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International Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in International Studies provides students with the tools to investigate globalisation, and its regional effects, from a humanities perspective. They study these effects through the prism of four disciplinary perspectives: culture, history, politics and economics, coupled with in-depth knowledge of one of eight world regions. The humanities perspective is ensured by placing an understanding of the historic and cultural context central in the programme, and linking this directly to the political and economic conditions. Students learn to apply the acquired knowledge of the four disciplinary approaches in the analysis of a geographical area of their choice with the aid of a language native to that area.

The programme’s combination of multidisciplinary knowledge, geographical specialisation, language training, and a global perspective, provides students with a unique understanding of the interactions of global, transnational, national, and subnational conditions and developments. Disciplinary understanding is introduced in three stages. The programme starts with a general introduction of the relevant theoretical and methodological approaches. It goes on to provide students with practical knowledge of the historical, cultural, political and economic conditions in a specific geographical area, and completes the disciplinary understanding by placing these conditions in their international context.

The areas offered in the degree, and their corresponding languages are:

Area Foreign Language
Africa Arabic, French, Portuguese, Swahili
East Asia Japanese, Korean, Mandarin
Europe Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish
Latin America Portuguese, Spanish
Middle East Arabic, Modern Hebrew, Persian, Turkish
North America French, Spanish
Russia and Eurasia Russian
South Asia and Southeast Asia Hindi, Indonesian

First Year

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

First semester

Academic Reading & Writing 5
Cultural Studies 5
Global History 5
Introduction to International Studies 5
Principles of Economics 5
Sociolinguistics 5

Second semester

Foundations of Political Economy 5
Politics 5

Culture

Choose one of the following courses:

Culture: Africa 5
Culture: East Asia 5
Culture: Europe 5
Culture: Latin America 5
Culture: Middle East 5
Culture: North America 5
Culture: Russia and Eurasia 5
Culture: South and South-East Asia 5

History

Choose one of the following courses:

History: Africa 5
History: East Asia 5
History: Europe 5
History: Latin America 5
History: Middle East 5
History: North America 5
History: Russia and Eurasia 5
History: South and South-East Asia 5

Foreign Language 1

Choose one of the following courses:

Arabic 1 Beginners 10
Arabic 1 Pre-Intermediate 10
Dutch 1 Beginners 10
French 1 Beginners 10
French 1 Intermediate 10
German 1 Beginners 10
German 1 Intermediate 10
Hindi 1 Beginners 10
Indonesian 1 Beginners 10
Japanese 1 Beginners 10
Korean 1 Beginners 10
Mandarin 1 Beginners 10
Mandarin 1 Pre-Intermediate 10
Modern Hebrew 1 Beginners 10
Persian 1 Beginners 10
Portuguese 1 Beginners 10
Russian 1 Beginners 10
Russian 1 Pre-Intermediate 10
Spanish 1 Beginners 10
Spanish 1 Intermediate 10
Swahili 1 Beginners 10
Turkish 1 Beginners 10

Second Year

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

First semester

Cultural Interaction: A Global Perspective 5

Economy

Choose one of the following courses:

Economy: Africa 5
Economy: East Asia 5
Economy: Europe 5
Economy: Latin America 5
Economy: Middle East 5
Economy: North America 5
Economy: Russia and Eurasia 5
Economy: South & South-East Asia 5

Thematic Seminar: Research Methods

Choose one of the following courses, as well as the lecture series:

Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: A Matter of Context: Including Environmental Issues in Research - 1 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: A Matter of Context: Including Environmental Issues in Research - 2 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: A Matter of Context: Including Environmental Issues in Research - 3 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Capitalism, War and International Relations 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Democracy and Political Transitions 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: International Organisations 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: International Political Economy in Social Science Research 1 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: International Political Economy in Social Science Research 2 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Power and Armed Conflict 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Religion, Politics, and the Public Domain 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: The Historical Study of Terrorism 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Transnationalism and Global Diaspora 1 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Transnationalism and Global Diaspora 2 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Transnationalism and Global Diaspora 3 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Understanding International Organisations 1 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: Understanding International Organisations 2 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: War and Strategic Studies 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: What Language Reveals about our Identity 1 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: What Language Reveals about our Identity 2 5
Thematic Seminar: Research Methods: What Language Reveals about our Identity 3 5

Politics

Choose one of the following courses:

Politics: Africa 5
Politics: East Asia 5
Politics: Europe 5
Politics: Latin America 5
Politics: Middle East 5
Politics: North America 5
Politics: Russia and Eurasia 5
Politics: South and South-East Asia 5

Foreign Language 2

Choose one of the following courses:

Arabic 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Dutch 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
French 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
French 2 Upper-Intermediate 10
German 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
German 2 Upper-Intermediate 10
Hindi 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Indonesian 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Japanese 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Korean 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Mandarin 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Modern Hebrew 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Persian 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Portuguese 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Russian 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Spanish 2 Pre-Intermediate 10
Spanish 2 Upper-Intermediate 10
Swahili 2 Pre-Intermediate 10

