International Studies
Division of Social Studies
International Studies (IST) at Centre College approaches complex global challenges, such as war, climate change, migration, poverty, and global health, through a mix of interdisciplinary inquiry and disciplinary specialization. Core interdisciplinary classes recognize that no one discipline alone can comprehend—much less “solve”— the most pressing global challenges of our time. Students first encounter the concept of interdisciplinary inquiry in the core IST designated courses, which simultaneously examine some of these complex global phenomena from the vantage point of various disciplinary perspectives, including politics, religion, history, economics, and culture. Students also gain in-depth interdisciplinary knowledge of at least one region of the world (East Asia, South Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America).
In addition to core interdisciplinary courses, IST majors also select a disciplinary track in which to specialize: International Politics, Religion, Economics, or History. This helps to ground students in a tradition of intellectual inquiry to complement the major’s interdisciplinary core. Students also take a culture course to round out the major, with offerings available in Music, Anthropology, Fine Arts, and Languages.
Taken together, the International Studies curriculum serves to embrace complexity and interdisciplinarity, and to challenge oversimplified, ideological, or racist intellectual narratives. This foundation has helped International Studies majors to pursue successful careers in government, international business, international politics, law, journalism, and the nonprofit sector and prepares students for graduate study in business, diplomacy, international relations, public policy, and journalism.
Faculty
Robert Bosco (chair), Dina Badie, Chelsea Cutright, Jonathon Earle, Lori Hartmann, Rahim Mohamed, Ravishekhar Radhakrishnan
Student Representatives
Una Mijatovic, Hannah Terry
International Studies Courses
Course Descriptions