Please note:

To view the Spring 2025 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2025/spring.

School for International Studies | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Simon Fraser University Calendar | Summer 2025

International Studies Major

Bachelor of Arts

This program offers students the opportunity to study contemporary international challenges through an interdisciplinary lens, integrating perspectives from history, political science, anthropology and sociology, geography, international relations, economics, and the humanities. This program prepares students for internationally-engaged careers through developing skills of research and analysis, policy writing, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, communication, negotiation, and more.

Program Declaration

Students can apply for the international studies major after meeting the posted CGPA requirement on the international studies website and successfully completing nine international studies units.

Please see the international studies website for additional details on program declaration.

Required Grades

Students must obtain C- or higher in all courses used toward the program. For graduation, students must obtain a minimum 2.00 CGPA, 2.00 UDGPA, 2.00 international studies subject CGPA (calculated on all IS courses completed at SFU), and 2.00 international studies subject UDGPA (calculated on all upper division IS courses completed at SFU).

Accelerated Master's

NOTE: SFU students accepted in the accelerated master's within the School of International Studies may apply a maximum of 10 graduate course units listed below, taken while completing the bachelor’s degree, towards the upper division electives of the bachelor’s program and the requirements of the master's degree. For more information go to: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/programs/accelerated-masters.html.

IS 801 - Politics, Institutions and Development (4)
IS 806 - State Failure and Reconstruction: Comparative Perspectives (4)
IS 809 - Selected Topics - Economic and Social Development of Selected Regions (4)
IS 815 - Theories of Latin American Development (4)
IS 835 - Social and Political Change in Latin America (4)

or other courses as may be recommended by the Graduate Program Committee of the School.

The following two core undergraduate courses cannot be substituted with graduate level courses: 

IS 350W - Seminar on Global Problems in Interdisciplinary Perspective (4)
IS 451 - Seminar on Core Texts in International Studies (4)

Program Requirements

Lower Division Requirements

Students complete a minimum of 15 international studies lower division units, including

IS 101 - Global Challenges of the 21st Century: An Introduction to International Studies (3)

Upper Division Requirements

Students complete 36 upper division units, including all of

IS 300 - Research Methods in International Studies (4)
IS 350W - Seminar on Global Problems in Interdisciplinary Perspective (4)
IS 451 - Seminar on Core Texts in International Studies (4)

Of the remaining 24 upper division units, at least 16 must have an IS designation, four of which must be at the 400-level.*

Students have the option of taking concentrations to enhance their international studies major program.

Global Peace, Security, and Governance Concentration

Students may qualify for this concentration by completing

IS 200 - Security and Global Governance: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (3)
IS 210 - States, People, and Power Around the World (3)

and 16 units from

GEOG 381 - Territory, Power, State (4) or GEOG 381W - Territory, Power, State (4)
GSWS 433 - Gender, Violence, Resistance (4)
HIST 335 - The Soviet Project (4)
HIST 338 - World War II (4)
HIST 371 - The Asia-Pacific War in Modern Japanese History (4)
HIST 465 - The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (4)
IS 301 - Returning from Abroad: Discussion Seminar to Unpack the Experience of Work, Study & Research Abroad (2)
IS 302 - Humanitarian Intervention: An Introduction (4)
IS 303 - Ethnic Minorities, Identity Politics, and Conflict in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 304 - Russian Foreign and Security Policies (4)
IS 305 - Challenging Power Around the Globe: Political Resistance and Protest (4)
IS 306 - State Failure and Reconstruction (4)
IS 307 - International Ethics: Poverty, Environmental Change, & War (4)
IS 309 - Special Topics in International Security and Conflict (4)
IS 310 - Gender and Security (4)
IS 313W - Nationalism, Democracy and Development in Modern India (4)
IS 314 - National, Regional, and International Politics in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 315 - Introduction to Middle East Politics (4)
IS 318 - The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East (4)
IS 319 - Special Topics in Comparative World Politics, Culture and Society (4)
IS 322 - Central Asia: Conflict and Security (4)
IS 323 - Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Issues and Understandings (4)
IS 325 - Social Movements in a Changing Africa (4)
IS 333 - Chinese Development and Its Discontents (4)
IS 339 - Social Movements in the Global South (4)
IS 355 - Refugees and Forced Migration (4)
IS 365 - Surveillance Capitalism in Global Context (4)
IS 373 - Global Environmental Politics (4)
IS 380 - Civil Wars (4)
IS 385 - Divided Cities: Urban Segregation Through a Global Lens (4)
IS 402 - Global Security Governance (4)
IS 409 - Special Topics I (4)
IS 410 - Politics, Institutions and Development (4)
IS 414 - Current Regional Issues in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 415 - Islamist Trend in Middle East Politics (4)
IS 421 - The Economics of International Organizations and Development (4)
IS 435 - Special Topics in Latin American Studies (4)
IS 444 - Inside Diplomacy: A Practitioner's Perspective (4)
IS 465 - China in the World: Chinese International Development and Politics (4)
POL 330 - Protecting Human Rights: Courts, Constitutions and Legislatures (4)
POL 332 - Separatist Movements: Conflict and Accommodation (4)
POL 340 - Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Mass Media (4)
POL 341 - Politics Across the Pacific (4)
POL 342 - Developing Countries in Global Politics (4)
POL 344 - International Law (4)
POL 346 - International Organization (4)
POL 347 - Canadian Foreign Policy (4)
POL 348 - Theories of War, Peace and Conflict Resolution (4)
POL 349 - Selected Topics in International Relations (4)
POL 359 - Selected Topics in Governance (4)
POL 373 - Human Security (4)
POL 417 - Human Rights Theories (4)
POL 422 - Canadian International Security Relations (4)
POL 432 - Great Power Politics (4)
POL 434W - Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (4)
POL 443 - Grey Zone Warfare and International Security in the Age of Disruptive Technologies (4)
POL 445W - American Foreign Policy (4)
POL 448 - Selected Topics in International Relations (4)
POL 449 - Selected Topics in International Relations II (4)
POL 472 - Diplomacy and Global Governance (4)
REM 454 - Water Security (4)

