Program Overview

International Affairs

The International Affairs Integrative Concentration is grounded in the social sciences and focused on contemporary issues and their recent history. This approach helps students broaden their understanding of the current dominant modes of international interactions, and the global nature and consequences of those interactions. Through a broad and multidisciplinary curriculum, students will develop the ability to analyze global issues, understand the dynamics of cross-cultural communication, and appreciate the characteristics of regions outside the United States. Students may choose from more than 100 courses across the curriculum dealing with factors shaping global affairs.

international flags hanging from poles along a main street.
Flags from many different cultures hang alongside Main Street and Tappan Square.
Photo credit: Walter Novak

Program Facts

  • Program Type: Integrative Concentration

Program Chair

Zeinab Abul-Magd,
Professor of History

Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley

Practicing International Affairs

Students interested in a career that focuses on international affairs in or out of the United States should consider the new Diplomat in Residence initiative. Retired Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley will teach an introductory course, Practicing International Affairs, that’s designed to offer insights into careers in foreign service, international media, think tanks, and more.

Diplomat in Residence

Internships

One of the requirements of the International Affairs Integrative Concentration is an experiential component—an off-campus internship that deals with global affairs in any area. To meet this requirement, we encourage students to participate in on-campus career communities through the Career Development Center. Choose a community that will offer you the skills and expertise necessary for a career in global affairs. Consider such career communities as law and public policy; nonprofit and the public sector; and medical, public, and global health, among others.

Global Issues Symposium

The Global issues Symposium presents renowned scholars, policy practitioners, and activists who discuss crucial transnational issues with the college and community. Each year features a specific transnational issue and brings a cohort of speakers to campus from diverse backgrounds to offer equitable representation in dialogues needed to address the most pressing issues of our times. Launched in 2016, the symposium is organized by the International Affairs Integrative Concentration and funded by a generous donation from the Isenberg Family Charitable Foundation.

Sample Courses

  • POLT 120 Introduction to International Politics (4 credits)
  • HIST 122 MENA History from 1800 to the Present (4 credits)
  • ECON 326 International Trade (4 credits)
  • AAST 357 Empire and Resistance in the Caribbean (4 credits)
Curriculum and requirements

International Affairs Faculty

Our faculty are both scholars and teachers who devote their careers to making important contributions to their disciplines through writing and research. They are committed to undergraduate education and teach everything from first-year seminars to advanced courses.

One of the duties that I take so seriously [in] my work in the international affairs program is to open up opportunities of exposure for Oberlin students to know about international communities and also interact as much as possible with prominent scholars and prominent experts from other countries.

Zeinab Abul-Magd, Professor of History

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International Affairs News

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