Center for International Studies


Previous Section  Table of Contents  Next Section


 Ohio University Front Door  Graduate Catalog - Undergraduate Catalog -


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 http://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


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:

  1. Six courses in telecommunications
  2. Four courses in field of substantive application (minor)
  3. Four courses in area studies, including INST 500
  4. Three courses in development
  5. Two courses in research methods or information processing skills
  6. Field study or internship.

    Note: Minimum credit-hour requirements are subject to change due to program revision.

    Telecommunications Component


    Previous Section  Table of Contents  Next Section


     Ohio University Front Door  Graduate Catalog - Undergraduate Catalog -


    University Publications and Computer Services revised this file (http://www.ohiou.edu/~gcat/97-99/areas/inaf.htm) June 1, 1998.

    Please e-mail comments or suggestions to "gcat@www.ohiou.edu."