International Affairs Option
This option is available within the Political Science major at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- OSU-Cascades (hybrid)
The International Affairs option provides students with the opportunity to focus their undergraduate studies on topics involving:
- The political systems and dynamics of different countries and regions around the world
- Relations among countries and non-state actors
- Global issues, problems, and institutions
Option Code: 471
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Comprehend the basic structures and processes of government systems and/or theoretical underpinnings.
- Analyze political problems, arguments, information, and/or theories.
- Apply methods appropriate for accumulating and interpreting data applicable to the discipline of political science.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| PS 204 | *INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 4 |
| PS 205 | *INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | 4 |
| PS 201 | *INTRODUCTION TO UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | 4 |
| or PS 206 | +*INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL THOUGHT | |
| Research Methods/WIC | ||
| PS 300 | ^RESEARCH METHODS | 4 |
| Upper-Division Option Courses | ||
| Select at least 16 credits from the following courses: 1 | 16 | |
| *EUROPEAN AND EU POLITICS | ||
| THE POLITICS OF CORRUPTION | ||
| *RUSSIAN POLITICS | ||
| *LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS | ||
| *POLITICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS | ||
| *MIDDLE EAST POLITICS | ||
| *CHINESE POLITICS | ||
| *JAPANESE POLITICS | ||
| AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY | ||
| *INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GLOBAL POLITICS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF ASIA PACIFIC | ||
| NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION AND ARMS CONTROL | ||
| TERRORISM AND GLOBAL SECURITY | ||
| DEMOCRACY AND AUTOCRACY: GLOBAL TRENDS | ||
| EAST ASIAN POLITICAL ECONOMY | ||
| INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY | ||
| *THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE | ||
| US-CHINA RELATIONS | ||
| INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY | ||
| GLOBAL FOOD POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| Select up to 8 credits of the following: | 8 | |
| INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS | ||
| ECONOMICS OF GLOBALIZATION | ||
| INTERNATIONAL FINANCE THEORY AND POLICY | ||
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | ||
| *POPULATION TRENDS AND POLICY | ||
| THE SOCIOLOGY OF GLOBALIZATION | ||
| Political Science Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits 2 | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 52 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
- +
Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards
- 1
Select 16 to 24 credits from the political science courses listed. Up to 8 upper-division credits can come from courses listed in economics and sociology. Credits from all courses must add up to at least 24. Other courses applied to this total must be approved by the department
- 2
Any political science courses may be taken to reach the minimum of 52 total credits in the major with at least 36 of these at the upper-division level
Potential for Learning Outside the Classroom
Political science majors are strongly encouraged to pursue experiential learning and other educational opportunities outside of the classroom, and these experiences can be used to fulfill some political science graduation requirements. Such experiences can include research, thesis writing, projects, or internship. Credits will be placed in the appropriate PS 401 – PS 410 designator. A maximum of 4 credits of PS 410 may be applied toward the major. A maximum of 8 credits from any combination of PS 401 – PS 410 may be applied to the major, although additional credits from courses in this range may be applied to general graduation requirements. Additional experiential learning opportunities include "field schools" and study abroad. Students should discuss all of these opportunities with the political science undergraduate advisor.
Option Code: 471