Professional, Technical or Scientific Core (16-21 hours)
The Professional, Technical or Scientific (PTS) Core allows International Studies majors to focus on an area of academic or professional interest. The PTS Core requirement may be fulfilled in two ways: EITHER through the completion of an official campus minor OR through an Individualized PTS Core, a program of courses that inform an internationally-relevant topic.
Campus Minor (16-21 hours)
Students must have their minor track pre-approved by an International Studies advisor prior to pursuing it, and they must speak with an academic advisor in the minor department for guidance. Students may not apply a language minor to their PTS core if that minor is in the language used to fulfill their I.S. language requirement. For complete information on possible minors see www.provost.uiuc.edu/students/advising/minors.html
Note: Students who are interested in having minor coursework recognized as an official minor by the College of LAS must complete at least additional six (6) hours of course work at the advanced level (for a total of 12).
Individualized PTS Core (20 hours)
The Individualized PTS Core must be designed in consultation with, and approved by, an International Studies advisor prior pursuit of the topic. No more than one-half of the course work should be at an elementary level, and at least six (6) hours of advanced-level (approved 300 or 400 level) courses are required.
Majors may choose from a range of multidisciplinary themes to focus their PTS Core within their International Studies. The PTS Core can be divided into six areas of focus:
- Culture and Society
- Development
- Environment
- Governance
- International Healthcare
- Markets
- Technology
Culture and Society
The Culture and Society focus area examines the socio-cultural phenomena that characterize local, regional, national and international communities.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
Identity and Globalization |
Possible Courses:
- ANTH 262, Women’s Lives
- ANTH 363, Body, Personhood and Culture
- ANTH 421, Social Organization
- ANTH 463, Religion and Society
- ANTH 466, Class, Culture and Society
- ENGL 112, The Literature of Global Culture
- HDFS 340, Gender, Relationships and Society
- HIST 281, Constructing Race in America
- LING 104 Talking Culture
- LING 111 Language in Globalization
- LING 450 Sociolinguistics
- SOC 225, Race and Ethnicity
- SOC 261, Gender in Transnational Perspective
- SOC 350, Technology and Society
- SOC 364, Impacts of Globalization
- SOC 373, Social Stratification
- SOC 375, Community
- SOC 462, Global Racial Stratification
- SOC 463, Social Change in Developing Areas
- SOC 466, New Modernities South
|
Media, Politics and Society |
Possible Courses:
- ANTH 266, African Film and Society
- COMM 356, Sex and Gender in Popular Media
- COMM 351, Social Aspects of Media
- PHIL 401, Philosophy and Film
- SPCOM 207, Analysis of Screen Genre
- SPCOM 208, Rhetoric of Film
- SPCOM 213, Persuasion and the Arts
- SPCOM 277, Media of Public Discourse
- SPCOM 325, Politics and the Media
- SPCOM 408, Cultural Analysis of Media
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Topics in Post-Colonial Studies |
Possible Courses:
- AFRO 261, Introduction to the African Diaspora
- AFST 210, Introduction to Modern African Literature
- AFST 410, Modern African Fiction
- ANTH 282, Displaced Peoples of Latin America
- ENGL 112, The Literature of Global Culture
- ENGL 285, Post Colonial Literature in English
- FR 219, Introduction to Francophone Literature
- FR 240, Constructing African and Caribbean Identity
- FR 479, Studies in Francophonie
- HIST 430, India from Colony to Nation
- HIST 411, Africa 1945 to the Present
- HIST 405, History of Brazil from 1808
|
Development
Students who choose the Development focus area are interested in the relationship between economics and cultural, political and social phenomena.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
Development |
Possible Courses:
- ACE 255, Econ. of Rural Poverty & Development
- ACE 411, Environment & Development
- ACE 451, Agriculture in International Development
- ECON 450, Development Economics
- GEOG 101, Geography of Developing Countries
- GEOG 410, Geography of Dev. & Underdevelopment
- GWS 480, Gender Roles & International Development
- PS 241, Comparative Politics in Dev. Nations
- RSOC 443, Social Change in Developing Areas
