For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.
Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052
For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.
Elliott School bachelor's degrees engage students with global issues through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Students begin their studies with foundational courses in political science, economics, history, and anthropology or geography. They supplement these courses with others in the traditional liberal arts categories of writing, oral communication, natural or physical science, mathematics or statistics, and the humanities/creative arts, plus two writing in the disciplines courses. Language study also is emphasized early to enable students to satisfy the third-year language proficiency requirement of the bachelor's degree in a timely manner.
Elliott School bachelor's degrees require a minimum of 120 credits. The following three sets of requirements must be fulfilled:
- University General Education requirement
- Elliott School introductory requirements
- Major requirements
University General Education requirement
Coursework for the University General Education requirement is distributed as follows:
- One course in critical thinking in the humanities.
- Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.
- One course that has an approved oral communication component.
- One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
- Students in the BS in international affairs program must take a calculus-based course to fulfill the University General Education requirement in quantitative reasoning. Options include MATH 1220 Calculus with Precalculus I and MATH 1221 Calculus with Precalculus II; MATH 1231 Single-Variable Calculus I; MATH 1232 Single-Variable Calculus II; or MATH 1252 Calculus for the Social and Management Sciences. Students must complete all required prerequisites for their intended analytic core courses. Students are encouraged to consult their advisor with any questions.
- One course in scientific reasoning, with lab (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
- UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
- After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number.
Elliott School introductory requirements
22 credits
Major requirements
In addition to the University General Education requirement and Elliott School introductory requirements, Elliott School students must complete the specific requirements for their major. See below. Students must earn a grade of C- or above in all courses counted toward major requirements.
This Bulletin covers the degree requirements for students matriculating in the current academic year. Students who matriculated before the current year can find their requirements in the relevant archived Bulletin.
Students pursuing the BA in international affairs as a second major must complete all of the major requirements listed below, including any prerequisites for these courses. These requirements are taken in addition to the requirements for the student's primary major, which typically includes completion of the University General Education Requirement and other requirements specific to the primary major. Students are encouraged to talk with their home school's academic advisor for more information about their primary major requirements.
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Elliott School of International Affairs, General Requirements.
A minimum of 120 credits, including completion of a functional or regional concentration.
BA in international affairs major requirements
The BA in international affairs major requirements enable students to continue building their breadth of understanding in international affairs. With many course options for several of the requirements, students also can to personalize their learning. In addition, students gain a broader understanding of at least two world regions or countries outside of the United States.
A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all international affairs major courses listed below.
Courses cannot be double counted within the international affairs major requirements.
The BA in international affairs and BS in international affairs programs cannot be combined as double majors or double degrees.
The BA in international affairs major requirements are divided into the following areas. Course options for each are listed below.
- Research methods (6 credits)
- Two regional foundations courses, with each course taken in a different region (6 credits)
- International economics (3 credits)
- Historical analysis: U.S. foreign policy (3 credits)
- Upper-level international and comparative politics (3 credits)
- Upper-level anthropology or geography (3 credits)
- Third-year language proficiency (credits vary)
- Concentration (15 credits)
Research methods (6 credits)
Two courses pertaining to qualitative or quantitative social science research methods, computer programming, or other analytical competencies, selected from the list below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 3531 | Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| APSC 3115 | Engineering Analysis III | |
| CSCI 1012 | Introduction to Programming with Python | |
| DATS 1001 | Data Science for All | |
| or PSC 2990 (Data Science for All) | ||
| DNSC 1001 | Business Analytics I: Statistics for Descriptive and Predictive Analytics * | |