States, People, and Power Around the World Concentration

Students may qualify for this concentration by completing

IS 210 - States, People, and Power Around the World (3)
IS 230 - Beyond the Nation-State: Identity and Belonging in a Globalized World (3)

and 16 units from

GA 301 - Asian Canadian Culture and Activism Across Borders (3)
GA 302 - Selected Topics in Global Chinese Studies (3)
GA 303 - Selected Topics in Global Japanese Studies (3)
GA 304 - STT-Topics in Global South Asias (4)
GA 388 - Topics in Queer Global Asias (4)
GA 400 - Selected Topics in Global Asia (3)
GEOG 365 - Race, Resistance and Urban Space (4)
GEOG 381 - Territory, Power, State (4) or GEOG 381W - Territory, Power, State (4)
GEOG 382 - World on the Move (4)
GEOG 387 - Geography and Gender (4)
GSWS 312 - Gendering Borders and Belonging in Migration (4)
GSWS 314 - Race, Class and Gender (4)
GSWS 388 - Topics in Queer Global Asias (4)
GSWS 433 - Gender, Violence, Resistance (4)
HIST 319 - Modern France (4)
HIST 332 - Politics and Culture in Modern Germany (4)
HIST 334 - The Making of Imperial Russia (4)
HIST 335 - The Soviet Project (4)
HIST 344 - Themes in Modern East Africa (4)
HIST 348 - A History of Twentieth Century South Africa (4)
HIST 350 - The Ottoman Empire and Turkey (4)
HIST 352 - Religion and Politics in Modern Iran (4)
HIST 354 - Imperialism and Modernity in the Middle East (4)
HIST 355 - The Arab Middle East in the Twentieth Century (4)
HIST 359 - Constructing the Nation State in the Balkans and the Mediterranean (4)
HIST 362 - Ireland from the Penal Era to Partition (4)
HIST 366 - Social and Cultural History of Modern China (4)
HIST 367 - History of the People's Republic of China (4)
HIST 368W - Selected Topics in the History of the Wider World (4)
HIST 371 - The Asia-Pacific War in Modern Japanese History (4)
HIST 382 - African-American History, since 1865 (4)
HIST 401 - Problems in Modern German History (4)
HIST 407 - Problems in Modern British History (4)
HIST 417W - Problems in Modern French History (4)
HIST 419W - Problems in Modern Russian History (4)
HIST 420 - Themes in Russian Imperial History (4)
HIST 422 - Greece, 1935-1944: Occupation and Resistance (4)
HIST 447W - The Nikkei Experience in North America (4)
HIST 455W - Race in the Americas (4)
HIST 456 - The Late Ottoman Empire: State, Culture and Social Transformation, 1750-1923 (4)
HIST 457 - The Turkish Republic: Politics, Society, and Culture, 1918-Present (4)
HIST 462W - Religion, Ethnicity, and Politics in Twentieth Century Northern Ireland (4)
HIST 463W - Rebellion and Revolution: Topics in the Theory and Practice of Resistance (4)
HIST 464 - Problems in Modern Asian History (4)
HIST 465 - The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (4)
HIST 467 - Modern Egypt (4)
HIST 469 - Islamic Social and Intellectual History (4)
HIST 472W - Problems in World History (4)
HIST 473W - Problems in Southern African History (4)
HIST 476 - History of Modern Greece (4)
HIST 479W - Contentious Problems in Modern Chinese History (4)
INDG 403 - Indigenous Knowledge in the Modern World (3)
INDG 429 - Indigenous Peoples and International Law (3)
INDG 433 - Indigenous Environmental Justice and Activism (4)
IS 301 - Returning from Abroad: Discussion Seminar to Unpack the Experience of Work, Study & Research Abroad (2)
IS 302 - Humanitarian Intervention: An Introduction (4)
IS 303 - Ethnic Minorities, Identity Politics, and Conflict in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 304 - Russian Foreign and Security Policies (4)
