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Frequently Asked Questions
A secondary major is a degree that combines courses from multiple departments. Students from any college or major can add a secondary major without taking any additional general education courses.
A degree in International Studies helps you demonstrate your ability to work with diverse international populations, even without ever leaving the United States.
Yes. Any course taken for your major or general education requirements can also be used for the Secondary Major.
No. Students may be in any college or major at K-State.
Students in the Secondary Major in International Studies create an independent senior research project that reflects their learning in the major. This can be a research paper or a different type of project, such as a curated historical exhibit, an annotated literary anthology, a teaching or outreach project, or a digital archive.
Yes. Dr. Derek Hillard will be your advisor for the secondary major. You can contact him via email at dhillard@ksu.edu.
Students have gone on to work in other countries, to work with non-English-speaking populations in the United States, to study international topics in graduate school.
Any course with significant international content can count as an elective. Contact the program director with your questions.
K-State currently only offers a Secondary Major in International Studies, but if you are interested in Latin American Studies, you may select electives about Latin America to count toward your degree. The International Studies advisor can help you identify these courses.
There are many more ways to be involved in international studies at K-State. Each of the major languages taught at K-State sponsors international activities though its language club as do other student associations. See a list of international organizations at K-State. Many other opportunities are available through International Student and Scholar Services.
Each student in International Studies must have one class in International Relations (IR). IR courses are marked with the symbol '§' in the list of approved courses. As always, if you have questions about a course that you think may fulfill the IR requirement, contact the International Studies advisor.
Yes. If you are an intermediate to advanced speaker of a language that is not offered at K-State, this fulfills the language requirement. See the director, Dr. Kathleen Antonioli, kantonioli@k-state.edu for further information.
Transfer credits of approved courses are accepted and study abroad is highly encouraged. Please note that, generally speaking, language classes cannot be counted among your electives but any courses having cultural content may be counted. If you wish to apply a study abroad course as an elective for the Secondary Major, you will need to have it approved by the International Studies advisor and it is an excellent idea to provide a syllabus if you are seeking approval.
Yes. Courses taken after graduation may still be applied to the Secondary Major. Effective planning will help you avoid this problem and help you finish your major and Secondary Major according to plans.
No. The secondary major program is designed exclusively for undergraduate studies. However, many students who complete the program choose to pursue their interests by obtaining a graduate degree in an international field.