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UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM Check List In pursuing a BA in International Studies, students not only develop an understanding of international political questions but also learn to think critically about the economic, historical, and cultural dimensions of international relations. In choosing their major and elective courses, students are able to take advantage of this variety of disciplinary approaches in developing their own interests in international studies. Candidates for the Major should consult the International Studies Checklist to assist them in meeting requirements. Students are encouraged to discuss these requirements with the Assistant Coordinator. The program of study requires a minimum of 87 credit hours out of the 120 needed to fulfill University requirements for graduation. Students may also elect to enroll in the Senior Seminar during the fall of their final year at Hopkins. Those who do will write a senior thesis and become eligible for Departmental Honors provided they have also maintained a GPA of 3.7 or better in courses required for the Major. A student may also choose to write a senior thesis even though his or her GPA may be below that required for honors. Students may also earn Departmental Honors by maintaining a 3.7 GPA and submitting a major research paper for approval by a faculty member. The paper must be written for an International Studies course and must be about 20 pages in length. It should demonstrate the student's ability to conduct original research and form critical conclusions about a topic. An honors paper approval form can be downloaded here. Five-Year Accelerated BA/MA with SAIS For declared International Studies Program Majors with a clear intent to pursue an MA after graduation from Hopkins, the University offers an accelerated and competitive International Studies BA/MA Program drawing upon its resources at The Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), located in Washington, D.C. Applications consisting of an up-to-date transcript, a brief statement of purpose, and a resume are accepted from students early in the second semester of their sophomore year. By late March, approximately eight students are accepted into the program. These students spend their junior year at the Homewood campus, taking a special year-long BA/MA seminar in international relations in addition to other courses leading towards the BA. Formal attendance at SAIS, either at the Washington or the Bologna campus, begins in what would have been the senior year. Although the BA is not awarded until the end of the fourth year, it is expected that most undergraduate requirements will be completed in three years so as to facilitate continuation towards the MA at SAIS. Affiliation with the Homewood campus ceases officially after the fourth year of the program. Financial assistance for the fifth year is thus determined by SAIS. Five-Year Accelerated BA/MA with Sciences Po Declared International Studies Majors may also apply to participate in a five-year accelerated BA/MA program with Sciences Po (Sciences Politique et Economique), one of Europe's finest schools of political science. Those accepted into the program join students bound for SAIS in a special junior year seminar in international relations. After the junior year, students spend two years at Sciences Po, earning the BA after their first year and a Masters (Diplome) from Sciences Po after their second year. Students pay tuition to Johns Hopkins for the first year in Paris and to Sciences Po for the second. Financial aid from Johns Hopkins continues only through the end of a student's fourth year. Instruction at Sciences Po is in French. Interested students should have a clear intent to pursue an MA after graduation from Hopkins. Applicants follow an application and review process similar to the one for the SAIS program; they may apply to the BA/MA with SAIS, the BA/MA with Sciences Po, and the junior year in Bologna and then decide between those to which they are accepted. Incoming students with an interest in the BA/MA programs are encouraged to obtain further information from the SAIS and Sciences Po websites and to consult with the Assistant Coordinator during their freshman and sophomore years. |