| DNSC 2001 | Business Analytics II: Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics ** | |
| ECON 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| or STAT 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| ECON 3105 | Economic Forecasting | |
| GEOG 2104 | Introduction to Cartography and GIS | |
| GEOG 3198 | Special Topics (Open Source: Geo Programming II) | |
| IAFF 2101 | Qualitative Methods in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 2102 | Quantitative Methods in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (International Conflict and Politics Research Seminar) | |
| IAFF 4191W | Research and Writing Seminar (International Conflict and Politics Research Seminar) | |
| IAFF 4192 | Team-Based Applied Learning Seminar (Peacebuilding Applied Research) | |
| IAFF 4192 | Team-Based Applied Learning Seminar (Applied Research in Africa) | |
| IAFF 4192 | Team-Based Applied Learning Seminar (Conflict & Stabilization Applied Research) | |
| ISTM 3119 | Introduction to Programming | |
| PSC 2101 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | |
| PSC 2990 | Selected Topics (Data Science for All) | |
| or DATS 1001 | Data Science for All | |
| PSYC 2101 | Research Methods in Psychology | |
| PUBH 2140 | Foundations of Research Methods | |
| PUBH 2142 | Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health | |
| PUBH 3131 | Epidemiology | |
| PUBH 4201 | Practical Computing | |
| SMPA 2151 | Research Methods | |
| SOC 2101 | Social Research Methods | |
| SOC 2102 | Techniques of Data Analysis | |
| STAT 1051 | Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics * | |
| STAT 1053 | Introduction to Statistics in Social Science * | |
| STAT 1111 | Business and Economic Statistics I * | |
| STAT 1127 | Statistics for the Biological Sciences * | |
| STAT 1129 | Introduction to Computing | |
| STAT 2112 | Business and Economic Statistics II ** | |
| STAT 2118 | Regression Analysis | |
| STAT 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| or ECON 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| STAT 2183W | Intermediate Statistical Laboratory: Statistical Computing Packages | |
| STAT 4157 | Introduction to Mathematical Statistics I | |
| SUST 3097 | Culminating Experience in Sustainability (Sustainability Research Methods) | |
| *Credit for only one of the following courses can be counted toward an Elliott School undergraduate degree: DNSC 1001, STAT 1051, STAT 1053, STAT 1111, or STAT 1127. | ||
| **Credit for only one of the following courses can be counted toward an Elliott School undergraduate degree: DNSC 2001 or STAT 2112. | ||
International economics (3 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One course pertaining to international economics theories and policies selected from the list below. Students in international economics concentration must take ECON 2181 and ECON 2182. ECON 2181 counts toward the major requirements and ECON 2182 counts toward the international economics concentration. Students in international economics concentration should not take ECON 2180. | ||
| ECON 2180 | Survey of International Economics | |
| ECON 2181 | International Trade Theory and Policy | |
| ECON 2182 | International Macroeconomic Theory and Policy | |
Historical analysis: U.S. foreign policy (3 credits)
One course pertaining to the history of the U.S. approach to contemporary international affairs selected from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 2340 | U.S. Diplomatic History | |
| HIST 2340W | U.S. Diplomatic History | |
| HIST 2710 | The United States in the World | |
| or AMST 2710 | The United States in the World | |
| HIST 3045 | International History of the Cold War | |
Upper-level international and comparative politics (3 credits)
One upper-level course selected from the following list pertaining to international political issues or comparative politics, including politics in a particular country or region, and taught from a political science perspective. Note: Some courses on this list may have departmental enrollment restrictions.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HONR 2047 | Self and Society Seminar (Empires and Imperialism from Rome to Washington) | |
| HONR 2047 | Self and Society Seminar (Transitional Justice) | |
| IAFF 2201W | Women in Global Politics | |
| IAFF 2202W | Critical Issues in U.S.-Asia Relations | |
| IAFF 2444 | International Law | |
| or PSC 2444 | Public International Law | |
| IAFF 3172 | Conflict and Conflict Resolution | |
| IAFF 3177 | Political Economy of Latin America | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (Nationalism in Eurasia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Comparative Politics in Southeast Asia) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Iran in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (Congress and National Security Enterprise) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (Populist Authoritarianism) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (topic: Humanitarianism. Same as HONR 2047 and PSC 2454: Humanitarianism) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (U.S. Foreign Policy Decision Making) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (Women, Rights, and Gender Equality) | |
| IAFF 3206 | Global Governance | |
| IAFF 3753 | International Relations of South Asia | |
| IAFF 3754 | U.S.-China Relations | |
| PSC 2109 | Global Justice | |