- SOC 160, Global Inequality & Social Change
- SOC 350, Science & Technology
- UP 424, SE Asian Urban Development
|
Environment
The Environment focus area is of particular interest to students concerned with issues of environmental impact and conservation.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
Globalization and the Environment |
Possible Courses:
- ACE 210, Environmental Economics
- ACE 406, Environmental Law
- ACE 411, Environment and Development
- AGCM 430, Community in Environmental Social Movements
- CPSC 116, The Global Food Production Web
- CPSC 336, Tomorrow’s Environment
- CPSC 431, Plants and Global Change
- GEOG 110, Geography of Developing Countries
- GEOG 210, Contemporary Social and Environmental Problems
- GEOG 214, Conservation of Natural Resources
- GEOG 384, Population Geography
- HIST 101, Global Environmental Change
- HIST 201, Environmental History
- NRES 109, Global Environmental Issues
- SOC 447, Environmental Sociology
|
International Urban Development |
Possible Courses:
- GEOG 101, Geography of Developing Countries
- GEOG 204, Cities of the World
- GEOG 483, Urban Geography
- NRES 499, International Environmental Law and Policy
- POL S 241, Comparative Politics in Dev. Nations
- POL S 382, Politics of the Global Economy
- POL S 383, International Organizations
- UP 406, Urban Ecology
- UP 420, Planning for Historic Preservation
- UP 423, International Development Planning
|
Governance
Students who choose the Governance focus area examine the factors that inform politics on a local, national, regional and global level.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
European Unions |
Possible Courses:
- ECON 332, European Economic History
- HIST 352, European History Since 1939
- HIST 454, European International Affairs Since 1914
- HIST 467, Eastern Europe
- POL S 348, Government & Politics in Western Europe
- POL S 383, International Organizations
- POL S 385, Politics and Culture of the European Union
|
Human Rights |
Possible Courses:
- ANTH 188, Ethnic Wars and Globalization
- ANTH 466, Class, Culture and Society
- GEOG 410, Geography of Development & Underdevelopment
- PHIL 105, Introduction to Ethics
- PHIL 106, Ethics and Social Policy
- PHIL 210, Ethics
- POL S 241, Comparative Politics in Dev. Nations
- POL S 322, Law and Public Policy
- POL S 357, Ethnic Conflict
- POL S 383, International Organizations
- POL S 389, International Communications
- SOC 225, Race and Ethnicity
- SOC 226, Political Sociology
- SOC 373, Social Stratification
- SOC 475, Human Rights
|
International Law |
Possible Courses:
- ACE 403, Agricultural Law
- ACE 406, Environmental Law
- ANTH 466 Class, Culture, and Society
- BTW 271, Persuasive Writing
- GE 400, Engineering Law
- HIST 442, Roman Law and Legal Tradition
- HIST 454 European International Affairs, 1914 to the Present
- LING 260 Language and the Law
- PHIL 102, Logic and Reasoning
- PHIL 105, Introduction to Ethics
- PHIL 106, Ethics and Social Policy
- PHIL 385, Ethics of War and Peace
- PHIL 436, Philosophy of Law and of the State
- POL S 240, Comparative Politics
- POL S 241, Comparative Politics in Dev. Nations
- POL S 322, Law and Society
- POL S 389, International Communications
- POL S 386, International Law
- SOC 475, Human Rights
- SOC 477, Sociology of Law
- SPCOM 321, Persuasive Speaking
|
International Organizations |
Possible Courses:
- HIST 377, United States Since 1932
- POL S 240, Comparative Politics
- POL S 241, Comparative Politics in Dev. Nations
- POL S 389, International Communications
- POL S 490, International Organizations
- POL S 490, United Nations Peacekeeping
- SOC 229, Religion and Society
|
International Security and Arms Control |
Possible Courses:
- ANTH 188, Ethnic Wars and Globalization
- GEOG 110, Geography of International Conflict
- HIST 251, War, Military Institutions & Society Since 1815
- HIST 400, Advanced Studies in War, Society and Culture
- MATH 367, Math Issues in National Security
- NPRE 480, Topics in Energy Security
- NPRE 481, Writing Seminar on Technology and Security
- NPRE 482, Military and Civilian Uses of Nuclear Energy
- NPRE 483, Seminar on Security
- PHIL 385, The Ethics of War and Peace
- PHYS 280, Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control
- POL S 241, Comparative Politics in Dev. Nations
- POL S 283, Introduction to International Security
- POL S 357, Ethnic Conflict
