GRADUATE PROGRAM

We offer an interdisciplinary M.A. degree in international studies for students who contemplate careers in international affairs, international development, diplomacy, international organizations, or domestic organizations with an international focus. A minimum of 73 credits must be completed for the degree.

The degree program can be tailored to meet the unique professional needs of each student. In close consultation with a faculty adviser, the student develops a program that combines expertise in a specific professional area with interdisciplinary training in international studies. Areas of professional concentration include comparative development, cross-cultural training, cultural arts, gender and development, health education and nutrition, international business, international community development, international education, international tourism, journalism, management of nongovernmental organizations and private voluntary organizations, and public policy and planning. Concentrations in other professional areas can be arranged.

Graduates of the Department of International Studies serve as international technical advisers, career diplomats, community development professionals, international business and trade experts, analysts in developing countries, international educators, administrators of international programs, and cross-cultural communication consultants.

International Students. International students are encouraged to apply. Study programs are designed to meet students’ professional needs and those of their home countries. As many as half the program’s graduate students are international students.

Concurrent J.D./M.A. Degree. A four-year program for students interested in international human rights, this program provides background in legal theory and instruments sensitive to social, cultural, economic, and political realities against which international human rights law is implemented. Future lawyers concerned with asylum, immigration, or public interest law benefit from the study of international relations and cross-cultural communication.

Graduate Curriculum

Of the 73 course credits needed to complete the degree, students must take a minimum of 28 graded credits: 12 in the interdisciplinary core and 16 in the professional concentration area. A maximum of 24 credits may be taken in any one department in order to allow an appropriate degree of specialization.

Proseminar Series. The Department of International Studies conducts two required proseminars in which students and faculty members explore the field of international studies: Seminar: International Studies Graduate Core (INTL 607), and Research and Writing in International Studies (INTL 656).

Interdisciplinary Core. Students take 16 credits of interdisciplinary courses that form the common core of the curriculum. The core is composed of two major competence areas: cross-cultural communication and understanding, and international relations, development theories and approaches.. Students may select from a range of courses to satisfy this requirement. A minimum of one course must be taken from each competence area.

Professional Concentration Area. Students take a minimum of 24 credits in their area of professional concentration. In consultation with an adviser, students choose courses from relevant departments or professional schools. Concentration areas are tailored to individual student interests. Students interested in agricultural extension, forestry, and public health may take courses at Oregon State University. (For information about concurrent enrollment, see the Registration and Academic Policies section of this catalog.)

Geographic Focus. Students must take a minimum of 12 credits in their area of geographic focus (e.g., Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, or Southeast Asia). Students who earned their undergraduate degrees from institutions outside the United States may substitute an additional 12 credits in the professional concentration for the 12 credits of geographic focus. Students are encouraged to choose a geographic focus outside their home region.

Language Study and Competence. Students must demonstrate a third-year level of proficiency in a second language relevant to their professional or geographic focus before completing the program. Formal courses are offered in a number of European and non-European languages (see the University catalog for full details).  Students may also study languages through self-instruction at the Yamada Language Center. Language courses may be taken in lieu of up to 4 credits in the geographic focus, 8 credits in the professional concentration area, or 12 credits of the field internship if the language is studied in a country where it is commonly spoken. A total of no more than 16 credits of second-language study may be applied to program requirements. International students whose high school or university instruction was not in English demonstrate proficiency in English as a second language through completion of the master’s degree requirements. It is recommended that international students study a language from their region of concentration.

Supervised Field Internship or Field Research. 12-credits of internship or field research is required. The program assists students in locating internships/research opportunities and securing funding.. The internship or research experience should be related to the student’s career plans to enhance future job opportunities. International students may do their internship or research in the United States. Students must pay all or most of the costs of most internships and research experiences. Many graduate students in the program have competed successfully for funding to support internship and research experiences.

The international studies faculty expects students to gain the following from the internship or research experience: (1) a reasonably in-depth experience in a culture other than the student’s own, (2) greater fluency in the language of the culture in which the internship or research takes place, and (3) knowledge and experience useful to the career goals of the intern.

MA Project. Each student must prepare an MA project, usually in the form of a thesis, policy paper, or article accepted for publication in an approved refereed journal.  Other types of exit projects may be approved on a case-by-case basis by a student's MA advisor.  Nine credits are awarded for a thesis and 6 credits for a policy paper or a published article.

Admission to the Graduate Program

A candidate for admission to the graduate program must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year university, and is recommended to have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.30 or better for all academic work. The application deadline is January 15 for admission the following Fall term.

Required materials for admission and financial aid decisions are:

• University of Oregon Online Graduate Application found at the following link http://gradweb.uoregon.edu/online_app/application/guidelines.htm
• Transcripts of all college or university course work including the final transcripts for any degree received
• A Graduate Record Examinations general test score
• Three letters of recommendation from references who can evaluate a candidate's academic potential, please include the Report on Graduate Applicant form: http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/pdf/reportGradApplicantGS620.pdf
• Comprehensive post-high school employment and educational resume
• A personal statement written according to the following guidelines:

Write an essay that explains how your background and experience leads you to an interest in this interdisciplinary international studies graduate program.  Be sure to mention how you see this program addressing your professional goals, describe the particular topics or issues you hope to address in your graduate studies, and discuss how these relate to the program, its curriculum, and its faculty.

International Students

International students must provide proof of a satisfactory command of the English language. Applicants whose native language is not English must show proof of language proficiency through one of the following three methods:

• Submit an acceptable score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination, a minimum score of 575 on the paper-based test or 90 on the internet-based test is required.
• The minimum IELTS (academic module) overall band score for graduate admission is 7.0.
• Submit degree transcripts proving that you have received a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution or from an institution in the following countries: Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom.

U.S. Government regulations require that the University of Oregon verify the availability of sufficient financial support for non-immigrant students before a Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20 or DS-2019) can be issued. International students must submit supporting financial documents (e.g., Graduate Teaching Fellowship (GTF) appointment contract, scholarship award letter) and/or bank statements with their applications. Students planning to be sponsored by an agency, government or other sponsor should have proof of financial support sent from the sponsoring agency (e.g., a letter from the sponsor and copies of the sponsor’s bank statement).

International applicants must provide this information to Admissions using the Supplementary Application Financial Statement for International Students, http://gradweb.uoregon.edu/online_app/application/FinancialStatement.pdf

The Graduate School maintains a webpage with additional information for International applicants http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/?page=international

Where to send the application materials mentioned above:

Please submit the following items to Office of Admissions, 1217 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1217:

• An official and final transcript from each academic institution from which you received a degree. International students must submit the final transcripts in both the original language and an official English translation and any of the above mentioned financial information.

Please submit the following items to the Department of International Studies, 5206 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5206:

• Official transcripts of all current and previous college work, both undergraduate and graduate. Final transcripts can be resent after degree has been awarded.
• GRE general test scores, please use department code 1901
• The three letters of recommendation accompanied by the Report on Graduate Applicant form
• Resume
• Personal Statement