| PSC 2330 | Comparative Politics of Western Europe | |
| PSC 2331 | Comparative Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | |
| PSC 2332 | European Integration | |
| PSC 2334 | Global Perspectives on Democracy | |
| PSC 2336 | State–Society Relations in the Developing World | |
| PSC 2338 | Nationalism | |
| PSC 2339 | Comparative Political Economy | |
| PSC 2366 | Russian Politics | |
| PSC 2367 | Human Rights | |
| PSC 2368 | Politics in the Two Koreas | |
| PSC 2371 | Politics and Foreign Policy of China | |
| PSC 2373 | Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia | |
| PSC 2374 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan | |
| PSC 2377 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2381 | Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa | |
| PSC 2383 | Comparative Politics of Latin America | |
| PSC 2439 | International Political Economy | |
| PSC 2440 | Theories of International Politics | |
| PSC 2442 | International Organizations | |
| PSC 2444 | Public International Law | |
| or IAFF 2444 | International Law | |
| PSC 2446 | U.S. Foreign Policy | |
| PSC 2449 | International Security Politics | |
| PSC 2449W | International Security Politics | |
| PSC 2454 | Humanitarianism (Same as HONR 2047 and IAFF 3190: Humanitarianism) | |
| PSC 2455 | Global Governance | |
| PSC 2475 | International Relations of East Asia | |
| PSC 2476 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| PSC 2478 | International Relations of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2482 | African International Politics | |
| PSC 2484 | International Relations of Latin America | |
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (all topics under PSC 2993 are approved for this requirement) | |
| PSC 2994 | Special Topics in International Relations (all topics under PSC 2994 are approved for this requirement) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (British Politics) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (Ethics in World Politics) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (Politics of Water) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (Political Violence) | |
| SMPA 3350 | Public Diplomacy | |
Upper-level anthropology or geography (3 credits)
One upper-level course in anthropology or geography relevant to international affairs selected from the list below. Many of these courses have lower-level prerequisites as detailed in course descriptions in this Bulletin.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One course from the following: | ||
| ANTH 2501 | The Anthropology of Gender: Cross-Cultural Perspectives | |
| ANTH 2502 | Anthropology of Science and Technology: Twenty-First Century Brave New Worlds | |
| ANTH 2506 | Religion, Myth, and Magic | |
| or REL 2506 | Religion, Myth, and Magic | |
| ANTH 3501 | Anthropology of Development | |
| or IAFF 3501 | International Development Theory, Policy, and Practice | |
| ANTH 3503 | Psychological Anthropology | |
| ANTH 3504 | Illness, Healing, and Culture | |
| ANTH 3506 | Politics, Ethnicity, and Nationalism | |
| ANTH 3507 | Kinship, Family, and Community | |
| ANTH 3513 | Anthropology of Human Rights | |
| or IAFF 3513 | Human Rights and Ethics | |
| ANTH 3601 | Language, Culture, and Cognition | |
| ANTH 3691 | Special Topics in Linguistic Anthropology (Anthropology of Sound) | |
| ANTH 3691 | Special Topics in Linguistic Anthropology (Narrative Analysis) | |
| ANTH 3708 | Anthropology of Africa (Africa and the Contemporary Diaspora) | |
| ANTH 3702 | Anthropology of Latin America | |
| ANTH 3707 | Anthropology of the Middle East | |
| ANTH 3709 | Japanese Culture Through Film | |
| ANTH 3991 | Special Topics (Anthropology of Islam) | |
| or IAFF 3188 (Anthropology of Islam) | ||
| ANTH 3991 | Special Topics (Anthropology of Environmental Politics) | |
| ANTH 3991 | Special Topics (Medical Anthropology) | |
| GEOG 2000 | Sophomore Colloquium (Migrants and the City) | |
| GEOG 2120 | World Regional Geography | |
| GEOG 2127 | Population Geography | |
| GEOG 2129W | Biogeography | |
| GEOG 2133 | People, Land, and Food | |
| GEOG 2134 | Energy Resources | |
| GEOG 2136 | Water Resources | |
| GEOG 2141 | Cities in the Developing World | |
| GEOG 2147 | Military Geography | |
| GEOG 2148 | Economic Geography | |
| GEOG 3143 | Urban Sustainability | |
| or GEOG 3143W | Urban Sustainability | |
| GEOG 3145 | Cultural Geography | |
| GEOG 3146 | Political Geography | |
| GEOG 3195 | Special Topics in Human Geography (Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems) | |
| GEOG 3195 | Special Topics in Human Geography (Geography of Development) | |
| GEOG 3195 | Special Topics in Human Geography (Political Ecology) | |
| GEOG 3197 | Special Topics in Regional Geography (Geography Russia & Its Neighbors) | |
| GEOG 3198 | Special Topics (Geographies of Social Justice) | |
| GEOG 3218 | Arctic Systems | |
| GEOG 3275 | Sustainable Food Systems | |
| GEOG 3810 | Planning Cities | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Anthropology of Islam) | |
| or ANTH 3991 (Anthropology of Islam) | ||
| IAFF 3501 | International Development Theory, Policy, and Practice | |
| or ANTH 3501 | Anthropology of Development | |
| IAFF 3513 | Human Rights and Ethics | |
| or ANTH 3513 | Anthropology of Human Rights | |
| REL 2506 | Religion, Myth, and Magic | |
| or ANTH 2506 | Religion, Myth, and Magic | |
Regional foundations (6 credits)
