Center for International Studies
Burson House
Josep Rota, Director
Ohio University established the Center for International Studies in 1964 to provide students and citizens of the United States and other countries with opportunities to obtain knowledge about peoples and cultures of the world, particularly Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and about related international concerns. This endeavor is founded on the broad belief that an appreciation of different values and institutions increases understanding between peoples, enriches the lives of individuals, better prepares them for work in a globalized environment, and assists all in forming opinions on issues that affect the growing world community.
The center coordinates teaching, research, publications activities, and community outreach through programs related to three world regions (Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America), two thematic areas (international development and communication and development), and comparative and international topics. These programs assist in the development of courses, the expansion of library materials, and the education of globally literate citizens. They support visiting lecturers, film series, seminars, and colloquia throughout the year. The African Studies Program, in consortium with the African Studies Center at Ohio State University, has been designated a National Resource Center for African Studies by the U.S. Department of Education. The Southeast Asian Studies Program also receives Title VI funding from the U.S. Department of Education. More than 100 scholarly papers relating to Africa, southeast Asia, and Latin America have appeared in the center's monograph series. An east Asia committee also functions with modest support from the center.
M.A. Program in International Affairs
The Center for International Studies offers an interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree in international affairs. You can concentrate on the culture, institutions, and one of the languages of a major world region - Africa, Southeast Asia, or Latin America - or develop a program of study with an international thematic focus in development studies or communication and development studies. The M.A. program is intended to give you the freedom to develop a program best suited to your academic and professional requirements within an international or cross-cultural context.
You are required to demonstrate an acceptable level of achievement in a language other than English appropriate to the area of concentration. This may be accomplished by: (1) for non-European languages, either (a) satisfactorily complete a minimum of one academic year (generally nine credit hours) in one of the following languages currently taught at Ohio University: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian/Malay, Japanese, or Swahili, or (b) take an examination in a language not taught at Ohio University or demonstrate an acceptable level of achievement on an examination administered by other recognized testing agencies; or (2) for students in concentrations offering a European language, an intermediate level of proficiency. A mandatory two-hour course requirement for all programs is International Studies 500 Introduction to Graduate Study. Depending on the program, a comprehensive written or oral exam is required of all students to complete the requirements of the degree. This examination will ordinarily take place in the last quarter of study.
A thesis option is also available instead of the comprehensive exam. The number of credits granted for the thesis (to a maximum of 10) will be determined by your advisory committee.
All students in the M.A. program must maintain a minimum grade-point average (g.p.a.) of at least 3.0. If your g.p.a. falls below 3.0, you will be placed on probation and must raise your g.p.a. by the end of the following term. Failing to do so will automatically result in your being dropped from the program. University policy prohibits awarding any type of financial assistance to students on probation. Also, if you receive more than two grades below B, you will be dropped from the program at the discretion of the director. A grade below C will not count toward the degree requirement.
Admission
The criteria for admission are a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; a good undergraduate record, usually including a minimum 3.0 g.p.a. in the undergraduate major; three letters of recommendation; and a two-page statement of purpose. The letters, usually from faculty with whom courses have been taken or from supervisors, should deal with your motivation, intellectual and academic capacity and potential, and work experience. The statement of purpose should give a brief history of your background, why you have chosen this particular program, and how the degree will help in your long-term career goals.
In addition, the communication and development studies program requires a curriculum vitae, and international students are required to submit TOEFL scores (minimum is 580). African studies and southeast Asia studies require Graduate Record Examination scores for U.S. citizens.
Curricula and Courses
Degree programs are interdisciplinary and designed to give students freedom to choose courses from a number of fields that best fulfill their academic and professional objectives. Following are brief descriptions of the individual program requirements and a list of core courses appropriate to each area of concentration. Note: Graduate programs in international studies are under revision, and curricula are subject to change. For up-to-date information, call the Center for International Studies at 614-593-1840 or see the center's Web site at https://www.cats.ohiou.edu/~intsdept/ .
