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THE MAJOR

Major Requirements.

  1. Two core global issues courses:  ICS 125, Comparative Approaches to Global Issues, best taken in the spring semester of the freshman or sophomore year.  ICS 200S, Advanced Topics, taken fall semester senior year.  This is the capstone course for the ICS major.
  1. Primary Area Courses:
    1. Corequisite Foreign Language Requirement.  Four semester courses in a single language of the primary area are required.  Students with advanced placement credits or other evidence of foreign language proficiency are not exempted from this requirement.  However, in the following cases students may substitute one or two courses in a second language to meet this requirement:  (1) if a second year of a language is not taught at Duke, or (2) if no language course is available at a sufficiently advanced level.
       
    2. Four semester courses in the geographical area of specialization, with a strong recommendation that students choose courses from a variety of disciplines.  Areas and courses are listed above.  Others may be selected with the consent of the director.
  1. Selected global issues courses: Four Comparative/Connective or Global Issues courses.  The other two should be selected in consultation with the advisor or program director to complement the student’s primary area coursework.  Alternatively, students may choose courses from a second world area.  One course below the 100 level may count for this requirement.
Honors Seminar.  For Graduation with Distinction, the student must complete a research project in the senior year, through their participation in ICS 197S (fall) and 198S (spring).  Thesis students may count these courses towards one primary area and/or one global issues requirement.  Candidates must apply in their junior year.  Selection criteria will include both the feasibility of the proposed topic, and the student’s ability and skills to carry it out successfully.  Inquiries should be addressed to the directors, International Comparative Studies, 134 Franklin Center.

THE MINOR

Minor Requirements.

1.       Three global issues courses, one of which must be CompArea 125, Comparative Approaches to Global Issues.  The other may be selected among CompArea 200S, Advanced Topics, or other Comparative/Connective or Global Issues classes.  One course below the 100 level may count for this requirement.

2.       Primary Area Courses:

a.       Corequisite Foreign Language Requirement.  Two semester courses in a single language of the primary area are required.

b.        Two courses in a primary geographic area.