Students in the BA in international affairs program take one course from two of the regions listed below (for a total of two courses) to gain an understanding of two regions or countries of the world outside of the United States. These courses are typically offered as IAFF, ANTH, ECON, GEOG, HIST and PSC. They address the contemporary era (post World War II) and can be focused on single or multiple countries in a region.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | ||
| ANTH 3708 | Anthropology of Africa (Africa and the Contemporary Diaspora) | |
| GEOG 3164 | The Geography of Africa | |
| HIST 2001 | Special Topics (Pan-Africanism in Africa) | |
| HIST 3530 | Women in Africa | |
| IAFF 2093 | Africa: Problems and Prospects | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Africa Declassified) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Africa in the Global Economy) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Hip Hop and Social Change in Africa) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (International Affairs in Africa) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Security Challenged in Africa) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Women and Leadership in Africa) | |
| PSC 2381 | Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa | |
| PSC 2482 | African International Politics | |
| Asia | ||
| (Students in the BA in Asian studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than Asia.) | ||
| ECON 2169 | Introduction to the Economy of China | |
| GEOG 3165 | Geography of South Asia | |
| HIST 3611 | History of Modern China | |
| HIST 3615 | History of Chinese Communism | |
| HIST 3621 | History of Modern Japan | |
| HIST 3631 | History of Modern Korea | |
| HIST 3640 | History of Southeast Asia | |
| IAFF 2091 | East Asia-Past and Present | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Asian Order and Community Building) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Central Asia Security) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Comparative Politics in Southeast Asia) | |
| or PSC 2373 | Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Economic Lessons from East Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Indo-Pacific Security Challenges) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Women in Asia) | |
| IAFF 3752W | Equitable Development in Southeast Asia | |
| IAFF 3753 | International Relations of South Asia | |
| IAFF 3756 | Christianity and Islam in East Asia | |
| IAFF 3757 | North Korean Society and Culture | |
| IAFF 3758 | China and the World | |
| PSC 2368 | Politics in the Two Koreas | |
| PSC 2371 | Politics and Foreign Policy of China | |
| PSC 2374 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan | |
| PSC 2373 | Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia | |
or IAFF 3186 Special Topics in Asian Studies (Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia) | ||
| PSC 2475 | International Relations of East Asia | |
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (Politics of China I) | |
| Europe and Eurasia | ||
| GEOG 3197 | Special Topics in Regional Geography (Geography of Russia and Its Neighbors) | |
| HIST 2125 | Twentieth-Century Europe | |
| HIST 3168 | Divided and United Germany Since 1945 | |
| IAFF 2092 | Russia and Eastern Europe: An Introduction | |
| IAFF 2094 | Europe in Transition | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (Nationalism in Eurasia) | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (The West and Russia) | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (Ukrainian Security) | |
| PSC 2330 | Comparative Politics of Western Europe | |
| PSC 2331 | Comparative Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | |
| PSC 2332 | European Integration | |
| PSC 2366 | Russian Politics | |
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (Dictators in Europe and Russia) | |
| PSC 2994 | Special Topics in International Relations (International Politics of Central and Eastern Europe) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (British Politics) | |
| Latin America | ||
| (Students in the BA in Latin American and hemispheric studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than Latin America.) | ||
| ANTH 3702 | Anthropology of Latin America | |
| ANTH 3791 | Topics in Regional Anthropology (Anthropology of the Caribbean) | |
| HIST 3701 | Topics in Latin American History (Democracy in Latin America) | |
or IAFF 3187 Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Democracy in Latin America) | ||
| HIST 3701 | Topics in Latin American History (Violence, Drugs, and Democracy in Latin America) | |
| HIST 3710 | History of Latin America I | |
| HIST 3711 | History of Latin America II | |
| IAFF 2090 | Latin America: Problems and Promise | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Climate Change and Environmental Policy in Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Contemporary Issues of US-Mexican Relations)) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Democracy in Latin America) | |
or HIST 3701 Topics in Latin American History (Democracy in Latin America) | ||
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Development in Chile) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Historical Memory and Human Rights in Chile) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (International Relations-Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Economic and Social Development of Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Racial and Ethnic Politics of Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Security in the Americas) | |