African Studies
The African Studies Program is a Title VI National Resource Center for African area and language study. The interdisciplinary approach allows you the oppor-tunity to explore Africa in depth while having the freedom to choose from a number of courses that best fit your academic and professional objectives. The program includes African language study through the intermediate level, which may be waived in the case of existing proficiency. Forty hours in core African studies are also required. Ordinarily, principal disciplines are selected from the social sciences or humanities (e.g., anthropology, art history, communications, economics, education, geography, history, journalism, literature, linguistics, nutrition, philosophy, and political science). Art history, philosophy, and literature also may be combined for an African humanities emphasis.
A comprehensive written examination is required. The examination is given once a quarter, except in summer, and should be taken near the completion of your program.
Admission is in fall quarter only. Note: Minimum credit-hour requirements are subject to change due to program revision.
Core Courses
- AAS 530 Social Theories of Underdevelopment
- AAS 532 Third World National Movements
- ANTH 551 Political Anthropology
- ANTH 557 Anthropology of Religion
- ANTH 581 Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa
- AH 532 West African Art
- AH 533 Central African Art
- ECON 551 Agricultural Development
- ECON 555 African Economic Development
- EDCI 505 Comparative Cultures and Education
- EDCI 506A Education and Development in Africa
- EDCI 508 Poverty, Education, and International Development
- ARAB 571-2-3 Elementary Arabic
- SWAH 571-2-3 Elementary Swahili
- ARAB 574-5-6 Intermediate Arabic
- SWAH 574-5-6 Intermediate Swahili
- GEOG 531 African Thematic Geography
- GEOG 532 Africa: Regional Approaches
- GEOG 684C Seminar in Regional Geography: Africa
- HIST 535 History of Women in the Middle East
- HIST 535A Middle East to 1800
- HIST 535B Middle East Since 1800
- HIST 536A North Africa in Modern Times
- HIST 536B North Africa Since 1914
- HIST 538 History of West Africa
- HIST 538A History of East Africa
- HIST 541 Colloquium: African History
- HIST 541B Traditional Africa
- HIST 541C Modern Africa
- HIST 542A South Africa to 1899
- HIST 542B South Africa Since 1899
- HIST 640 Seminar in African History
- HCFN 525 Readings in Food and Nutrition
- HCFN 526 World View of Nutrition
- INST 610A Seminar in African Studies
- PHIL 572 Islam
- PHIL 578 African Philosophy
- POLS 541 African Politics
- POLS 563 The United States and Africa
- POLS 590 Africa and the OAU
Communication and Development Studies
The main curriculum emphasis is on the use of communication to promote national development and to support development projects. In addition to telecommunications, the plan of study includes multidisciplinary perspectives on national development, area studies, and training in applied research methods. Several elective areas of substantive application, such as communication campaign design, distance education, entertainment-education, research for development, new information technologies, radio and television production, and tropical public health, are incorporated into this degree and constitute the area of specialization. A field study or internship is also required. The program requires a minimum of 90 quarter hours equivalent to 19 academic courses. Normally you will need two years to complete degree requirements.
Entry to the program is in fall quarter only. Requirements for the Communication and Development Studies Program are:
- Six courses in telecommunications
- Four courses in field of substantive application (minor)
- Four courses in area studies, including INST 500
- Three courses in development
- Two courses in research methods or information processing skills
- Field study or internship.
Note: Minimum credit-hour requirements are subject to change due to program revision.
Telecommunications Component
- TCOM 601 Introduction to Mass Communication Research
- One additional communication research methods class
- TCOM 765 Communication and National Development
- TCOM 770 Mass Communication Theories (or equivalent courses in telecommunications, interpersonal communication, or journalism)
- TCOM586D Media, Messages, and Social Change
- Plus any two of the following courses:
- TCOM 563 New Technologies
- TCOM 586 Writing for Training and Development
- TCOM 767 Comparative Systems of Telecommunications
- TCOM 769 International Telecommunications
- JOUR 566 International Communication
- INCO 510 Cross-Cultural Communication
- INCO 710 Communication and Information Diffusion
Area Studies ComponentSee course lists for southeast Asian studies, African studies, and Latin American studies.
