The International Studies Program is an excellent choice for students who are interested in meeting the unprecedented challenges of the 21st century, challenges which require greater understanding of social, political and economic global issues, as well as knowledge of the languages and cultures of the world.

Founded in 2003 the undergraduate Program now boasts as many current majors and minors (ca. 400) as alumni. The growth and international reputation of the Program owes an enormous debt to its original director, Professor Dan Knudsen of the Department of Geography. He and the staff he hired developed a model undergraduate degree that attracts students from across the country and gives them access to careers that take them around the world. Most importantly, the International Studies major matches academic rigor with commitment to community service.

Our students are not just trained to hone their practical, managerial, and compassionately human skills; they are also educated to engage intellectually with the philosophical, theological, legal, social, historical, and political roots of contemporary ideologies. In our courses we examine the economic, moral, and legal aspects of globalization; communal identities within and across state boundaries; human rights advocacy and their political critique; cross-cultural communicative understanding and misunderstanding; and the role the arts — popular and elite — play in sustaining cultural cohesion or promoting cross-cultural collaboration.

In the near future, the Program will become the Department of International Studies, located in the newly founded School of Global Studies. Our curriculum is currently undergoing expansion and revision, and over the next few years we will be hiring new faculty with a wide range of expertise and teaching experience.

We invite you to join us. Bring with you your intellectual curiosity, your love of world languages and cultures, and your commitment to civic service.

William Rasch, Director