The International Studies program is interdisciplinary in design and draws upon courses in relevant academic fields. The curriculum is designed to offer students a variety of specialized courses in two specializations: Culture and Society and International Affairs. Both specializations build on a common foundation of courses in semesters three, four, and six, have specialized offerings in the third year, and include a research-intensive capstone project in the final two semesters.

The specialization in Culture and Society offers students an interdisciplinary approach grounded in the humanities and social sciences for an integrated understanding of the relationship between cultural production, social institutions, and knowledge across time. Students in this specialization will be prepared for careers in cultural institutions, research centers, and social services in the private and public sectors, as well as for admission to graduate studies in the humanities and social sciences.

The specialization in International Affairs focuses on history, state relations, international and global institutions, and contemporary political issues. Students in this specialization are prepared to work in government agencies dealing with international affairs and in international institutions operating in the U.A.E. and are prepared as well as for graduate studies in political science, international relations, peace and conflict studies, and other related fields.

Common required courses

The foundational courses of the curriculum include Comparative Intellectual Traditions, which provides the intellectual context for upper division courses focusing on cultural and political traditions around the world, and World History, which delves into the historical context that gave rise to different intellectual traditions and their cultural, political, and social dynamics.

In semester four students choose either Social and Economic Trends in the Gulf, which provides students the background required to understand the interconnection between social, political, and economic forces in the Gulf region, or History of the U.A.E., which focuses on the history of the seven emirates with particular attention to the challenges and opportunities that emerged with the formation of the union in 1971.

In semester four students also take Introduction to International Relations and Introduction to Culture and Society. After taking these two courses and consulting with their academic advisors, students decide which specialization to follow The courses in semesters five are also common to both specializations and are meant as developmental courses: Comparative Sociology, The Politics of Identity, and area studies courses such as World Regions and Comparative Political Systems.

Specialized courses (semesters five and six)

Students specializing in International Affairs are required to take at least one course from a menu of courses in law and diplomacy and one course from a menu in political economy. Law and diplomacy offerings include International Law and World Politics, Foreign Relations of the United States, and International Relations in the Gulf Region. Courses in political economy include State Society and the Economy, Development and Underdevelopment, and The Politics of Oil. Students may also take other courses listed on the menus as electives within the specialization.

Students following the Culture and Society specialization should take courses in Popular Cultures of the World or World Cinemas. Both these courses have a menu of 6 world regions (Middle East, East Asia, Africa, Europe, Americas, and South and South East Asia) and will be offered on a rotating basis or according to faculty expertise and research interests. In addition to the one requirement in semester six, any of the other courses can be taken later on as elective courses.

Students from both concentrations are required to take at least one Special Topics course in semester six. Apart from being courses that allow multidisciplinary faculty to teach a course directly related to their areas of specialization or research, special topics courses will provide students the opportunity to explore different areas of scholarship within the humanities and social sciences.

Optional Outside Area of Emphasis

In the International Studies program students may choose to include an outside area of emphasis in their program: it must consist of at least 18 credit hours in another field of study. The areas of emphasis include Business, Art and Design, and Communication.