| IAFF 3853 | Latin American Geopolitics and Geoeconomics | |
| IAFF 3855 | Argentina in Global Context | |
| PSC 2383 | Comparative Politics of Latin America | |
| PSC 2994 | Special Topics in International Relations | |
| Middle East | ||
| (Students in the BA in Middle East studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than the Middle East.) | ||
| ANTH 3707 | Anthropology of the Middle East | |
| GEOG 3154 | Geography of the Middle East and North Africa | |
| HIST 3801 | Topics in Middle Eastern History (The Middle East Since WWII) | |
| HIST 3825 | Land and Power in Israel/Palestine | |
| IAFF 2095 | The Middle East in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 2190 | Special Topics (Politics and Culture in Africa) | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (Arab Politics) | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (Politics and Culture in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (International Relations-Middle East) | |
| or PSC 2478 | International Relations of the Middle East | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Israeli Society and Politics) | |
or JSTD 2002 Topics in Judaic Studies: Modern (Israeli Society and Politics) | ||
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Iran in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (National Security Lab Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Partitions: A History) | |
or JSTD 2002 Topics in Judaic Studies: Modern (Partitions: A History) | ||
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Political Economy of the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Popular Politics in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (The Middle East Since WWII) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (US Foreign Policy in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3352 | Israeli and Palestinian Peacebuilding | |
| JSTD 2002 | Topics in Judaic Studies: Modern (Israeli Society and Politics) | |
or IAFF 3188 Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Israeli Society and Politics) | ||
| PSC 2377 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2476 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| or PSC 2476W | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| PSC 2478 | International Relations of the Middle East | |
or IAFF 3188 Special Topics in Middle East Studies (International Relations of the Middle East) | ||
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (Politics of Modern Iran) | |
Concentration (15 credits)
All students in the BA in international affairs program must complete either a functional or regional concentration, options for which are listed below.
To fulfill the concentration requirement, students complete five courses (15 credits) related to their chosen functional or regional theme.
- Courses chosen to fulfill the concentration requirement must be taken in at least two different academic departments. For example, students cannot take all ECON courses for the international economics concentration; at least one course must be from a different discipline.
- Students must declare a concentration no later than the end of the second semester of their sophomore year by completing the Concentration Declaration Form.
- A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all concentration courses.
- At least 15 credits must be taken in the concentration.
Courses for each concentration are linked below. Additional information is available on the Elliott School website.
- Comparative political, economic, and social systems
- Conflict resolution
- Contemporary cultures and societies
- Gender in international affairs
- Global public health
- Individualized
- International development
- International economics
- International environmental studies
- International politics
- Security policy
Regional concentrations
Language proficiency requirement
Students must demonstrate third-year proficiency in a modern language by examination or coursework. If taking coursework, students can satisfy the language requirement by taking a course that is equivalent to third-year proficiency, with a grade of C- or better, or by taking a course beyond the third year that has a listed prerequisite of the second semester of the third year. The language placement examination determines the level at which students begin their language study. Additional information regarding the Elliott School language examinations is available from the Elliott School academic advising office and the ESIA Undergraduate Language Proficiency webpage. This requirement is satisfied automatically for students who were required to take the TOEFL or IELTS examination as part of GW's admissions process.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | ||
| ARAB 1001 | Beginning Arabic I | |
| ARAB 1002 | Beginning Arabic II | |
| ARAB 2001 | Intermediate Arabic I | |
| ARAB 2002 | Intermediate Arabic II | |
| ARAB 3001 | Advanced Arabic | |
| and one course selected from the following: | ||
| ARAB 3105 | Special Topics (Arabic and Social Media) | |
| ARAB 3105 | Special Topics (Islamic Political Thought) | |
| ARAB 3301 | Modern Arabic Literature | |
| ARAB 3302 | Media Arabic | |
