A World Perspective

Lafayette has been a leader in the establishment of a
progressive international affairs program. In this inter-
disciplinary major, you gain a multifaceted perspective on world issues and foreign policy from several fields of study while preparing for a career in foreign service, international business, or international law.

Because the major requires the scholarly insights and analytical tools of several disciplines, you are exposed to a variety of viewpoints in the social sciences and humanities. A required concentration in four major disciplines—
government, history, economics, and foreign languages—provides a diversified and balanced view of international relations.

“Lafayette has had this type of interdisciplinary program for more than 50 years and now other colleges want our blueprint,” says Rado Pribic, Williams Professor
of Foreign Languages and Literatures and chair of the international affairs program.

The program draws upon the talents and international specialties of faculty members primarily from the departments of foreign languages and literatures, economics and business, government and law, and history. They teach courses focusing on different aspects of international affairs and conduct research related to their specific international interests. You will have opportunities to work one-on-one with them through independent study or an honors thesis.
 

Special Features

Mastering a second language and gaining international experience through study abroad are both essential to the major.

Students are advised to continue foreign language training to a level of proficiency that will enable them to use foreign language sources for their research. Lafayette offers instruction in French, German, and Spanish on an advanced level, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian and Chinese on an intermediate level.

You are strongly encouraged to complete a significant
foreign-study program. Lafayette sponsors four semester-long foreign programs led by a Lafayette faculty member: The “Lafayette in Brussels” program based at Vesalius College of the Free University of Brussels, Belgium is especially appropriate for engineering students. Other study abroad programs led by a Lafayette faculty member include: “Lafayette in Athens,” based at College Year in Athens, Greece; “Lafayette in Ghana” based at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; and “Lafayette in Spain,” based predominantly in Madrid.

Lafayette is also affiliated with a program that enables selected students to study in Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union. Additionally, Lafayette has formal affiliations with many study-abroad programs administered by other academic institutions in virtually all strategically important geographic areas. As is the case with Lafayette faculty-led programs, students can use their financial aid to study in these programs. The College also participates in six-week summer language programs in Italy, Germany, Mexico, and Spain. The program chair and a study-abroad adviser help you select a program and prepare for the experience.

In addition, Lafayette is also affiliated with two foreign affairs programs in Manhattan and Washington. Students may spend a semester in New York City at the Globalization and International Affairs Program based at Bard College, or in Washington, D.C. studying foreign policy in a program based at American University.

On Lafayette’s campus, your academic experience is enriched by a variety of extracurricular activities including interacting with foreign students from almost 50 countries and with many guest speakers. The International Affairs Club sponsors a number of cultural activities and career workshops. A popular event is a three-day European Union simulation session in Washington D.C. that includes visits to the state department, various embassies, and the European Union offices. Students have represented the countries of Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, and Sweden.

After Graduation

Many international affairs graduates have been admitted to some of the most prestigious graduate and professional programs including Columbia University, University of Denver, Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Tufts University, and Yale University. Some have entered LAW schools including Harvard University, Temple University, Vanderbilt University, and University of San Diego. Others have pursued studies in such fields as public administration, business administration, international management, and international development.

Majors have found employment in a variety of national and multinational companies such as Accenture, Peat, Marwick & Mitchell, IBM, Xerox Corporation, Connecti-cut General Insurance, Freed, Fragomen & Debray, Charles Schwab International, Fiduciary Trust Co. International, and Chubb and Son. Others have been hired by various international investment companies and international banks such as Banque Suisse and Chase Manhattan Bank; various government agencies, the United Nations, international health organizations, United States Information Agency, foreign cultural missions, academic institutions, military services, and the media.

Among the graduates in the Class of 2008, eighteen accepted full-time employment with salaries ranging from $20,000 to $54,000, six graduates secured post-graduate fellowships (including four Fulbrights), and five graduates enrolled in post-graduate programs.
 

