International Affairs Bachelor's Degree at North Georgia
Why should you major in International Affairs?
A B.A. in International Affairs degree will prepare you for a variety of career opportunities with the government including military careers, diplomatic service, congressional staff, and governmental agencies (FBI, US State Department, CIA, NSA, ACDA, AID, ITC, Export-Import Bank, Peace Corps, and more).
It will provide you global skills such as knowledge of foreign languages, economics, history, politics, sociology, geography, and anthropology which are increasingly demanded by businesses and non-profit organizations (Amnesty International, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services, and more).
It will help you develop practical “hands on” cultural experience by involving you in a region of the world in which you are interested. You will spend time overseas completing a study abroad program or an international internship.
If you are interested in working for the government as a career diplomat, teaching at a college or university, pursuing academic research, working for a policy think-tank, or earning a law degree, you will need to pursue a graduate degree. A B.A. in International Affairs will provide you with a strong theoretical and analytical understanding of world politics that you can successfully apply in a variety of post-graduate programs.
What will you study?
Overview
During your 4 years at North Georgia College & State University you will participate in a number of exciting and unique experiences that no other major offers. An International Affairs Degree allows you to become specialized in one of four geographical areas: Western Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and East Asia. You will be culturally immersed while studying abroad, gain valuable job experience while working internationally or domestically during your internship, and become proficient in the foreign language of your region. Through your travels, you will build lasting friendships with people across the globe and achieve an understanding of the international world which provides you with valuable and marketable experience that will set you above your peers.
Freshman Year
Sophomore Year
During your sophomore year, much of your course load will be the same as your freshman year. Typically you will be completing your core requirements and only just touching your major specific and regional specific courses. Additionally, you may wish to continue your foreign language studies. During the summer following your sophomore year it is common to study abroad as typically the summer following your Junior year will be spent at Ft. Lewis, Washington where you will complete Warrior Forge (Cadets only).Junior Year
Your junior year is when you begin to get a real taste of your major. You’ll be taking courses like Comparative Security Issues, Comparative Government, and International Relations Theory. Aside from your studies, if you are a Cadet you will be enrolled in the PreCamp program, a program designed to prepare you be successful at Warrior Forge, a leadership assessment course that you will complete the summer after your junior year.
Senior Year
Your senior year is where everything will come together. Typically you will spend the first semester immersing yourself in the international job market where you will intern for a business or organization of your choice. Occasionally Seniors will use this time to study abroad if they opted for a semester long program rather than a summer program. During your second semester you will take classes specific to your region such as Chinese Literature or Latin American Development as well as your Capstone Seminar which is designed to culminate you academic journey by calling upon all that you have learned through class, foreign study, and internship experience.For more information about the course schedule please view the International Affairs Plan of Study and International Affairs Degree Map
Your Study Abroad and Internship Opportunities
Special Programs Available for Cadets
CULP (Cultural Understanding and Language Program)
Sophomore Cadets may have the opportunity to voluntarily "deploy" for short periods of time to more than 30 countries. The goal of the Cultural Understanding and Language Program (CULP) is to introduce future Army officers to different cultures and familiarize them with foreign languages as the need for those skills and knowledge in the Army grows. Activities have ranged from training with Chinese soldiers to attending lectures in Moscow to teaching English in Costa Rica to marching in a parade with Senegalese Army Cadets. This program is expanding every year with more and more opportunities becoming available. For more information, visit the Cadet Command Pamphlet and article. CLIP (Critical Language Pay)
If you sign an agreement to commission as an Army lieutenant, then you will get paid $250 per credit hour for taking a strategic foreign language course (Chinese, Korean, Russian, or Arabic) in an amount up to $3,000 per year. For more information about the CLIP program, please view the Cadet Command Pamphlet.What Scholarships are Available?
NGCSU offers a variety of scholarships to aid students and cadets. Some scholarships are general scholarships put toward tuition while others are specifically designed to cover study abroad expenses. In addition to scholarships provided through NGCSU there are also many available through outside organizations. For more information and links to available scholarships visit Center For Global Engagement’s Scholarship Page.
Featured Cadets
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Cadet Cooke received the Gilman Scholarship and is spending a semester studying abroad in China. The Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for students of limited financial means to study abroad. Nationwide, over 2,300 scholarships of up to $5,000 were awarded this academic year for undergraduates to study abroad. |  |
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