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2020-2021

Bachelor of Arts: International Studies

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts: Liberal Arts (Northern Virginia Community College)
Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts: Liberal Arts

Program description
The Bachelor of Arts in International Studies is designed for students to acquire the historical, theoretical, and methodological knowledge to explore how culture, religion, media, politics, economics, and the environment shape each other and shape human life, and the hands-on experience to participate in the work of building a sustainable and generous society that empowers all persons to live well as responsible global citizens. The program strengthens students’ abilities to see the world from diverse perspectives, communicate across cultures, and work with others to address significant challenges facing human beings locally and globally. The program offers concentrations in Film Studies, Latin American Studies, European Studies, and International Social Justice. Each concentration offers a range of courses from which students may choose to fashion a course of study that best supports their educational and career goals. As is true with World Studies’ degrees in Anthropology, Foreign Languages, and Religious Studies, International Studies offers opportunities to engage in real world learning through internships, lab-based and field research, and study abroad programs. Through their coursework students connect with students from different cultural backgrounds and develop genuine empathy and a practical commitment to contribute to the social good.
Career opportunities
International Studies majors graduate with an abundance of transferable knowledge, skills, and experience that are highly employable in a variety of businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations, institutions, and programs that understand the value of diversity and are committed to contributing to the health and well being of society. These include such areas as social betterment organizational management, leadership, and advocacy; humanitarian relief; refugee assistance; research analyst for organizations and institutions that focus on barriers to and support for development, democracy, human rights, and environmental restoration, preservation, and protection; international cultural ambassadorship and cultural affairs; international journalism, reporting, communications; global business affairs; civil rights and legal aid/advocacy. We encourage students to double-major in International Studies and one of the other majors degrees in the School of World Studies: Anthropology, Foreign Languages or Religious Studies, as doing so strengthens their cumulative knowledge, experience, academic record and resume for success in whatever path they choose after graduation.
Bachelor-level job titles
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Blogger/Vlogger
  • Community Organizer Associate
  • Copy Editor
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Digital Marketer
  • ESL - Teaching Assistant
  • Event Planner
  • Flight Attendant
  • General and Operations Management
  • Governmental Agency Staff
  • Health Systems Front Desk Specialist
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Diplomat
  • Foreign Affairs Specialist
  • International School Administrator
  • Producer
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 131
Science required
  • 1-2 additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.25
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for International Studies with concentration in European Studies, Latin American Studies, General Studies, International Social Justice Studies, World Cinema

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Arts: International Studies

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Arts: Liberal Arts)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Register for SDV 100 or SDV 101.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Use Navigate to connect with your advisor and create a program plan.
  • Attend diversity-focused events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to International Studies through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
Experience Year 2
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Learn about the World ePass and start considering how you will fulfill the experiential learning requirement for the bachelor's degree.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of World Studies.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of World Studies-related events.
  • Consider learning a second foreign language.
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a resume.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Register for SDV 100 or SDV 101.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Use Navigate to connect with your advisor and create a program plan.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to International Studies through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Learn about the World ePass and start considering how you will fulfill the experiential learning requirement for the bachelor's degree.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU School of World Studies.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of World Studies-related events.
  • Consider learning a second foreign language.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a resume.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Arts: International Studies

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Arts: Liberal Arts)

Northern Virginia Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV SDV 100 or SDV 101 UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
World Language #1 World Language 101 (choose from FRE, GER, RUS, or SPA) or transfer elective if placed out of the 101 requirement VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
CST Select 1: CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking OR CST 110 Introduction to Communication OR CST 126 Interpersonal Communication SPCH 121 3 Elective
Science #1 Select 1: BIO 101 General Biology I OR CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry I OR GOL 105 Physical Geology OR PHY 101 Introduction to Physics I OR PHY 150 Elements of Astronomy VCU equivalent 4 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
Science #2 Select 1: BIO 101 General Biology I OR BIO 102 General Biology II OR CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry I OR CHM 102 Introductory Chemistry II OR GOL 105 Physical Geology OR GOL 106 Historical Geology OR PHY 101 Introduction to Physics I OR PHY 102 Introduction to Physics II OR PHY 150 Elements of Astronomy VCU equivalent 4 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
World Language #2 World Language 102 (choose from FRE, GER, RUS, or SPA) or transfer elective if placed out of the 101 requirement VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
ENG Literature Select 1: ENG 241 Survey of American Literature I OR ENG 242 Survey of American Literature II OR ENG 243 Survey of English Literature I OR ENG 244 Survey of English Literature II OR ENG 251 Survey of World Literature I OR ENG 252 Survey of World Literature II ENGL 3 General education
History Select 1: HIS 101 History of Western Civilization I (select for European studies) OR HIS 102 History of Western Civilization II OR HIS 111 History of World Civilization I OR HIS 112 History of World Civilization II HIST 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Elective
World Language #3 World Language 201 (choose from FRE, GER, RUS, or SPA) VCU equivalent 3 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts Select 1: ART 101 History and Appreciation of Art I OR ART 102 History and Appreciation of Art II OR MUS 121 Music Appreciation I OR PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy I OR REL 100 Introduction to the Study of Religion OR REL 231 Religions of the World I OR REL 233 Introduction to Islam VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social/Behavioral Science #1 SOC 211 Principles of Anthropology I ANTH 103 3 General education
Open elective Select 1: HIS 203, HIS 251, HIS 253, GEO 210, GEO 220, GEO 230, PLS 140, PLS 242, REL 231, REL 232 VCU equivalent 3 Elective
World Language #4 World Language 202 (choose from FRE, GER, RUS, or SPA) VCU equivalent 3 Major
Social/Behavioral Science #2 PLS 241 International Relations I POLI 105 3 Major
History elective Select 1: HIS 203 History of African Civilization I OR HIS 231 History of Latin American Civilizations I (select for Latin American studies) OR HIS 232 History of Latin American Civilizations II OR HIS 251 History of Middle East Civilization I OR HIS 253 History of Asian Civilizations I OR HIS 254 History of Asian Civilizations II HIST 3 Elective
Elective Select 1: HIS 203, HIS 251, HIS 253, GEO 210, GEO 220, GEO 230, PLS 140, PLS 242, REL 231, REL 232 VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Northern Virginia credits transferred to VCU 60 to 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Experiential learning requirement. Students must fulfill an experiential learning requirement through an approved internship, service-learning course or study abroad program. See VCU advisor for options. 0 to 3 Major
World ePass Portfolio (see VCU advisor). The World ePass portfolio content requirements include professional preparation, transferable skills articulation, academic career highlights, experiential learning experiences and global citizenship. 0 Major
Select two upper-level foreign language courses (300- or higher) - FREN, GRMN, RUSS, or SPAN 6 Major
INTL 490 Senior Capstone in International Studies 3 Major
RELS 340/INTL 341 Global Ethics and the World's Religions 3 Major
WRLD 302 Communicating Across Cultures 3 Major
Select six concentration electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 18 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 12 Elective
Open electives 13 to 15 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58 to 60
Bachelor's degree total 120