Development ComponentSee Development Studies core list.
Research and Information Processing ToolsResearch courses listed under individual departments.
Development Studies
Development studies focuses on the process of development in the less developed countries from a multidisci-plinary perspective, drawing primarily on the social sciences. The complexity of issues in economic, social, and political development is broader than any one discipline and requires tools of analysis, conceptual approaches, and information from a variety of sources.
Admission is limited to fall quarter. A minimum of 51 hours is required for the degree. The program requires that you complete a core sequence of four courses. Three of these form a year-long course that goes from development theory to development case studies to development practice. The fourth, taught in the fall, focuses on the basic geographical patterns and characteristics of the less developed countries. In addition, you are required to complete courses in three separate disciplines (with at least three courses in one of the fields and at least two courses in each of the other two fields). The courses focus on the issue of development and are selected according to your needs and preferences. Ordinarily, the three disciplines are selected from among the social sciences (anthropology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, sociology, and political science). Some courses are available from the natural sciences (botany, geology, etc.), and a combination of courses from business, communication, education, or engineering focusing on development also may be used to satisfy the requirements for one of the three disciplinary fields.
You must demonstrate a minimal proficiency in a second language through evidence of (1) one year of university study of a modern language; (2) one year of university study of a third-world language; (3) native speaking ability; or (4) testing through another agency, such as the Peace Corps.
A comprehensive oral examination normally completes the program (except for those choosing to complete a research project or thesis). This examination ordinarily takes place in the last quarter of study.
A list of approximately 100 courses offered at Ohio University related to the subject of development is available from the director of this program and is revised for student use each year.
The following list includes courses representative of that longer list.
- ANTH 545 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
- BSAD 584 International Comparative Management
- ECON 550 Economic Development
- EDCI 508 Poverty, Education, and International Development
- GEOG 569D Geographic Patterns of Developing Areas
- HCFN 526 World View of Nutrition
- INST 601 Seminar in Development
- INCO 510 Cross-Cultural Communication
- POLS 540 The Politics of Developing Areas
- SOC 518 Third-World Development
- TCOM 765 Communication and National Development
Note: Minimum credit-hour requirements are subject to change due to program revision.
Latin American Studies
This program allows you to explore the cultural, institutional, and structural realities of Latin America in depth and is designed to expand your expertise regarding this important world region.
You are required to complete a minimum of 53 quarter hours of coursework. A minimum of 25 credit hours in the major (Latin American content courses selected from three disciplines) and 20 credit hours in the minor are required. The minor is defined as a professional skills development area. The major and minor fields of study are chosen primarily from among the liberal arts disciplines that offer specialized courses on Latin America at Ohio University: anthropology, economics, geography, history, literature, political science, and sociology. You may, however, study one professional or vocational component selected from a variety of technical fields, including international business, international education, food and nutrition, journalism, teaching English as a foreign language, telecommunications, etc.
Note: Minimum credit-hour requirements are subject to change due to program revision.
Core Courses
- ANTH 566 Cultures of the Americas
- ANTH 568 Latin American Prehistory
- AH 531 Pre-Columbian Art
- ECON 554 Latin American Economic History
- ECON 574 Economics of Latin America
- GEOG 535 Geography of Latin America
- GEOG 684A Seminar in Regional Geography: Latin America
- HIST 523A Latin America: The Colonial Era
- HIST 523B Latin America: The 19th Century
- HIST 523C Latin America: The 20th Century
- HIST 524 Seminar U.S./Latin America Relations
- HIST 525 Lecture U.S./Latin America Relations
- HIST 526 Dictatorship in Latin America
- INST 601 Seminar in Development
- INST 610B Seminar on Latin America
- INST 690 Readings in Latin America
- POLS 534 Government & Politics of Latin America
- POLS 535 Revolution in Latin America
- POLS 579 Latin American Political Thought
- POLS 590 Studies in Government: U.S. Policy in Latin America
- SOC 508 Latin American Society
- SOC 518 Third-World Development
- SPAN 539 Modern Spanish Usage
- SPAN 543 Survey of Spanish American Literature
- SPAN 547 Themes from Spanish American Prose
- SPAN 548 Contemporary Spanish American Literature
- SPAN 560 Spanish American Civilization and Culture
- TCOM 765 Communication and National Development
Southeast Asian Studies
The Southeast Asian Studies Program was established in 1967 to give inter-disciplinary insight into what now is an important economic and cultural region of the Pacific Rim. Students entering the program usually are interested in careers in foreign service, government, nongovernmental organizations, inter-national assistance and development agencies, or teaching. The program has special strengths in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. It awards foreign language and area studies fellowships for the study of the Indonesian language.
