Policy & Curriculum

General Policy

All International Affairs course requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
Coursework for the International Affairs dual major may not be taken pass/fail.
International Affairs students are expected to maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA (which is the minimum required for study abroad at UNH).
The IA dual major requires no additional credits for graduation beyond the 128 required of all UNH students.
Students are expected to declare IA as their second major before completing their foreign experience.
Students should meet with their IA advisor to update their plan of study at least once a semester.

Declaring the Major

To declare International Affairs as a dual major, a student must:

Complete IA 401 with a grade of C or better
Have declared (or be prepared to declare) a disciplinary major
Have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average

Once a student meets the declaration requirements, they must file a Change of Program Form (pdf), signed by an IA official, in order to declare IA as their second major. Students should make regular advising appointments with IA advisors to track their progress in the major.

Students should declare IA before they begin their foreign experience!

Structure of the International Affairs Dual Major:

I. Core courses

Permission is required for all IA core courses. Contact CIE for registration details.

IA 401, International Perspectives: Science, Business, and Politics

taken no later than the fall of the sophomore year

IA 501, Global Issues in International Affairs

taken no later than the spring of the sophomore year
Pre-requisite – IA 401
completed before study abroad

IA 701, Seminar in International Affairs

capstone senior seminar (usually taken in the spring of the senior year)
Pre-requisites – IA 401, IA 501, Geography & Foreign Language competencies, & Foreign Experience. Students must be declared IA majors in order to register for IA 701.
There is an assignment due on the 1st day of class. Check on Blackboard.

II. Electives

Students must take four IA electives, one course out of each of the following four groups:

Foreign Area
Science, Technology and Private Sector
Public Policy
Theory in International Affairs

Complete list of electives (pdf)
Fall semester electives (pdf)
Spring semester electives (pdf)
Courses used to satisfy International Affairs elective requirements must be from outside the student’s disciplinary major(s). Students pursuing two disciplinary majors in addition to International Affairs may count one of the courses in either disciplinary major as an International Affairs elective.
For any major with 14 or more required courses (or 56 or more required credit hours), the IA program permits counting a maximum of three courses or 12 credits from the major program as International Affairs electives.
International Affairs electives may be used to fulfill Gen Ed, honors program, and/or minor requirements.
Three of the four IA electives must be UNH courses, offered on-campus or by a managed program. Only one elective can be taken at another institution, e.g., while abroad or transferred from another university.
The Foreign Area elective is taken prior to study abroad and must be approved by the International Affairs advisor as relevant to the country or region where the student will study.

III. Foreign Language Competency

IA majors need to demonstrate functional reading, writing, speaking, and listening ability in a foreign language at the advanced college level.

Foreign language competency requirement can be satisfied through:
- Completing the study of the chosen language through the 3rd year, 2nd semester (generally this is the 632 level)
- a grade of C or better in an examination measuring competency in the chosen foreign language, equivalent to that required in the 3rd year, 2nd semester.
Students who pursue less commonly taught languages such as Arabic, Chinese or Japanese should speak with the Coordinator of Student Programs for a list of resources
Foreign language competency must be established before a student may register for IA 701
Most IA dual majors also graduate with a minor in their foreign language.

IV. Geography Competency

Reference: National Geographic Student Atlas of the World, 3rd edtion

The Geography Competency test is administered once every semester.

The test is graded on a pass/fail basis
Students are allowed up to three tries to pass the test
Students must pass the test before they can register for IA 701
Study Guide (pdf)

V. Foreign Experience

Minimum eight weeks of study, directed research, internship, or professional experience in a foreign country.

done after a student has completed IA 501 & declared IA as their second major
must be completed before enrollment in IA 701
plan foreign experience at least one full year before term abroad
Students interested in directed research may wish to explore the Study Abroad Research Grants available through the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research, Hood House 209. There is a rolling deadline for applications.
Students who wish to complete the foreign experience requirement through an internship or professional experience abroad must develop a detailed proposal with the support of a faculty advisor. Proposals should be submitted to the University Committee on International Studies for approval before the middle of the semester prior to the term in which the internship or experience is to occur.