**Review** Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027

International Affairs B.A. - International Relations Concentration

Program Overview

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Location: McKee 318

Email: HSS@unco.edu

Website: www.unco.edu/hss/political-science-international-affairs

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

This concentration area will develop a broad understanding of international issues through an interdisciplinary combination of regional and international courses. Foreign language study is required.

This concentration area promotes the development of analytical, research, writing and language skills that are necessary to think critically and reflect upon contemporary international issues.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Program Requirements:

Students are required to be orally proficient in a foreign language. There are three ways to fulfill the language proficiency requirement:

  1. Three credits in a foreign language at the 300 level or above;
  2. Demonstrated proficiency at the intermediate/low level on the ACTFL/ETS Oral Proficiency Interview;
  3. Other evidence approved by the student's departmental advisor.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

One of the following two courses are recommended, but not required.

GEOG 100 or GEOG 200

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 36 credits

Take all of the following courses:

PSCI 105Fundamentals of PoliticsLAB1GT-SS1

3

PSCI 110Global IssuesLAB1LAISGT-SS1

3

PSCI 200Introduction to Comparative Politics

3

PSCI 220Introduction to International Relations

3

PSCI 240Globalization

3

Choose 1 of the following courses:

PSCI 415Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics

3

PSCI 425Senior Seminar in International Relations

3

NOTE: Students should be aware that PSCI 415 and PSCI 425 are only offered in fall semesters. Students enrolled in Study Abroad or an Internship conflicting with fulfillment of the PSCI 415 or PSCI 425 requirement may substitute another PSCI course with the approval of their PSCI Advisor.

Choose 3 of the following courses — 9 credits minimum:

PSCI 230The Evolution of the Modern State

3

PSCI 270Nationalism, Ethnicity and RaceLAB1LAMSGT-SS1

3

PSCI 286Value Issues in Political Economy

3

PSCI 296Study Abroad Experience

3

PSCI 315Comparative Public Policy

3

PSCI 317Dictatorship to Democracy

3

PSCI 318The Politics of the Developing States

3

PSCI 320American Foreign Policy

3

PSCI 321War and Peace

3

PSCI 323Politics of Religion

3

PSCI 326International Political Economy

3

PSCI 327Politics of Migration

3

PSCI 328International Law and Organizations

3

PSCI 350Politics and Film

3

PSCI 351Screening for PSCI 350

0

PSCI 422Directed Studies

1- 3

Choose 1 of the following courses — 3 credits minimum

ECON 203Principles of MacroeconomicsLAB1GT-SS1

3

ECON 205Principles of MicroeconomicsLAB1GT-SS1

3

ECON 301Money and Banking

3

ECON 303Intermediate Macroeconomics

3

ECON 305Intermediate Microeconomics

3

ECON 344International Economics

3

ECON 360Economics of Growth and Development

3

ECON 377Industrial Organizations

3

ENST 205Environment, Politics and Law

3

ENST 335Environmental and Resource Economics

3

ENST 380Sustainable Geographies

3

GEOG 360Nations, States, and Territory

3

PSCI 392Internship

1-13

NOTE: No more than 3 credits of internship can be used toward the major.

Choose 2 of the following Regional courses:

AFS 104Survey of Africa

3

AFS 396African and African American World Views

3

ASIA 116State, Society, and Culture in Contemporary AsiaLAB3LAISGT-SS3

3

CHIN 116Introduction to Chinese CivilizationLAB3LAISGT-SS3

3

GEOG 218Emerging AsiaLAB2LAISGT-SS2

3

GEOG 326Emerging Africa: Local Resources and Livelihoods in a Global Context

3

GEOG 333Environment and Society in Latin America

3

GEOG 340Europe

3

HIST 110African CivilizationLAH1LAISGT-HI1

3

HIST 112Asian Civilization I: From Prehistory to 1500LAH1LAISGT-HI1

3

HIST 113Asian Civilizations II: From 1500 to the PresentLAH1LAISGT-HI1

3

HIST 118History of MexicoLAH1LAISGT-HI1

3

HIST 283Russian Cultural History

3

HIST 307History of China to 1500

3

HIST 310History of China Since 1500

3

HIST 311History of Japan

3

HIST 312History of Brazil

3

HIST 314History of Colonial Latin America

3

HIST 315Latin America Since Independence

3

HIST 316History of the Caribbean

3

HIST 318Modern Africa

3

HIST 371The European Enlightenment

3

HIST 383Great War and Aftermath

3

HIST 384Three Germanies

3

HIST 385History of the Holocaust, 1933 to the Present

3

HIST 386Twentieth Century Russia

3

HIST 392Sex and Gender in Modern Europe

3

HIST 396World History

3

JAPN 116Contemporary JapanLAB3LAISGT-SS3

3

PSCI 210European Politics

3

PSCI 215Post-Communist Russian Empire

3

PSCI 316Latin American Politics

3

PSCI 319Asian Politics

3

PSCI 325Conflict in the Middle East

3

SPAN 321Spanish Civilization and Culture

3

SPAN 331Latin American Civilization and Culture

3

SPAN 341Mexican and Mexican American Civilization and Culture

3

HIST 395: Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, or Latin America subtitle

3. University-Wide Credits — 53 credits

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program that will typically be 53 credits.

*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university-wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.

Year 1 - 30 credits

Fall Semester

GEOG 100World GeographyLAB2LAISGT-SS2

3

or

GEOG 200Geographies of Peoples and PlacesLAB2GT-SS2

3

PSCI 105Fundamentals of PoliticsLAB1GT-SS1

3

PSCI 110Global IssuesLAB1LAISGT-SS1

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

PSCI 240Globalization

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 2 - 29 credits

Fall Semester

PSCI 220Introduction to International Relations

3

PSCI 200Introduction to Comparative Politics

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

Concentration Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

5

Total Credit Hours:14

Year 3 - 31 credits

Fall Semester

GEOG 360Nations, States, and Territory

3

or

Concentration Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

4

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

Concentration Elective

3

Concentration Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 4 - 30 credits

Fall Semester

PSCI 415Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics

3

or

PSCI 425Senior Seminar in International Relations

3

Concentration Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

Concentration Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Advising Notes -

  • Those who complete an approved 3-credit internship may petition to use it as a substitute for PSCI 415 or PSCI 425.

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