Second semester

Global Political Economy 5
International Relations 5
Philosophy of Science 5

Foreign language 3

Choose one of the following courses:

Arabic 3 Intermediate 5
Dutch 3 Intermediate 5
French 3 Intermediate 5
French 3 Advanced 5
German 3 Intermediate 5
German 3 Advanced 5
Hindi 3 Intermediate 5
Indonesian 3 Intermediate 5
Japanese 3 Intermediate 5
Korean 3 Intermediate 5
Mandarin 3 Intermediate 5
Modern Hebrew 3 Intermediate 5
Persian 3 Intermediate 5
Portuguese 3 Intermediate 5
Russian 3 Intermediate 5
Spanish 3 Intermediate 5
Spanish 3 Advanced 5
Swahili 3 Intermediate 5

Thematic Seminar

Choose one of the following courses:

Thematic Seminar: An International History of Tourism 10
Thematic Seminar: Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism and Holocaust Denial: Cause for Confusion 10
Thematic Seminar: Argumentation and Debate 10
Thematic Seminar: Art, Literature, and Law - The Questions of the Human Nature of Right(s) 10
Thematic Seminar: Censorship: Social Transformation, Manufactured Consent, and Free Speech 10
Thematic Seminar: Close-Reading Comics: Hybrid Storytelling in Graphic Memoirs 10
Thematic Seminar: Comparative Accounts of Human Flourishing 10
Thematic Seminar: Emerging Economies 10
Thematic Seminar: Feminist Philosophy 10
Thematic Seminar: Film Journeys, the World on Screen 10
Thematic Seminar: Global History of Work and Labour Organisations 10
Thematic Seminar: Global Protest Movements 10
Thematic Seminar: Languages and Cultures in Contact 10
Thematic Seminar: Language with an Attitude 10
Thematic Seminar: Nationalism and Nation-Building in the Twentieth Century 10
Thematic Seminar: Political Justice: Equality, Freedom, Community 10
Thematic Seminar: Race in World Politics 10
Thematic Seminar: Religions in the Modern World 10
Thematic Seminar: Terrorism: Philosophical Perspectives 10
Thematic Seminar: The Global Cold War 10
Thematic Seminar: The Linguistic Lens: How Language Influences our Perception of the World 10
Thematic Seminar: The Powers of Literature in the Modern Middle East 10
Thematic Seminar: The Present and Future of our Past: Critical Approaches to Heritage Studies 10
Thematic Seminar: Waging War - Cultural Approaches 10
Thematic Seminar: WWII in Asia: Images, Realities, Legacies 10

Optional Internship program

This course is mandatory for students who intend to take up an internship.

Organizational Theory, Culture and Behavior 5

Third Year

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

First semester

Elective Credits 30

Optional for students taking a two semester minor:

Thesis seminar

Choose one of the following courses:

Thesis and Thesis Seminar Africa A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Africa B, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia B, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia C, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia D, Sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia E, Sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe B, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe C, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America B, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America C, Sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East B, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East C, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar North America A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar North America C, Sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Russia and Eurasia A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Russia and Eurasia B, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar South and South-East Asia A, sem 1 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar South and South-East Asia B, sem 1 15

Second semester

Practising International Studies 5

Elective

Choose one of the following courses

Elective: A Global History of War 10
Elective: Art, Literature, and Law - The Question of the Human Nature of Right(s) 10
Elective: Capitalism, Modernity and Geopolitics: Historical Sociology of International Relations 10
Elective: Cinematic Discourses: Nation, Migration, Minorities 10
Elective: Cosmopolitics: Ethics and International Politics, Theory and Practice 10
Elective: Cultures of Consumption 10
Elective: Foreign Direct Investment, Multinational Companies and the Political Economy of Emerging Market Countries 10
Elective: How We Are Human: Cultural Reflections on Human Identity in Contexts of Biotechnology, Digitalization, and Gender 10
Elective: Intercultural Communication 1 10
Elective: Intercultural Communication 2 10
Elective: International Human Rights: History, Politics, and Economics 10
Elective: Political Agency in the Digital Age 10
Elective: Political Economy of Human Rights 10
Elective: Race in World Politics 10
Elective: Religions ‘On the Move’: the Case of Global Buddhism 10
Elective: Religious, Linguistic, and Sexual Minorities in the Contemporary World 10
Elective: Science, Media, and Society 1 10
Elective: Science, Media, and Society 2 10
Elective: Terrorism in Modern History 10
Elective: The Future of Religion: The West and Rest 10
Elective: The Politics of Human Rights 10
Elective: The Transformation of (Inter)National Political Community 10
Elective: Vulgar Culture 10
Elective: What is this War About Anyway?: Armed Conflicts in the Twentieth Century 10
Elective: Women and Politics 10

