International Affairs and Religious Studies, BA (Boston)
Undergraduatemajor2027 catalogSocial Sciences HumanitiesBoston128 semester hours totalunverified parse — check the source
Official catalog page for this program
BA Language Requirements
12 semester hours.
From the catalog
All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.
Required Courses
- INTL 1101 — Globalization and International Affairs
- INTL 3400 — International Conflict and Negotiation
- One of:
- POLS 1160 — International Relations
International Affairs Elective
4 semester hours.
From the catalog
Complete one of the following courses:
International Affairs Elective (2)
- One of:
- INTL 2480 — Women and World Politics
- INTL 2500 — Race and Global Human Mobility
- INTL 2600 — Artificial Intelligence and World Politics
- INTL 3150 — Global Philanthropy
- INTL 3200 — Cities in a Global Context
- INTL 3255 — Democracy, Authoritarianism, and Development
- INTL 3350 — Borders and Racial Security
- INTL 3406 — International Law
- INTL 3430 — Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection
- INTL 3450 — Security, Culture, Power
- INTL 3520 — Global Political Economy
- INTL 4100 — Forced Migration: Refugees, Exiles, and Displaced Persons
- INTL 5010 — International Human Rights Law and Policy
- INTL 5100 — Climate and Development
Global Dynamics Requirement
4 semester hours.
From the catalog
Complete one of the following (courses are divided into thematic groups to aid students in deciding which courses to take and have no bearing on major requirements):
Global Dynamics Requirement (2)
From the catalog
Environment
From the catalog
Law, Diplomacy, and Global Governance
Human Rights and Social Justice
Conflict and Security
Globalization
Population, Migration, and Diaspora
Development
Communication and Media
- One of:
- ENVR 1110 — Global Climate Change
- ENVR 2515 — Sustainable Development
- ENVR 3150 — Food Security and Sustainability
- INTL 5100 — Climate and Development
- One of:
- PPUA 5267 — Climate Policy and Justice
- SOCL 1246 — Environment and Society
- ANTH 3442 — Anthropology of Law
- COMM 2303 — Global and Intercultural Communication
- HIST 1100 — Law and History
- One of:
- INTL 2600 — Artificial Intelligence and World Politics
- INTL 3520 — Global Political Economy
- INTL 5010 — International Human Rights Law and Policy
- POLS 1155 — Comparative Politics
- POLS 1160 — International Relations
- POLS 2370 — Religion and Politics
- POLS 3405 — International Political Economy
- POLS 3406 — International Law
- POLS 4910 — Model United Nations
- AFCS 3900 — Gender and Black World Literatures
- AFCS 4526 — Afro-Asian Relations in the Americas
- One of:
- HIST 2303 — Gender and Reproductive Justice
- HIST 2373 — Gender and Sexuality in World History
- One of:
- INTL 5010 — International Human Rights Law and Policy
- PHIL 5001 — Global Justice
- CRIM 3030 — Global Criminology
- CRIM 3060 — Political Crime and Terrorism
- CRIM 5203 — Security in the 21st Century
- HIST 1206 — Drug Trade and Drug War: History, Security, Culture
- HIST 1389 — History of Espionage 1: Antiquity to World War II
- HIST 1390 — History of Espionage 2: Cold War Spies
- HIST 2217 — The Global Far-Right since 1945: Politics, Culture, Violence
- HIST 3330 — The Global Cold War
- HIST 3334 — Assassinations in World History
- INTL 3430 — Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection
- INTL 3450 — Security, Culture, Power
- One of:
- PHIL 5001 — Global Justice
- POLS 2282 — The Holocaust and Comparative Genocide
- POLS 3418 — Nationalism
- POLS 3420 — U.S. National Security Policy
- POLS 3423 — Terrorism and Counterterrorism
- POLS 4918 — Model NATO
- AFCS 2600 — Issues in Race, Science, and Technology
- ANTH 2305 — Global Markets and Local Culture
- ANTH 2315 — Religion and Modernity
- ECON 3290 — History of the Global Economy
- ECON 3635 — International Economics
- HIST 1215 — Origins of Today: Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues
- HIST 2211 — The World Since 1945
- HIST 2311 — Colonialism/Imperialism
- INTB 3310 — Cultural Aspects of International Business
