International Studies, a Bachelor of Arts program that delivers broad-based knowledge of global issues from political and cultural perspectives, will be offered beginning this fall at SUNY Fredonia.
Students will acquire a broad knowledge of an interdependent world and the wide range of global connections among governments and society, according to Department of Politics and International Affairs Professor Ivani Vassoler. The new B.A. program complements Fredonia’s long-standing International Studies minor.
“The International Studies curriculum meets the 21st century demands for analytical thinking, knowledge of foreign cultures, intergovernmental relations, global issues, and public policy analysis,” according to Dr. Vassoler, International Studies program coordinator.
The curriculum will prepare students for careers with local and federal governments, in areas that include policy analysis, international public affairs, diplomacy, law enforcement and national security, and with non-governmental organizations and humanitarian agencies in the fields of international development and foreign assistance, Vassoler said.
Additional occupational fields include media and entertainment, international education, global business and the tourism industry.
Housed in the Department of Politics and International Affairs, the program encompasses 51 to 60 credit hours. Core courses totaling 24 credit hours are drawn from five academic areas: anthropology, economics, history, international affairs and political science. Another 15 credit hours in elective courses are also part of the major.
Students will choose between specializations in global cultural studies or international relations, complete a three-credit international experience that can be a study abroad program or an internship with an international agency, fulfill a foreign language requirement and complete a minor in another academic area.