- POL S 381, International Conflict
- POL S 383, International Organizations
|
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Political Geography |
Possible Courses:
- ANTH 188, Ethnic Wars and Globalization
- ANTH 499, Military Expenditure, Social Structure and Development in Africa
- GEOG 101, Geography of Developing Countries
- GEOG 106, Geographies of Globalization
- GEOG 110, Geography of International Conflict
- GEOG 390, Geopolitics
- GEOG 410, Geography of Development and Underdevelopment
- HIST 251, War, Military Institutions & Society Since 1815
- HIST 274, U.S. and the World Since 1917
- HIST 396, War and Twentieth-Century American Society
- HIST 498, War and Sacrifice on the Home Front in Twentieth-Century America
- Human 395, Hollywood at War
- MATH 367, Math Issues in National Security
- MATH 490, Preventative Defense Against WMD
- NPRE 481, Writing Seminar on Technology and Security
- PHIL 385, The Ethics of War and Peace
- PHYS 280, Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control
- POL S 280, Introduction to International Relations
- POL S 283, Introduction to International Security
- POL S 357, Ethnic Conflict
- POL S 381, International Conflict
- POL S 383, International Organizations
- POL S 387, National Security Policy
- PSYCH 496, Third parties in International Security and Conflict
|
International Healthcare
Students who choose the International Health area are interested in the medical field and public health issues.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
International Health Care |
Possible Courses:
- CHLTH 101, Introduction to Public Health
- CHLTH 250, Health Care Systems
- CHLTH 456, Organization of Health Care
- CHLTH 457, Health Planning
- GEOG 384, Population Geography
- GEOG 438, Geography of Health Care
- HIST 367, History of Western Medicine
- HIST 475, U.S. Public Health & Health Policy
- POL S 383, International Organization
- SOC 270, Population Issues
- SOC 274, Introduction to Medical Sociology
- SOC 475, Human Rights
|
Markets
Students who choose Markets focus area are interested in a background in business, business communications, economics, and financial markets.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
Business Communications |
Possible Courses:
- B&TW 250, Principles of Business Writing
- B&TW 275, Advanced Business/Professional Communication
- B&TW 490, Special Topics in Professional Writing
- COMM 351, Social Aspects of Mass Communication
- LING 105, Language in Daily Life
- LING 111, Language in Globalization
- LING 250, Language Diversity in the USA
- POL S 389, International Communications
- SPCOM 101, Public Speaking
- SPCOM 211, Business and Professional Speaking
- SPCOM 212, Introduction to Organizational Communication
- SPCOM 321, Persuasive Speaking
- SPCOM 412, Advanced Organizational Communication
|
Economies of South American Countries |
Possible Courses:
- ECON 462, Macroeconomic Policy
- ECON 321, Contemporary Issues in International Economy
- ECON 450, Development Economies
- ECON 481, Government Regulation of Economic Activity
- HIST 106, Modern and Contemporary Latin America
- HIST 408, Four Latin American Ideas: Structuralism; Dependency; Liberation Theology; Pedagogy of the Oppressed
- POL S 382, Politics of the Global Economy
|
World Economic Systems |
Possible Courses:
- ACE 210, Economics of the Environment
- ACE 251, The World Food Economy
- ACE 451, Economics of International Development
- ACE 455, International Trade in Food and Agriculture
- HDFS 430, The Family in International Settings
- R SOC 443, Social Change in Developing Areas
|
Technology
Students who choose the Technology focus area develop skills in a technical discipline, examine technology within social context, or consider its historical, philosophical and social foundations. Regardless of approach, students who study Technology are better equipped to understand its increasingly important role in today's world.
Possible Individualized Concentrations:
20 hours, approved by advisor |
Technology and Society |
Possible Courses:
- HDFS, International Families
- HIST 364, Technology in Western Society
- HIST 451, Industrial Revolution in Europe
- LIS 202, Social Aspects of Information Systems
- NRES 449, Science, Technology and Policy
- SOC 350, Technology and Society
- SOC 457, Sociology of Technology
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