- One of:
- INTL 3200 — Cities in a Global Context
- INTL 3520 — Global Political Economy
- POLS 1160 — International Relations
- POLS 2370 — Religion and Politics
- POLS 3405 — International Political Economy
- POLS 3406 — International Law
- AFCS 1101 — Introduction to African American and Africana Studies
- One of:
- AFCS 3424 — Epidemiology of Pandemic Diseases and Health Disparities in the African Diaspora
- ANTH 1101 — Peoples and Cultures
- ANTH 4220 — South Asian Diasporas
- CRIM 1400 — Human Trafficking
- HIST 1218 — Pirates, Planters, and Patriots: Making the Americas, 1492–1804
- INTL 2500 — Race and Global Human Mobility
- INTL 3200 — Cities in a Global Context
- INTL 4100 — Forced Migration: Refugees, Exiles, and Displaced Persons
- PHIL 1111 — Introduction to World Religions
- PHIL 1271 — Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- POLS 2359 — Immigration Politics
- ANTH 2305 — Global Markets and Local Culture
- ECON 3291 — Development Economics
- ECON 3404 — International Food Policy
- ECON 3405 — A Critique of Capitalism
- ECON 5650 — Economic Growth and Applications
- ENVR 2515 — Sustainable Development
- HIST 2011 — Capitalism and Business: A Global History
- INNO 2206 — Global Social Enterprise
- One of:
- INTL 3150 — Global Philanthropy
- INTL 3255 — Democracy, Authoritarianism, and Development
- INTL 3520 — Global Political Economy
- INTL 5100 — Climate and Development
- PHTH 5230 — Global Health
- POLS 3487 — Politics of Developing Nations
- COMM 2303 — Global and Intercultural Communication
- INTB 3310 — Cultural Aspects of International Business
- One of:
- JRNL 5360 — Global Reporting
- LANG 3600 — Language Policy
- MSCR 2325 — Global Media
Regional Analysis Requirement
8 semester hours.
From the catalog
Complete two of the following, both of which must be in one region. Select courses taken during a semester study abroad or specific Dialogue of Civilizations courses may count as regional analysis courses pending approval of the international affairs head faculty advisor. See department for additional courses:
Regional Analysis Requirement (2)
From the catalog
Africa
From the catalog
Asia
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
- One of:
- AFCS 2410 — Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions
- AFCS 2900 — Swahili, Culture, and Politics in Kenya
- AFCS 2392 — African Film
- AFCS 4939 — Community Health, Culture, and Development in Kenya
- ANTH 4510 — Contemporary Issues in Global Africa
- One of:
- INNO 3308 — Business Economic History of South Africa
- ANTH 4350 — Ethnography of Southeast Asia
- ANTH 4410 — Economy and Culture in Asia
- ANTH 4515 — Culture and Politics in Modern India
- One of:
- HIST 1246 — World War II in the Pacific
- HIST 1252 — Japanese Literature and Culture
- HIST 1253 — History of Vietnam Wars
- HIST 1500 — Modern China
- HIST 2351 — Modern Japan
- HIST 2360 — History of Capitalism in East Asia
- JPNS 1260 — Japanese Film
- JPNS 1700 — Introduction to Japanese Pop Culture
- PHIL 1275 — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond
- PHIL 1290 — Chinese Philosophy and Religion
- PHIL 2395 — Japanese Buddhism
- One of:
- POLS 3485 — China: Governance and Foreign Policy
- ANTH 4210 — Anthropology of Eastern Europe
- FRNH 1501 — Introduction to French Culture
- HIST 1170 — Europe: Empires, Revolutions, Wars, and Their Aftermath
- HIST 1272 — Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1500
- HIST 1286 — History of the Soviet Union
- HIST 2370 — Renaissance to Enlightenment
- HIST 2375 — The Tudors, the Stuarts, and the Birth of Modern Britain
- HIST 2388 — World War II in Eastern Europe
- One of:
- POLS 3435 — Politics and Governance of Europe and the European Union
- SPNS 1504 — Cultural History of Spain
- AFCS 2330 — Afro-Latin American Studies
- HIST 1187 — Introduction to Latin American History
- HIST 2025 — Latin American History through Film
- One of:
- LACS 1220 — Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies
- SPNS 1240 — Latin American Film
- SPNS 1505 — Latin American Culture, History, and Politics
