Contact Us
School of International Service on a map
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United StatesDegree Progression at a Glance
The sequencing of the BA in International Studies courses is designed to give you a solid foundation in the field of international studies before you narrow in on the topics and questions that matter most to you.
Year One
You'll build your foundation with core SIS courses, including Intro to International Studies and a First-Year Seminar—a small, discussion-based course capped at 19 students built around a specialized topic of your professor's choosing.
Year Two
You'll take Intercultural Communication, examining how culture and globalization shape identity and cross-cultural dialogue, alongside a two-semester research sequence (SISU 206 & 306). By the end, you'll have designed and completed an original research project—skills many students carry into study abroad, national scholarships like Boren or Fulbright, or their capstone.
Year Three
You'll declare a primary and secondary thematic area to concentrate your coursework, and choose a regional focus—three courses in the region of your choice, including cross-regional, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere.
Year Four
You'll complete your senior capstone, a culminating project that draws together everything you've learned. Depending on your interests, that might mean a research paper, a documentary film, or a service project with critical reflection.