Diplomacy and International Organizations
This concentration is designed to give students a thorough grounding in the history of diplomacy and conflict resolution, familiarize them with the domestic actors and institutions formulating nations' foreign affairs, as well as introduce them to international institutions, nongovernmental actors, and international law. Students in the concentration will also gain an understanding of American participation in the international and diplomatic arenas.
Graduates of this concentration are good candidates for positions in US federal agencies such as the State Department, Pentagon, the intelligence community, Peace Corps, and US aid organizations; they also will be prepared for work in international organizations such as the UN, OAS, or American governmental agencies that deal with the European Union; students should also be directed towards non-governmental organizations operating worldwide such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Think tanks and private companies (such as oil companies operating in the New Orleans-Houston corridor) giving risk assessment for multinational corporations investing abroad are also likely to employ graduates from this concentration.
Languages
The traditional language of diplomacy is French, but students with an interest in a specific global region may choose the language appropriate to that interest.
Course Distribution Requirements
The BAIS requires 24 hours of course work in the student's chosen concentration. 3 hours of that course work must include IS 4998 (International Studies Internship). 12 hours must be taken in courses that are 2000-level or above. In addition, the concentration of 24 hours plus the 7 hours of electives must include 15 hours of course work in the social sciences. No more than 9 hours of the 24 hours can be in a single discipline. Students in the concentration are required to take at least one of the following: HIST 4381, 4570, 4575, 4580, or 4581 (they may take three); and at least one of the following: POLI 4800, 4820, 4860, 4885, or 4890 (they may take three); and PHIL 2205.