A minimum of 70 quarter hours in at least three disciplines is required. At least 45 hours (normally nine courses of 5 credit hours) must come from SEA core courses: Class I (those with 100 percent SEA content) supplemented by Class II courses (those with at least 25 percent SEA content). To ensure the interdisciplinary nature of the program, these courses are organized in a major concentration (three courses) and two minor concentrations (two courses each). The remaining two courses may be added to the three-two-two configuration or be included among the electives. The additional 25 hours may come from the core courses, from other courses in the same disciplines, or from professional areas such as business, education, environmental and plant biology, journalism, public administration, telecommunications, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). A minimum of two seminars must be included in the 70-hour requirement. INST 500, a requirement for students in all of the degree programs, counts toward the 70-hour minimum requirement but is not a core course. The 70 hours can be completed in 18 months excluding summer study.
Two years of coursework or its equivalent in a southeast Asian language is required. The university offers Indonesian. Language courses may not be included in the 70-hour requirement.
A required comprehensive written examination is given in the seventh week of the fall, winter, and spring quarters and should be undertaken in the last term of your program. A thesis option is available in lieu of the com-prehensive examination. Entry into the program may be made only at the beginning of the fall term. Note: Minimum credit-hour requirements are subject to change due to program revision.
Class I Core Courses (100% SEA content)
- ANTH 585 Cultures of Southeast Asia
- ANTH 586 Problems in Southeast Asian Anthropology
- ECON 573 Economics of Southeast Asia
- EDCI 506B Education and Development in Asia
- GEOG 538 Southeast Asia
- GEOG 648B Seminar: Southeast Asia
- HIST 544A History of the Malay World: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
- HIST 544B Burma & Thailand in Modern Times
- HIST 544C Vietnam
- HIST 545A Southeast Asia to 1750
- HIST 545B Southeast Asia: 1750-1942
- HIST 545C Southeast Asia: 1942 to Present
- HIST 644 Seminar: Southeast Asia (continues for two terms, counts as two seminars)
- HIST 645 Colloquium: Historiography of Southeast Asia
- HIST 598/798C Readings in Southeast Asian History
- INST 550 Focus on Malaysia
- INST 590 Tun Razak Seminar
- INDO 540 Traditional Literature of SE Asia (in English)
- INDO 545 Modern Literature of SE Asia (in English)
- MGT 691 Seminar in Asian Business
- POLS 547A, B Government & Politics of SE Asia
- POLS 648 Seminar: Politics of Southeast Asia
- TCOM 569P Media and Popular Culture in Southeast Asia
Class II Core Courses (25% SEA content)
- ANTH 550 Economic Anthropology
- ANTH 570 Peasant Communities
- ECON 550 Economic Development
- GEOG 680 Seminar: Third World Development and Environment
- JOUR 566 International Mass Media
- MGT 500 Management
- LING 696 Field Methods
- PHIL 570 Hinduism
- PHIL 571 Buddhism
- PHIL 572 Islam
- PBIO 521 Agricultural Plant Ecology
- PBIO 522 Tropical Plant Ecology
- TCOM 767 Comparative Systems of Telecommunications
University Publications and Computer Services revised this file ( https://www.ohio.edu/~gcat/97-99/areas/inaf.htm ) June 1, 1998.Please e-mail comments or suggestions to " gcat@www.ohiou.edu ."