ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Dean M.E. Brown
Associate Associate H.L. Agnew, D.A. Grier, K. Lord

The Elliott School of International Affairs offers graduate and undergraduate programs to prepare individuals for understanding and working in an increasingly globalized world. The historical roots of the Elliott School extend back to the establishment of the School of Comparative Jurisprudence and Diplomacy in 1898. In 1966, the School separated from the School of Government, Business, and International Affairs to become an independent unit, the School of Public and International Affairs. In 1987, the name was changed to the School of International Affairs, and in 1988 the School was renamed in honor of Evelyn E. and Lloyd H. Elliott. Lloyd Elliott was the President of The George Washington University from 1965 to 1988.

The Degree of Bachelor of Arts

The Elliott School offers programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts with majors in international affairs, Asian studies, Latin American and hemispheric studies, and Middle East studies. These programs provide a broad liberal arts education and depth in historical and contemporary issues in international affairs. The programs are interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, combining courses offered through the School with courses offered by other schools and departments of the University.

Residence

Students must complete at least 60 of their final 90 credit hours in residence to earn a degree in the School. Students approved for study abroad during their junior or senior year may request an exception through the Office of Academic Advising and Student Services. Students wishing to transfer from another division of the University into a degree program in the Elliott School must have completed 24 credits with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or above at the time of transfer. Except in special circumstances, at least 9 of the final 15 hours must be completed in residence.

Academic Standing

In order to graduate, a student must complete 120 credit hours with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0. Courses in exercise and sport activities are not counted toward the degree

Semester Warning—A student whose cumulative grade-point average is less than 2.0 after attempting a minimum of 12 credit hours is placed on semester warning at the end of the semester and is strongly advised to take corrective measures (e.g., limitation of course load to no more than 13 credit hours).

Probation—A student whose cumulative grade-point average is less than 2.0 but at least 1.0 any time after having attempted a minimum of 24 credit hours is placed on probation: "first probation" for the initial semester, "second probation" if continued on probation for a second semester. For part-time students and those enrolled in summer sessions, a semester is interpreted to mean a time interval in which at least 12 credit hours have been attempted. A student on probation is limited to no more than 13 credit hours of course work per semester. A student who resumes or reaches a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or more after a first or second semester on probation is removed from probationary status.

Suspension—Failure to resume or reach a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 after two successive semesters on probation results in suspension. A student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 1.0 any time after having enrolled in a minimum of 24 credit hours as a student in the Elliott School will be suspended. Students who are suspended for poor scholarship may apply for readmission after the lapse of one fall or spring semester. To be considered for readmission, the student must submit evidence to the Dean's Council of conduct during absence from the University which indicates that the student will profit from readmission. A student suspended twice for poor scholarship will not be readmitted.

Dean's Honor List—The name of every student who attains a 3.75 grade-point average in course work is placed on the Dean's Honor List for that semester. Appearance on the list is limited to full-time students registered for a minimum of 15 credit hours in a given semester and to part-time students registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours over a period of two consecutive semesters, which may include a summer term.

Special Honors—In addition to the general requirements stated under University Regulations, a candidate for Special Honors in an Elliott School major must have attained a 3.4 grade-point average overall and complete either an Elliott School or Honors senior seminar, or an Honors senior thesis or a major independent study research project approved by the program director. Students must apply for honors candidacy prior to the beginning of the senior year.

Curriculum Requirements for the First Two Years

Curriculum requirements for Elliott School students in the freshman and sophomore years are listed below. Consult www.gwu.edu/~elliott/academicprograms before choosing courses to fulfill these requirements. Information on earning credit by examination or waiving curriculum requirements is available from academic advisors in the Elliott School.

As general education, all students take (1) UW 20; (2) 6 credits of math or science courses; (3) 9 credits of humanities or 6 credits of humanities and 3 credits of performing arts courses; (4) 9 credits of regional studies, consisting of courses covering three of the following regions: Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe/Eurasia, the Middle East.

As a basis for all Elliott School B.A. programs, students take IAff 5, Econ 11–12, PSc 1, two courses chosen from Hist 38, 40, 72, and an introductory course chosen from Anth, Geog, or PSc. Second-year–level proficiency in a modern foreign language should be attained by the end of the sophomore or junior year. All Elliott School majors require third-year–level proficiency in an appropriate modern foreign language.

Requirements for the Majors

For the four Elliott School majors, lists of designated courses that fulfill concentration or major requirements are found at www.gwu.edu/~elliott/academicprograms. With approval of the advisor or program director, pertinent Special Topics or 700 Series or other courses may be taken in place of those listed.

International Affairs—Required courses for the major: Econ 180 or 181–82; one 100-level course selected from designated lists for each of the following: research methods (from Anth, Econ, Geog, PSc, Psyc, Soc, Stat); international politics (from IAff or PSc); history of U.S. international relations and history of non-U.S. international relations (each from Hist); an Anth, Geog, or PubH course. Completion of third-year language study is required.

The Elliott School offers a large number of functional and regional concentrations toward the major in international affairs. Each student chooses 15 credit hours of additional course work in one of the following concentrations. Functional: international politics; international economics; comparative political, economic, and social systems; international development; contemporary cultures and societies; conflict and security; global public health; international environmental resources. Regional: Africa, Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, Middle East.