| ARAB 3311 | Business Arabic | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | ||
| One of the following options for beginning Chinese: | ||
| Option one: | ||
| CHIN 1001 & CHIN 1002 | Beginning Chinese I and Beginning Chinese II | |
| Option two: | ||
| CHIN 1011 | Intensive Beginning Chinese | |
| and the following courses: | ||
| CHIN 2003 | Intermediate Chinese I | |
| CHIN 2004 | Intermediate Chinese II | |
| CHIN 3105 | Intermediate Chinese III | |
| CHIN 3106 | Intermediate Chinese IV | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| French | ||
| FREN 1001 | Basic French I | |
| FREN 1002 | Basic French II | |
| FREN 1003 | Intermediate French I | |
| FREN 1004 | Intermediate French II | |
| FREN 2005 | Language, Culture, and Society I | |
| FREN 2006 | Language, Culture, and Society II | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| German | ||
| GER 1001 | First-Year German I | |
| GER 1002 | First-Year German II | |
| GER 1003 | Second-Year German I | |
| GER 1004 | Second-Year German II | |
| GER 2009 | Intermediate German I | |
| GER 2010 | Intermediate German II | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | ||
| HEBR 1001 | Beginning Hebrew I | |
| HEBR 1002 | Beginning Hebrew II | |
| HEBR 2001 | Intermediate Hebrew I | |
| HEBR 2002 | Intermediate Hebrew II | |
| HEBR 3001 | Hebrew Conversation and Writing | |
| and one course selected from the following: | ||
| HEBR 3301 | Modern Hebrew Fiction | |
| HEBR 3302 | The Israeli Media | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | ||
| ITAL 1001 | Basic Italian I | |
| ITAL 1002 | Basic Italian II | |
| ITAL 1003 | Intermediate Italian I | |
| ITAL 1004 | Intermediate Italian II | |
| ITAL 2005 | Language, Culture, and Society I | |
| ITAL 2006 | Language, Culture, and Society II | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ||
| One of the following options for beginning Japanese: | ||
| Option one: | ||
| JAPN 1001 & JAPN 1002 | Beginning Japanese I and Beginning Japanese II | |
| Option two: | ||
| JAPN 1005 | Intensive Beginning Japanese | |
| And the following courses: | ||
| JAPN 2003 | Intermediate Japanese I | |
| JAPN 2004 | Intermediate Japanese II | |
| JAPN 3105 | Intermediate Japanese III | |
| JAPN 3106 | Intermediate Japanese IV | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Korean | ||
| KOR 1001 | Beginning Korean I | |
| KOR 1002 | Beginning Korean II | |
| KOR 2003 | Intermediate Korean I | |
| KOR 2004 | Intermediate Korean II | |
| KOR 3105 | Intermediate Korean III | |
| KOR 3106 | Intermediate Korean IV | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Persian | ||
| PERS 1001 | Beginning Persian I | |
| PERS 1002 | Beginning Persian II | |
| PERS 2001 | Intermediate Persian I | |
| PERS 2002 | Intermediate Persian II | |
| PERS 3001 | Advanced Persian | |
| PERS 3002 | Media Persian | |
| or PERS 3002W | Media Persian | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Russian | ||
| Option one: | ||
| SLAV 1001 | First-Year Russian I | |
| SLAV 1002 | First-Year Russian II | |
| SLAV 1003 | Second-Year Russian I | |
| SLAV 1004 | Second-Year Russian II | |
| and one of the following course sequences: | ||
| SLAV 1013 & SLAV 1014 | Russian for Heritage Speakers I and Russian for Heritage Speakers II | |
| SLAV 2005 & SLAV 2006 | Intermediate Russian I and Intermediate Russian II | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | ||
| Option one: | ||
| SPAN 1001 | Elementary Spanish I | |
| SPAN 1002 | Elementary Spanish II | |
| SPAN 1013 | Intermediate Spanish I: the Spanish-Speaking World | |
| SPAN 1014 | Intermediate Spanish II: the Spanish-speaking world | |
| SPAN 2005 | Advanced Spanish I | |
| SPAN 2006 | Advanced Spanish II | |
| or | ||
| Option two: | ||
| SPAN 1012 | Intensive Elementary Spanish: the Spanish-speaking world | |
| SPAN 1034 | Intensive Intermediate Spanish | |
| SPAN 2056 | Intensive Advanced Spanish through Sustainability Literacy | |
Areas of Focus
An area of focus, which is required of all students in the BA and BS programs in international affairs, can be either a full concentration (15 credits) or a specialization (9 credits) completed in one of the functional or regional areas listed below.
- Students in the BA in international affairs program must complete 15 credits in one of the functional or regional areas below for a full concentration.
- Students in the BS in international affairs program must complete either 9 credits for a specialization or 15 credits for a full concentration in one of the functional or regional areas below.
Students must declare an area of focus (concentration or specialization) no later than the end of the second semester of their sophomore year by completing the declaration form. Except for WID courses, courses cannot be double counted between any international affairs requirements. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all focus area courses.
Students should consult the major requirements page for their respective major for additional information about the specialization or concentration policies.
Functional concentrations
- Comparative Political, Economic, and Social Systems
- Conflict Resolution
- Contemporary Cultures and Societies
- Gender in International Affairs
- Global Public Health
- Individualized
- International Development
- International Economics
- International Environmental Studies
- International Politics
- Security Policy