Mar 29, 2024  
Course Catalog 2021-2022 
    
Course Catalog 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

International Affairs Integrative Concentration


The integrative concentration consists of a minimum of 6 full courses (or the equivalent), an experiential experience, and a learning portfolio.

Note: Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the integrative concentration.


The International Affairs Integrative Concentration is designed to prepare students for careers and pursuits spanning national boundaries. It is grounded in the social sciences (though cross-cultural breadth may be derived from humanities courses) and focused on contemporary issues and their recent history in order to develop an understanding of the current dominant modes of international interactions, and the global nature and consequences of those interactions. The International Affairs Integrative Concentration helps develop a student’s ability to analyze global issues, to understand the dynamics of cross-cultural communication, and to appreciate the characteristics of regions outside the United States. Students may choose from more than 100 courses across the curriculum dealing with factors shaping global affairs.

arrowVisit the International Affairs webpage for more information.


Students wishing to pursue this area should consult with a member of the International Affairs Integrative Concentration Committee and complete the Integrative Concentration Add or Drop form. The form requires the signature of the committee chair, Christoph Marx.

arrow Download the Integrative Concentration Add or Drop form. 

International Affairs Integrative Concentration Committee


Christoph Marx (Chair), Associate Professor of Mathematics
Tania Booster, Arts & Sciences Director of Experiential Learning
Josh Gory, Assistant Director for Career Readiness
Steven Huff, Professor of German
Kristina Mani, Professor of Politics
Darko OpokuAssociate Professor of Africana Studies
Swapna Pathak, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Veljko Vujacic, Professor of Sociology

International Affairs Integrative Concentration Requirements


Modern Foreign Language Requirement


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One year of a modern foreign language completed in or outside Oberlin College. If completed outside the college, a certification by the Chair of the appropriate language department is required.

International Affairs Approved Electives


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With the help of an International Affairs Integrative Concentration advisor, the student will develop a program of courses from the list. These will include at least two social science courses in addition to the two core courses.

French and Italian Courses


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Experiential Component


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An off-campus internship that deals with global affairs in any area. 

To meet this requirement, students are encouraged to participate in on-campus career communities, made available by the Career Development Center. Students could choose a community that offers them skills and expertise necessary for a career in global affairs. Career communities that are suitable for the International Affairs Integrative Concentration are located in the areas of Law & Public Policy; Non-Profit and the Public Sector; Medical, Public, and Global Health; Education; and more. See below for an additional list of potential internship opportunities. The minimum length for the internship is four weeks. Students may also gain permission from the IA advisor to count a winter term internship experience. 

Internship opportunities are accessible at:
Council on Foreign Relations, Washington D.C.
Carnegie Endowment’s Middle East Center, Washington D.C.
Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.
The United Nations
UN Environment Program
UN Women, Peace, and Security
U.S. Department of State
Foreign Policy for America
USAID
IMF & World Bank
Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program
The Atlantic Council, Washington D.C.
World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C.
Human Rights Watch
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
National Council on US Arab Relations, Washington, DC
W.E.B. DuBois Centre, Ghana
International Crisis Group, Morocco
American Institute for Maghreb Studies, Tunisia & Morocco

Learning Portfolio


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Students will be required to maintain a learning portfolio which will include signature course work as well as pre- and post-internship reflection. The portfolio is a means for students to draw together the theory from the curricular component with the practice from the experiential component. It also works to  support students’ appreciation of global expertise as an area of rich intellectual engagement, as well as, how to launch from college to career. Vital to this integration is the student’s understanding of how the range of skills acquired through liberal arts learning are transferable to the workplace. The integrative component will be overseen by the student’s faculty advisor for the integrative concentration.