Thesis seminar

Choose one of the following courses:

Thesis and Thesis Seminar Africa A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Africa B, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Africa C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia B, Sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia D, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia E, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia F, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia G, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia H, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar East Asia I Sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe B, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe D, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe E sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Europe F sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America B, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America D, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Latin America E, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East B, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East D, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East E, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Middle East F, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar North America A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar North America B, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar North America C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar North America D, Sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Russia and Eurasia A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Russia and Eurasia B, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Russia and Eurasia C, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar Russia and Eurasia D, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar South and South-East Asia A, sem 2 15
Thesis and Thesis Seminar South and South-East Asia C, Sem 2 15

Additional Information

Objectives

The Bachelors of Arts in International Studies provides students with the tools to investigate globalization and its regional effects, from a humanities perspective. They study these effects through the prism of four disciplinary perspectives: culture, history, politics and economics, coupled with in-depth knowledge of one of eight world regions. The humanities perspective is ensured by placing an understanding of the historic and cultural context central in the programme, and linking this directly to the political and economic conditions. Students learn to apply the acquired knowledge of the four disciplinary approaches in the analysis of a geographical area of their choice with the aid of a language native to that area.

For the programme's achievement levels please see the Course and Examination Regulations.

Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Duration: 3 years, full-time
Credits: 180 EC
Language of instruction: English

Additional requirements Binding Study Advice (BSA)

To be issued with a positive binding study advice (BSA) students must obtain at least 45 EC in their first academic year and meet the additional requirements set by the study programme.
For International Studies the additional requirements are passing the courses: Academic Reading and Writing (semester 1) and Foreign Language 1 (semester 2).

More information on the BSA regulations can be found on the University website.

Programme

Please note that the programme has undergone some changes from 2017-2018 onwards. More information on this topic can be found in the e-prospectus.
The programme’s combination of multidisciplinary knowledge, geographical specialisation, language training, and a global perspective, provides students with a unique understanding of the interactions of global, transnational, national, and subnational conditions and developments. Disciplinary understanding is introduced in three stages.
The programme starts with a general introduction of the relevant theoretical and methodological approaches. It goes on to provide students with practical knowledge of the historical, cultural, political and economic conditions in a specific geographical area, and completes the disciplinary understanding by placing these conditions in their international context.
Parallel to the disciplinary approach the students are equipped with a range of instruments essential to the study of the impact of global developments on an area, including language and research skills.
In their higher level courses students can further pursue self-selected combinations of an internship or exchange programme, thematic seminars and a consultancy project culminating in the BA thesis. Students thus exit the programme with a set of analytic skills and tools for investigating, understanding, and navigating the world and its diverse regions.

Elective Credits (formerly "Discretionary Space")

In the third year all students have 30 EC of Elective Credits to spend on courses outside of the programme. There are different options to choose from: Study Abroad, conduct an Internship or follow a minor. More information can be found here.

BA Thesis and requirements for graduation.

The Bachelor programme is concluded with a Bachelor thesis (10,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography). The Bachelor thesis is written in the context of a Thesis Seminar specialising on the student's chosen area.
Requirements for graduation are: succesful completion of all courses in the Bachelor programme including the Elective Credits and the Thesis.
In order to graduate you will be asked to fulfil certain administrative procedures, which can be found on the website of International Studies (BA).

Follow-on master's programme

Not applicable

Compensation Regulations (If applicable)

Not applicable

Transitional Arrangements

Year 1 courses 2017/18 Retake in 2018/19 Remarks
Configuring the World (S2) Foundations of Political Economy (S2) Name change
------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
Economics (S1) Principles of Economics (S1) Name change
Foreign Language 1 (S2) Foreign Language 1 (S2) Level change
Year 2 courses 2017/18 Retake in 2018/19 Remarks
Cultural Interaction: A Global Perspective (S1) Cultural Interaction: A Global Perspective (S1) No change
Politics (S1) Politics (Year 1, S2) Year change and semester change
Area Culture (S1) Area Culture (Year 1, S2) Year change and semester change
Area Economics (S1) Area Economy (S1) Name change
Foreign Language 2 (S2) Foreign Language 2 (S2) Level change
-------------------------------- -------------------------- -------------------------------
International Economics (S2) Global Political Economy (S2) Name change
International Politics (S2) International Relations (S2) Name change
Area Politics (S2) Area Politics (S1) Semester change
Foreign Language 3 (S2) Foreign Language 3 (S2) Level change
Elective (S2) Thematic Seminar (S2) Name change

There are no changes for year 3 courses academic year 2018-2019.
For courses you need to retake from 2016-2017, please contact your Coordinator of Studies.