IS 305 - Challenging Power Around the Globe: Political Resistance and Protest (4)
IS 306 - State Failure and Reconstruction (4)
IS 307 - International Ethics: Poverty, Environmental Change, & War (4)
IS 308 - Global Indigenous Futures (4)
IS 313W - Nationalism, Democracy and Development in Modern India (4)
IS 314 - National, Regional, and International Politics in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 315 - Introduction to Middle East Politics (4)
IS 318 - The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East (4)
IS 319 - Special Topics in Comparative World Politics, Culture and Society (4)
IS 322 - Central Asia: Conflict and Security (4)
IS 323 - Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Issues and Understandings (4)
IS 325 - Social Movements in a Changing Africa (4)
IS 333 - Chinese Development and Its Discontents (4)
IS 339 - Social Movements in the Global South (4)
IS 355 - Refugees and Forced Migration (4)
IS 358 - Development, Aid and Difference in Historical Perspective (4)
IS 365 - Surveillance Capitalism in Global Context (4)
IS 373 - Global Environmental Politics (4)
IS 385 - Divided Cities: Urban Segregation Through a Global Lens (4)
IS 410 - Politics, Institutions and Development (4)
IS 414 - Current Regional Issues in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 415 - Islamist Trend in Middle East Politics (4)
IS 419 - Special Topics II (4)
IS 423 - International Development Practice and Ethics (4)
IS 427 - Globalization, Poverty and Inequality (4)
IS 435 - Special Topics in Latin American Studies (4)
IS 444 - Inside Diplomacy: A Practitioner's Perspective (4)
IS 465 - China in the World: Chinese International Development and Politics (4)
POL 310 - Identity Politics (4)
POL 317 - Migration, Identity, and Citizenship (4)
POL 339 - Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics (4)
POL 340 - Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Mass Media (4)
POL 341 - Politics Across the Pacific (4)
POL 342 - Developing Countries in Global Politics (4)
POL 346 - International Organization (4)
POL 374 - Africa in the Global Political Economy (4)
POL 381 - Japanese Politics (4)
POL 414 - Global Feminist Politics: Gender at the Nexus of Comparative and International Politics (4)
POL 430W - Democracy in a Global World (4)
POL 432 - Great Power Politics (4)
POL 434W - Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (4)
POL 436 - Elections, Parties and Governments in Comparative Perspectives (4)
POL 438 - Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics I (4)
POL 439 - Selected Topics in Comparative Government and Politics II (4)
POL 446W - International Relations in East Asia (4)
POL 447 - Theories of Global Political Economy (4)
POL 448 - Selected Topics in International Relations (4)
POL 449 - Selected Topics in International Relations II (4)
SA 302W - Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism (SA) (4)
SA 321 - Social Movements (S) (4)
SA 363 - Racial Capitalism, Settler Colonialism, and Uneven Development (S) (4)
SA 365 - Selected Regional Areas (A) (4)
SA 388 - Indigenous Social Movements Across the Globe (A) (4)
SA 396 - Selected Regional Areas (SA) (4)

International Development, Inequality, Environment, and Shared Futures Concentration

Students may qualify for this concentration by completing

ECON 105 - Principles of Macroeconomics (4)
IS 220 - Wealth and Poverty of Nations (3)
IS 260 - Coloniality, Empire, and Anti-Imperial Struggles: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (3)

