Bachelor of Science in International Affairs

The Bachelor of Science in International Affairs (BS INTA) program includes instruction in international affairs, foreign languages, ethics and philosophy, social and natural sciences, and computer science. Upper-division coursework provides training in four substantive areas:

  • technology, and scientific analysis, and ethics;
  • international security and diplomacy;
  • comparative politics, cultures, and societies; and
  • international political economy.

Graduates of the BS INTA program are prepared for advanced graduate and professional study and are ready for employment in internationally oriented firms, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

International Affairs majors are expected to enhance their education through participation in the International Plan, study abroad programs, internships, and a host of on- and off-campus programs. In addition to the numerous opportunities afforded through Georgia Tech's Office of International Education, the Sam Nunn School sponsors rigorous summer study abroad programs in the European Union (GT Europe and Brussels), East Asia (Japan), South Asia (Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand), Latin America (Argentina and Brazil), and Iberia (Portugal and Spain). Recognizing the importance of professional experience in enhancing a student's education, the Sam Nunn School encourages majors to pursue an internship or participate in the Cooperative Plan in their field of interest. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to get involved in a range of extracurricular activities, including Model United Nations; AIESEC; Sigma Iota Rho (the International Affairs honor society); the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy; the International Affairs Student Organization; and student conferences. Students are actively involved in the guest lecture series and participate in the biennial Sam Nunn/Bank of America Policy Forum.

INTA Undergraduate Information
Wellness
APPH 1040Scientific Foundations of Health2
or APPH 1050 The Science of Physical Activity and Health
or APPH 1060 Flourishing: Strategies for Well-being and Resilience
Core A - Essential Skills
ENGL 1101English Composition I3
ENGL 1102English Composition II3
MATH 1712Survey of Calculus4
or MATH 1552 Integral Calculus
Core B - Institutional Options
CS 1315Introduction to Media Computation3
Core C - Humanities
Modern Languages 26
Core D - Science, Math, & Technology
Lab Science4
Lab Science4
MATH 1711Finite Mathematics4
or MATH 1551
MATH 1553
Differential Calculus
and Introduction to Linear Algebra
Core E - Social Sciences
Select one of the following: 3
The United States to 1877
The United States since 1877
American Government in Comparative Perspective
Government of the United States
American Constitutional Issues
Select one of the following:3
Economic Analysis and Policy Problems
The Global Economy
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Select one of the following:3
Europe Since the Renaissance
Revolutionary Europe: 1789-1914
Twentieth Century Europe: 1914 to Present
History of Islamic Societies
History of the Modern Middle East
Traditional Asia and Its Legacy
Asia in the Modern World
Ancient Greece: Gods, Heroes, and RuinS
Ancient Rome: From Greatness to Ruins
Medieval Europe: 350 to 1400
European Labor History
Modern European Intellectual History
Medieval England
Britain from 1815-1914
Britain Since 1914
The French Revolution
Modern France
Modern Spain
Modern Germany
Nazi Germany and the Holocaust
Science, Poliltics, and Culture in Nazi Germany
Women and the Politics of Gender in the Middle East
Modern China
Modern Japan
Outposts of Empire: Comparative History of British
History of Global Societies
Revolutionary Movements in the Modern World
Modern Cuba
INTA 1110Introduction to International Relations 23
Core F - Courses Related to Major
INTA 2010Empirical Methods 23
INTA 2040Science, Technology, and International Affairs 23
Select nine hours of INTA electives: 29
INTA electivesINTA 1000/2000-level courses
Select one of the following: 43
Introduction to Bioengineering Statistics
Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems
Introduction to Computing
Introduction to Media Computation
Representing Structure and Behavior
Introduction to Object Oriented Programming
Data Manipulation for Science and Industry
Energy, Environment, and Society
Environmental Data Analysis
Digital System Design
Industrial Design Computing I
Graphic and Visual Design
The Rhetoric of Nonlinear Documents
Computer Applications
Information Systems and Digital Transformation
Decision Support and Expert Systems
Systems Analysis and Design
Major Requirements
INTA 2001Careers in International Affairs1
INTA 3110U.S. Foreign Policy 23
INTA 3203Comparative Politics 23
INTA 3301International Political Economy 23
INTA 4500Pro-Seminar in International Affairs 23
Additional INTA Electives
INTA Electives 3/4000 level 212
Modern Languages 16
Non-Major Cluster
Non-Major Cluster 315
Free Electives
Free Electives13
Total Credit Hours122

