International Studies

International Studies

Our commitment to the historic, Christian faith informs what we study and how we study. Students in international studies learn how faith informs our theoretical choices and assumptions, undergirds the scientific method we employ, motivates our study, and lets us understand our work in the context of God’s unfolding drama of the redemption of His people.

On this page Overview Graduate Outcomes Programs / Features Faculty Contact

Program Overview

This program is built around the core disciplines of political science, economics, and history, with strong emphases in foreign language acquisition and quantitative and qualitative research methods. Our graduates leave with competence in at least one foreign language, advanced methods training, and an in-depth understanding of the substantive issues and debates surrounding the field. In combination, the training and experiences offered through the international studies major prepare students to find their place in related vocations.

Two independent, external reviewers recently said the following about Covenant's international studies program:

“The international studies major provides undergraduate students with a rigorous program of study… includ[ing] an emphasis on research skill development through a remarkably coherent sequence of courses in language and social scientific methods; excellent preparation of undergraduate students for graduate study; [and] depth and breadth of disciplinary perspectives.”

male student standing in front of clock tower

Graduate Outcomes

Our graduates go on to top graduate programs in political science, international relations, public policy and administration, and law. International studies is a great fit for motivated students interested in careers in government, law, global nonprofits, international business, the military, or the academy, and we have graduates serving in all of these areas.

Alumni have entered positions such as:

Representative for Food for the Hungry
Global Operations Associate
Data Scientist
College Instructor
Transportation Security Officer
Paralegal
Staff Writer
Institutional Research Analyst
Program Manager for Human Rights
Business Developer
Domestic Policies Manager
International Ministries Administrator
International Embassy Worker
Employment Specialist at World Relief

Alumni have pursued graduate studies at such institutions as:

Cornell University
George Washington University
Hebrew University, Israel
Pennsylvania State University
University of California - San Diego
University of Edinburgh, Scotland
University of Sussex, UK
University of Georgia
University of Indiana
University of Maryland
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
University of Kentucky
Regent University
University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Alumni awards and recognition:

U.S. State Dept. Critical Language Scholarship Recipient
U.S. Defense Department Boren Fellowship Winner
Fulbright Fellowship Recipients

Presuppositions about reality bear heavily on how all people approach life, including the scholarly disciplines. Our presuppositions are explicitly based upon God as he reveals Himself in Scripture. Our beliefs about fundamental questions of human nature, existence, cognition, and purpose have massive implications for how we approach research and prepare students to be practitioners in our field.

Dr. Cale Horne

Dean of Social Sciences, Professor of Political Science, & International Studies Faculty Advisor

Programs & Features

The core and distribution requirements for a major in international studies are those listed for baccalaureate degrees with the exception that the core humanities distribution requirement is fulfilled with the foreign language literature course, and the core social science distribution requirement is fulfilled with ECO 202.

View Requirements

International studies majors undertake an academic study abroad, usually in the spring semester of the junior year or in the summer between the junior and senior years. These academic terms must be approved in advance by the program committee.

View Study Abroad Opportunities

ECO 360 The Economics of Asia in the 21st Century
INS 491 Senior Seminar in International Studies
POL 302 International Organizations
STA 254 Statistics for the Social Sciences
FRE 332 French Civilization and Culture II

“Prevent, Protect, Prosecute: The Impact of Human Trafficking Policy”
“The UN-Expected Player in Election Quality: Examining the Quality of UN Peacekeeping Forces in Relation to Fair and Free Elections”
“The Effects of Rebel Group Interconnectedness on their Productivity in the Syrian Civil War”
“The Impact of Foreign Actors on Amal and Hezbollah”
“The Decline of Socialism in Colombia; The Case of Jorge Eliecer Gaitan and the Period of La Violencia as a Key Factor”

Guided Capstone Requirements

Our majors complete at least one professional internship, and many intern internationally in the context of their academic semester abroad. Many students have acquired high-profile internships around the world.

Contact Department to Learn More

Meet the Faculty

Cale Horne International Studies Faculty Advisor

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