Asian Studies—Required courses for the major: IAff 91; Econ 169 or 170; three courses selected from Hist 118, 187, 188, 189, 190, 196, or Geog 165; two courses selected from PSc 170, 173, 175, or 192; one course in Asian literature; and three 100-level Asia-related courses, selected in consultation with the program director. Completion of third-year–level language study in an approved Asian language is required.

Latin American and Hemispheric Studies—Required courses for the major: IAff 90; Econ 185; PSc 183, 184; Geog 161; Hist 163, 164; one course chosen from Anth 170, 172, 185, 186; one approved course in Spanish-American literature. Two additional 100-level courses, selected in consultation with the program director, are taken in anthropology, art history, economics, geography, history, international affairs, political science, or Hispanic literature. Completion of third-year–level language study in Spanish (Span 10) or another approved foreign language is required.

Middle East Studies—Required courses for the major: Hmn 8 as the foundation course; two courses selected from Hist 107, 108, 114, 115, 158, 193, 194; two courses selected from PSc 176, 177, 178, 179; two courses selected from Rel 9, 107, 112, 115, 161, 163, 164, 165; a course selected from Econ 136, 151, 180, 181–82; a course selected from Arab 103, 104, Clas 81, 82, 100, 101, and Hebr 104, 120–21; and two additional courses related to the Middle East from any department, selected in consultation with the program director. Completion of third-year–level language study in Arabic (Arab 10) or Hebrew (Hebr 106) is required.

General Elliott School Policies

Incompletes—Conditions under which the symbol I (Incomplete) may be assigned are described under University Regulations. Incomplete course work must be completed no later than one calendar year from the last day of the examination period of the semester or summer session in which the indication of I was assigned. When work for the course is complete, the grade earned will be indicated in the form of I, followed by the final grade. The indication of I cannot be removed from the transcript. An indication of I that is not changed within this period automatically becomes an IF. The I cannot be changed by reregistering for the course at GW or by taking its equivalent elsewhere. In cases of well-documented extenuating circumstances, an instructor and a student may jointly petition the Dean's Council for additional time in which to complete the work of the course. Such petitions should be submitted within a year of the assignment of the I. Students will not be permitted to register for any additional course work if they have more than two Incompletes on their record.

Pass/No Pass Option—A student who has a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 or better may, with the approval of an advisor and the dean, take one course per semester and receive a grade of P, Pass, or NP, No Pass, which will be recorded on the student's transcript but will not be reflected in the cumulative grade average. A student must sign up for such an option at the Academic Advising and Student Services office within the first eight weeks of classes. Under no circumstances may a student change from pass/no pass status to graded status, or vice versa, after the end of the eighth week of the semester. Required courses in the student's major (except those in which the grade of P or NP is normally assigned) may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis. A transfer student may not elect to take a course on a pass/no pass basis until the second semester of enrollment in the University. No more than six courses in which the grade of P or NP is assigned will apply toward the degree, including courses in which the grade of P or NP is normally given.

Academic Work Load—The normal academic work load for a full-time student is 15 credit hours. A full-time student not on probation may take a course load of up to 17 credit hours. A student with a strong academic record may take up to 18 credit hours with the approval of the dean (additional tuition charges apply). Students on probation are limited to 13 hours. Students doing internships or working are advised to reduce their course load.

Study Abroad—Students are encouraged to travel and study abroad. Those wishing to study abroad must consult their academic advisor and the University's Office for Study Abroad. A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred in from study abroad. GW courses taken abroad for GW credit do not apply to this maximum (i.e., specific courses taken through GW Study Centers and GW Summer Abroad for which students receive GW credit as opposed to transfer credit). Students must secure the dean's prior approval for any plan of study abroad if the credit earned is intended to apply to the degree program in which they are registered. Students must apply to a program from the University's List of Study Abroad Programs. A catalogue or other description of the study abroad program must be presented for consideration together with detailed descriptions of the courses to be taken. See Study Abroad Programs.

Internships—Internships offer students the opportunity to make practical use of the knowledge they acquire in the classroom. Undergraduates who have completed at least 30 credit hours and have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.5 are eligible to arrange internships for credit (to a total maximum of 6 credits toward the degree). Academic work in the field of the internship is required. A zero-credit internship is also available. Internships are available in the private and public sectors. Students are responsible for locating their own internships; listings are posted in the GW Career Center.

Double Majors—Students who complete the requirements of two majors in the Elliott School (such as international affairs and Asian studies) may graduate with a double major. Consult with an Elliott School advisor to officially declare both majors on the appropriate form available at www.gwu.edu/~elliott/studentservices. Students in the Elliott School may take a second major offered by Columbian College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering and Applied Science (majors in communication, English and creative writing, journalism and mass communication, and political communication are excluded). Permission for the second major must be obtained from the appropriate administrative office of the other school. Students in Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science may take a second major in the Elliott School. Students wishing to pursue these options must request approval through the Elliott School Academic Advising and Student Services office. Students must complete all degree requirements for their major in their home school in order to graduate with a second major from the other school.

In all cases, double majors do not result in two degrees. See Double Majors and Double Degrees under University Regulations.

Secondary Fields of Study—Elliott School students can take a secondary field of study, such as business, economics, or languages, in other schools of the University. Students from other schools of the University can take a secondary field of study in international affairs in the Elliott School. See an academic advisor in the Elliott School.