan of Study

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

This major requires the completion of the World Language requirement. Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree must complete two years of a single language in high school or one year of a single language in college.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015ENGL 2015MATH 1075
Humanities & Arts BACR 115POLI 204 (Global Studies - graduation requirement)5POLI 2035
Social Science BACR 115Humanities & Arts BACR 215Social Science BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Diversity - graduation requirement15International Affairs Area Studies Electives25International Affairs Area Studies Electives25
Natural Science BACR 115International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35
Elective - minor or general elective5Natural Science BACR 215International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
International Affairs Area Studies Electives25POLI 3215POLI 3225
International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 15 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
POLI 3235International Affairs Interdisciplinary Electives35POLI 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5POLI 4932
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
  Elective - minor or general elective3
 15 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Required Area Studies in Security and Economic Policies, Practices, and Norms. Choose three courses from this category according to regional interest.

3

Required Interdisciplinary Courses (With approval from the director of the International Affairs Program, choose 25 credits from three of the following disciplines): ANTH, GEOS, HIST, ECON, PLAN, SOCI.

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB


General Education Requirements (GER)
  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences


University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List


Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BA In International Affairs from EWU should be able to:

  • identify major international issues;
  • communicate about global political processes in a professional manner;
  • explain how socioeconomic and political diversity plays a role in international affairs;
  • analyze global security, political, and economic issues;
  • evaluate global security, political, and economic literature;
  • conduct original research on global security, political, or economic dynamics.