Dear Student,
Welcome to the Johns Hopkins Website for the International Studies Program. Whether you are already a Hopkins student or are contemplating coming to Hopkins, I hope this letter will help you understand what we are about.
The International Studies Program is one of the largest majors in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. International Studies (IS) is an interdisciplinary major drawing on the diverse faculty strengths of the Johns Hopkins University in the fields of political science, history, economics, anthropology and sociology. The intellectual rationale for the major is that the globally interconnected world of the Twenty-First Century defeats the attempts of any singular perspective to understand how international events are produced.
For example, on a global scale, seemingly economic outcomes often have political determinants, while social issues on a national level often have international economic ramifications. International Studies therefore is premised on the notion that by utilizing tools from multiple disciplines one can understand what is happening ‘in the world’ far better than by simply relying on one discipline’s unique insights. Moreover, we believe that what is true for disciplines is also true for languages. Critical to being a part of the internationalized world of the Twenty-First Century is the acquisition of foreign languages, which we regard as an integral part of the major. Reflecting this, we require all students to achieve third year college level facility in a foreign language to meet the requirements of the major.
Building upon these two premises, the International Studies program has a distinctive structure. This includes the possibility of joining a five year BA-MA program with the Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (in Washington DC and Bologna, Italy) a similar program with Sciences Po in Paris, and a wide range of study abroad opportunities all around the world. Indeed we strongly encourage our students to consider study abroad, in one form or another, an integral part of the major. Students also pursue a variety of internships including a special scholarship program with the National Security Agency, working in the State Department, and interning in Congress (as part of a special residency program in Washington). In terms of careers, the International Studies Program does not train students for a specific profession. Instead, it gives students the analytical tools, international experience, and synthetic abilities that have led our graduates to careers as diverse as financial policymakers, investment bankers, governmental regulators and health professionals. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions. Also, please let me know if you are visiting campus as I would be happy to meet with you in person.
Best of luck in your college career.
Sincerely,
Siba Grovogui
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