Certificate in International Relations

      Frequently Asked Questions

      APPLICATION FORM

To qualify for the Certificate in International Relations a student must fulfill three kinds of requirements:

• Foreign language:  Proficiency in a foreign language at least up to the intermediate college level;

• Introductory courses:  Courses in international politics, economics, and the history of the contemporary international system; and

• Advanced courses:  Upper-level courses in the global systems and area studies.

The requirements are set forth in detail below.

Students who wish to earn the Certificate should finish the first two parts of the requirements -- Foreign Language and Introductory Courses -- before junior year, if possible.  Students are urged to study abroad, preferably in a non-English-speaking country so that they can improve their language skills.  Internships in foreign policy fields (with international organizations, government agencies, multinational corporations, or nonprofit organizations) are encouraged, but may not count for credit in some departments.  A statistics course in economics, government, or sociology is strongly recommended but not required.

The PAC Governing Board administers the Certificate in International Relations through the PAC Director, currently Prof. Sarah Wiliarty.  Application is made using the Application Form printed out from this webpage.  Students who wish to earn the Certificate are advised to consult the Director during the fall of their senior year, taking with them a completed draft application. Final application is made during the student's last semester by submitting the application (with the faculty advisor's signature) along with a copy of the academic record downloaded from the student's portfolio. The PAC Director will sign the form once the application has been reviewed and approved after submission.  For the class of 2013, these materials must be received by Linda Cummings in the Sociology Department (PAC 122) by Friday, May 10, 2013, 4:00 pm. Once these materials have been reviewed by the Director and checked against the Registrar's records, the Certificate is awarded and appears on the student's transcript after graduation.

The Foreign Language requirement is met by coursework through the intermediate college level in any foreign language, or by demonstration of proficiency gained elsewhere to the satisfaction of the PAC Governing Board.  The intermediate level normally means one of the following:

With the approval of the appropriate department, a course taken elsewhere and accepted by Wesleyan for transfer credit may count toward this requirement.

(1)  International Politics:  GOVT 155; 157 or 388; or CSS 230; or students may take any Government course listed under "Global Systems" as a substitute for the introductory course, but if this option is chosen, the course can not also be counted as an upper level course.

(2)  Economics:  ECON 101 or ECON 110

(3)  International History:  One course from the following list:

or students may take any History course listed under "Global Systems" as a substitute for the introductory course but if this option is chosen, the course can not also be counted as an upper level course.

A candidate for the Certificate must take five advanced courses, meeting the following distribution requirement:

          (1) at least one course must be taken from each of three different disciplines;

          (2) at least two courses must be taken from category 1 and two from category 2;
          (3) at least two category 2 courses must focus on less developed countries (denoted by *).

An average grade of B+ or better over these 5 courses is required.  Students failing to satisfy this grade requirement can qualify for the Certificate by successfully completing a sixth course from either category.

A course that is listed under more than one heading may be counted only once toward the Certificate.  Courses that are not listed but are suitable for the purposes of the Certificate may be counted with the written approval of the appropriate department chair.

Up to two of the five courses may be taken during a semester abroad, and up to three during a year abroad, on a Wesleyan-approved program.  No more than one of the five courses may be a credit transferred from another U.S. institution.  Any course taken at another institution, whether Wesleyan-approved or not, must be certified in writing by the appropriate department chair as having been granted Wesleyan credit; once this is done, the PAC Director will determine the course's suitability for credit toward the Certificate.  Note that most departments require prior approval for courses taken elsewhere, so students should seek the chair's approval of credit before they take a course at another institution.

1.  Global Systems.

2. Area Studies

09/17/12