5. Students must complete 39 hours of upper division (3000/4000-level courses). Fifteen hours of the non-major cluster, free electives, language, HTS, or technical elective requirements must be upper division (3000/4000-level coursework).  See https://catalog.gatech.edu/rules/13/

For all language courses, the language of instruction must be the same as the language of learning. English-taught culture courses will not apply to language requirements.

Research Option

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs also participates in the Research Option plan offered by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The Research Option offers students the opportunity for in-depth research experience working under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Requirements for participation in the Research Option include completing nine hours of undergraduate research, at least six of which are on the same topic, writing a research proposal, taking two 1-hour courses: LMC 4701 Undergraduate Research Proposal Writing (typically taken during the first or second semester of research) and LMC 4702 Undergraduate Research Thesis Writing (taken during the term in which the thesis is written), and completing the thesis. Students are also required to send a weekly update of progress of research to the faculty mentor. Along with their application, students must explain how the faculty mentor’s research experience will benefit the student’s research.

International Plan

International Affairs majors with the International Plan are engaged in a combination of study, research, or internship abroad for a total of twenty-six weeks. This overseas experience must be obtained over two terms (a summer and semester, or two semesters). In addition to gaining advanced global competence, the International Plan designation will set INTA students apart from other applicants with recruiters from top companies and governmental agencies. Required coursework for the International Plan is easily satisfied by the International Affairs core curriculum as follows:

INTA 1110Introduction to International Relations 13
INTA 3301International Political Economy 23
Select one of the following: 33
Comparative Politics
INTA approved elective or upper-division Modern Language course
Select one of the following: 43
Pro-Seminar in International Affairs
ML 4500
Intercultural Seminar
Total Credit Hours12

BS/MS International Affairs

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs offers a BS/MS program for students enrolled in the International Affairs undergraduate program who demonstrate an interest in and ability for additional education beyond the BS degree.

Students in the BS/MS program will remain undergraduates until they meet requirements for the undergraduate degree, at which point they will receive their BS degree and be changed to graduate status. Students will be eligible to apply for the program after completion of 45 semester credit hours at Georgia Tech (i.e., at the end of their third semester), and if they show appropriate progress in their degree program thereafter. Any student in good standing in the BS INTA program is eligible to apply to the program. Admissions decisions will be based on GPA and judgments of the faculty who have served as advisors or instructors. Continuation in the program will require the student to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher in Ivan Allen College courses. The program will not penalize students who opt out after the bachelor's degree. Students participating in this program will be eligible for the six semester credit-hour Graduate Course Option, which allows students completing both the bachelor's and master's in the same discipline to use up to 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in the major discipline for both degrees.

The Graduate-level Credits Required in the BS/MS Program are usually as follows:

Core (includes 6 hours of shared courses)15
Electives24
Technical Requirement3
Total Credit Hours42

Specific Requirements for the Program

INTA 6202Comparative Politics (Taken at Undergraduate Level)3
INTA 6302International Political Economy (Taken at Undergraduate Level)3
INTA 6003Empirical Research Methods3
INTA 6102International Relations Theory3
INTA 6103International Security3
MS Track and Free Electives24
Technical Requirement (or, INTA/Free elective, if waived)3
Total Credit Hours42

Contact the BS/MS program director for further information.
https://inta.gatech.edu/programs/graduate/five-year-bsms-inta