and 16 units from

ECON 342 - International Trade (3)
ECON 345 - International Finance (3)
ECON 355W - Economic Development (4)
ECON 362 - Economics of Natural Resources (3)
ECON 372 - The Economics of Globalization (3)
GEOG 321 - Geographies of Global Capitalism (4)
GEOG 328 - Labour Geographies (4)
GEOG 333 - Climate Crisis: Understanding a World on Fire (4)
GEOG 364 - Cities and Crisis (4)
GEOG 377 - Environmental History (4)
GEOG 389W - Nature and Society (4)
GEOG 421 - Geographical Political Economy (4)
GEOG 423 - Capitalist Natures (4)
GEOG 429 - Racial Capitalism and Beyond (4)
GEOG 442 - A World of Cities (4)
GEOG 465 - Geographies of Conquest and Liberation (4)
GSWS 305 - Gendering Economy: Paid and Unpaid Labour (4)
GSWS 309 - Gender and International Development (4)
GSWS 312 - Gendering Borders and Belonging in Migration (4)
HIST 377 - Environmental History (4)
HSCI 308 - Sickness and Wealth: Health in Global Perspective (3)
INDG 403 - Indigenous Knowledge in the Modern World (3)
INDG 429 - Indigenous Peoples and International Law (3)
INDG 433 - Indigenous Environmental Justice and Activism (4)
IS 301 - Returning from Abroad: Discussion Seminar to Unpack the Experience of Work, Study & Research Abroad (2)
IS 303 - Ethnic Minorities, Identity Politics, and Conflict in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 306 - State Failure and Reconstruction (4)
IS 307 - International Ethics: Poverty, Environmental Change, & War (4)
IS 313W - Nationalism, Democracy and Development in Modern India (4)
IS 314 - National, Regional, and International Politics in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 315 - Introduction to Middle East Politics (4)
IS 323 - Sub-Saharan Africa: Key Issues and Understandings (4)
IS 325 - Social Movements in a Changing Africa (4)
IS 329 - Special Topics in International Development, Economic and Environmental Issues (4)
IS 333 - Chinese Development and Its Discontents (4)
IS 339 - Social Movements in the Global South (4)
IS 355 - Refugees and Forced Migration (4)
IS 358 - Development, Aid and Difference in Historical Perspective (4)
IS 365 - Surveillance Capitalism in Global Context (4)
IS 373 - Global Environmental Politics (4)
IS 410 - Politics, Institutions and Development (4)
IS 414 - Current Regional Issues in Southeast Asia (4)
IS 421 - The Economics of International Organizations and Development (4)
IS 423 - International Development Practice and Ethics (4)
IS 427 - Globalization, Poverty and Inequality (4)
IS 429 - Special Topics III (4)
IS 435 - Special Topics in Latin American Studies (4)
IS 444 - Inside Diplomacy: A Practitioner's Perspective (4)
IS 465 - China in the World: Chinese International Development and Politics (4)
LBST 306 - The Political Economy of Labour Markets: Critical and Radical Approaches (3)
LBST 307 - Unfree Labour and Modern Slavery: Understanding Coercion and Exploitation in Contemporary Labour Markets (3)
LBST 308 - The Labour Process: Technological Change and the Future of Work (3)
LBST 311 - Labour and the Environment (3)
LBST 312 - Migration, Migrants, and Work: A Global Perspective (3)
LBST 328 - Labour Geographies (4)
POL 342 - Developing Countries in Global Politics (4)
POL 346 - International Organization (4)
POL 374 - Africa in the Global Political Economy (4)
POL 447 - Theories of Global Political Economy (4)
POL 452W - Energy Policy (4)
POL 455 - States and Markets (4)
REM 320W - Ethics and the Environment (3)
REM 321 - Ecological Economics (4)
REM 357 - Planning for Sustainable Food Systems (3)
REM 431 - Climate Change and Environmental Management (4)
REM 454 - Water Security (4)
SA 302W - Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism (SA) (4)
SA 316 - Tourism and Social Policy (S) (4)
SA 326 - Food, Ecology and Social Thought (S) (4)
SA 362 - The Commodification of Everything: Colonialism, Capitalism, and Sustainability (S) (4)
SA 363 - Racial Capitalism, Settler Colonialism, and Uneven Development (S) (4)
SA 371 - The Environment and Society (SA) (4)
SA 388 - Indigenous Social Movements Across the Globe (A) (4)
SA 396 - Selected Regional Areas (SA) (4)
SA 418 - Global Health: Humanitarian Encounters (A) (4)
SD 412 - Technologies, Cultures and a Sustainable World (3)
SD 481 - Global Sustainability Governance and Action (4)

*With the approval of the School for International Studies (please contact the IS advisor), eight upper division units from courses (with high international content) not listed above may be considered for credit towards a specific concentration.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Degree Requirements

For all bachelor of arts (BA) programs, students complete 120 units, which includes

  • at least 60 units that must be completed at Simon Fraser University
  • at least 45 upper division units, of which at least 30 upper division units must be completed at Simon Fraser University
  • at least 60 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
  • satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
  • an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division overall CGPA of at least 2.0, and program CGPA and upper division program CGPA of at least 2.0 on the course work used to satisfy the minimum program requirements. FASS departments may define additional GPA requirements for their respective programs.

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to Simon Fraser University beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit

Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at Simon Fraser University within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each)

Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more)
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth

Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division:

Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc
Two courses (total six units or more) Humanities: B-Hum
Two courses (total six units or more) Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth

Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements).

Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

  • At least half of the program's total units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study.
  • At least two thirds of the program's total upper division units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.