Courses

Every student is required to take two specially designed seminars for IA majors only: Research Methods in International Affairs and Senior Seminar. In addition to foreign language courses, majors must choose at least three courses from each of the following areas:

Foreign Languages:

     Any modern foreign language course with minimum proficiency of 211 or above

Economics & Business:

             Normally completing Economics 101 (Principles of Economics), 210 (Foundations in International Economics) and one international economics course chosen from the following:

           Economics 346 (Economic Development), 351( International Finance), 353 (International Trade Policy), 354 (Contemporary African Economics), 356 (Economic History of Russia in the Twentieth Century), 359 (European Business Environment)

Government & Law:

  Normally completing Government 102 (Intro. To International Politics)
  (or 103- Intro.  To Comparative Politics) and
  2 courses chosen from the  following:

             Government 221(Government and Politics in Western Europe),223 ( Politics of Africa), 224 (Government and Politics of East Asia), 225 (Politics of Russia, the Other Soviet States, and Eastern Europe), 227 (Politics in Latin America and the Carribean), 230 (Int’l. Politics of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf), 234 (American Security Policy), 239 (International Politics of Asia), 322 (Political Change in the Third World), 329 (The Politics of Social Movements), 331 (Politics of the European Union), 332 (International Political Economy), 335 (Int’l. Law and Organizations), 336 (International Conflict), 377 (Transnational Peace Movements), 402,405,&412 (Senior Seminar)

History:   

            Normally completing History 105 (History of the Modern World) and 2 courses chosen from the following:

           History 207 (Middle East History, 600-1517) 213 (African Civilizations),214 (Africa Since 1800), 216 (History of Human Rights and Africa – cross listed as AFS 216), 222 (Emergence of Western Europe), 225 (The Age of Revolution), 227(Europe: 1850-1917), 228 (Europe: World War I to Present), 237 (The Story of World War II), 242 (Balkan Policies), 243 (Imperial Russia), 244 (20th Century Russia), 245 (Latin America: The Colonial Period), 246 (Latin America: The National Period), 247 (East Asia from Neolithic to Feudal Times),
248 (East Asia’s Last Dynasties: Japan and China, 1600-1900), 249 (20th Century East Asia: Imperialism & Anti-Imperialism in China, Japan), 250 (East Asian Social History: Work, Family, and School in Japan, China), 253& 254 (European Thought, Society, and Culture), 261 (History of American Foreign Policy: 1776-1941), 262 (History of American Foreign Policy: 1941-1991),265 (Modern Jewish History), 310 (Colloquium: Human Rights and Modern War), 315 (Colloquium: Nation-Building in Iraq, Japan and Vietnam), 345 (Colloquium: History of Argentina), 353 (Seminar: Gender and Sexuality in Modern Europe),  354 (Seminar in Russian History), 362 (Terrorism & Self Defense: The Boxer Rebellion), 363 (Victor’s Justice and War Crimes: Japan in WW II), 368 (Seminar in Latin American History), 370 (Diplomacy and Imperialism), 371 (Seminar on American Foreign Policy), 373 (Seminar in Middle East and North African History), 374 (Politics and the Arts: France, 1919-1945), 375 (Seminar in African History).

International Affairs:

         IA 261, 362 (seminars)

         IA 495, 496 (Honors Thesis)

         IA 301, 302 (Independent Study)

Faculty

Selected for their knowledge and experience in international areas:

Rado Pribic, Edwin Oliver Williams Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures and Chair of International Affairs Program. Ph.D., Vanderbilt University. Interest areas: interdisciplinary studies, Eastern Europe, Germany; comparative literature. Recipient of Lindback Distinguished Teaching and Jones Lecture Awards.

John McCartney, Professor of Government & Law; PhD, University of Iowa – Special Interests: black politics and political thought, Latin America and the Carribean, African politics.

George Rosa, Professor of French; B.A., University of CA at Los Angeles; D.Phil., Oxford University – Special Interests:Stendhal, nineteenth-century French literature, Romanticism, comparative literature.

David Stifel, Assistant Professor of Business and Economics; PhD Cornell – Special Interests: Developmental economics, poverty issues and multidimensional welfare dynamics.

David Veshosky, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University – Special Interests: sustainability assessment for industrial facilities, infrastructure projects, and developing countries.

Robert Weiner, Thomas R. and Lura F. Jones Professor of History; Ph.D., Rutgers University – Special Interests: Modern Europe, diplomatic history, and Jewish history.

Rado Pribic
Head, International Affairs
(610) 330-5258
FAX (610) 330-5656
pribicr@lafayette.edu

For general information:
Office of admissions
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
(610) 330-5100
FAX (610) 330-5355
admissions@lafayette.edu