- SPNS 3240 — Social Justice in Latin American Film
- SPNS 3715 — New Narratives: Latin America after 1989
- SPNS 3720 — Literature, Arts, and Poverty in Latin America
- SPNS 4655 — Latin American Literature
- ARAB 1502 — Introduction to Arab Culture
- ECON 1292 — Economic History of the Middle East
- HIST 1185 — Introduction to Middle Eastern History
- INTL 1160 — Middle East Studies
- INTL 2100 — Modern Israel
- INTL 2200 — America and the Middle East
- One of:
- PHIL 1280 — Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates
- PHIL 1285 — Jewish Religion and Culture
Required Foundational Course
- PHIL 1110 — Introduction to Religious Studies
Lived Religion Elective
From the catalog
Complete one of the following courses that is not used to satisfy another requirement:
- One of:
- PHIL 1133 — Selling Spirituality
- PHIL 1220 — The Meaning of Death
- PHIL 1260 — Apocalypticism in Film
- PHIL 1271 — Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- PHIL 1280 — Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates
- PHIL 1667 — Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis
- PHIL 2410 — Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions
- PHIL 2619 — Race and Religion in Film
- PHIL 3230 — Music and Religion
- PHIL 3512 — Religion, Race, and Politics
Comparative Religion Elective
From the catalog
Complete one of the following courses that is not used to satisfy another requirement:
- One of:
- PHIL 1111 — Introduction to World Religions
- PHIL 1130 — Comparative Ethics
- PHIL 1220 — The Meaning of Death
- PHIL 1271 — Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- PHIL 1275 — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond
- PHIL 1290 — Chinese Philosophy and Religion
- PHIL 1667 — Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis
- PHIL 2395 — Japanese Buddhism
Electives
From the catalog
Complete six of the following courses, one of which must be at the 2000 level or above and two of which must be at the 3000 level or above, that is not used to satisfy another requirement:
- Choose 24 semester hours from:
- PHIL 1104 — Goddesses, Witches, Saints, and Sinners: Women and Religion
- PHIL 1111 — Introduction to World Religions
- PHIL 1120 — Understanding the Bible
- PHIL 1130 — Comparative Ethics
- PHIL 1133 — Selling Spirituality
- PHIL 1220 — The Meaning of Death
- PHIL 1260 — Apocalypticism in Film
- PHIL 1271 — Sex in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- PHIL 1275 — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Beyond
- PHIL 1280 — Islam: Rituals, Traditions, and Debates
- PHIL 1285 — Jewish Religion and Culture
- PHIL 1290 — Chinese Philosophy and Religion
- PHIL 1666 — The Problem of Evil in Film
- PHIL 1667 — Science Fiction and Film: Moral Dilemmas and Ethical Analysis
- PHIL 2301 — Philosophical Problems of Law and Justice
- PHIL 2390 — Cults and Sects
- PHIL 2395 — Japanese Buddhism
- PHIL 2410 — Possession, Sacrifice, and Divination in African Diasporic Religions
- PHIL 2619 — Race and Religion in Film
- PHIL 3100 — The Religious Worlds of Boston: Faith and Devotion in Urban Life
- PHIL 3230 — Music and Religion
- PHIL 3512 — Religion, Race, and Politics
- PHIL 4903 — Seminar in Religion
- PHIL 4992 — Directed Study
Capstone
- INTL 4700 — Senior Capstone Seminar in International Affairs
Research Methods
Substitutions
Possible equivalents for this program — dashed means a suggestion, not a rule, and every substitution needs your advisor's approval:
- ANTH 3100 ↔ POLS 3100 (tier B)
- ANTH 4500 ↔ INTL 4500 (tier B)
- ASNS 1150 ↔ HIST 1150 (tier B)
- ASNS 3482 ↔ POLS 3482 (tier B)
- INTB 1203 ↔ INTB 1209 (tier A, one counts as the other)
- INTL 2480 ↔ WMNS 2480 (tier B)
- INTL 3300 ↔ JRNL 3300 (tier B)
- INTL 3430 ↔ POLS 3430 (tier B)
- INTL 3455 ↔ POLS 3455 (tier B)
- INTL 3470 ↔ POLS 3470 (tier B)
- INTL 5268 ↔ PPUA 5268 (tier B)
Parsed from the catalog by NU Map; the structured machine copy is in this college's JSON for the 2027 catalog, under international-affairs-and-religious-studies-ba-boston, and the official page is the authority.