International Affairs
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
A degree in international affairs benefits students as they prepare for their roles as national and global citizens. It prepares them for the dynamics behind a changing global society and helps them understand how to enhance the international community. The International Affairs Program offers a strong curriculum that includes courses from departments across the campus which allows for new and broad perspectives.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in international affairs allows students to choose among several integrative concentrations: international security; history and development of the global system; comparative politics and area studies; culture, conflict, and globalization; economics; language, culture, and the humanities; global women’s, gender, and sexuality issues; and Canadian studies.
Our status as a Title VI National Resource Center on Canada offers our majors the best opportunities to study Canada in the Northeast. Student learning in International Affairs extends outside the classroom. Many students choose to study-abroad, others are involved in political activities, and the student-run organization, the International Affairs Association, organizes related campus events and participates yearly in the McGill Model United Nations Assembly in Montreal.
A variety of different academic methods combined with language skills gives students the opportunity to follow diverse interests and career paths. The career paths might include areas relating to law and graduate school, including the University of Maine’s School of Policy and International Affairs and the Maine Business School, public service, the diplomatic service, journalism and electronic media, environmental organizations, international organizations and development agencies, think tanks, international foundations, global businesses, the travel and hospitality industries, and education.
During the first two years, students are encouraged to complete course work to fulfill the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts degree and the 15-credit international affairs core curriculum. The final two years should focus on concentration requirements and meeting the international affairs language requirement. Students must demonstrate their linguistic skills by having their language proficiency rated at the intermediate level by taking the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). All international affairs students are strongly encouraged to participate in the Study Abroad Program and Canada Year. The university’s Study Abroad Office operates direct exchange programs with institutions worldwide that permit our students to spend a semester or year abroad at the same tuition they spend to attend the University of Maine. We also offer a French language May term at Laval University in Quebec.
International Affairs
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Williams Hall, Room 201
207.581.2075