ELLIOTT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Dean M.E. Brown
Associate Deans H.L. Agnew, D.A. Grier, K. Lord
The Elliott School of International Affairs offers graduate and undergraduate programs to prepare individuals for understanding and working in an increasingly globalized world. The historical roots of the Elliott School extend back to the establishment of the School of Comparative Jurisprudence and Diplomacy in 1898. In 1966, the School separated from the School of Government, Business, and International Affairs to become an independent unit, the School of Public and International Affairs. In 1987, the name was changed to the School of International Affairs, and in 1988 the School was renamed in honor of Evelyn E. and Lloyd H. Elliott. Lloyd Elliott was the President of The George Washington University from 1965 to 1988.
The Degree of Bachelor of Arts
The Elliott School offers programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts with majors in international affairs, Asian studies, Latin American and hemispheric studies, and Middle East studies. These programs provide a broad liberal arts education and depth in historical and contemporary issues in international affairs. The programs are interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, combining courses offered through the School with courses offered by other schools and departments of the University.
General Requirements for the Degree
Academic Work Load
The normal academic work load for a full-time student is 15 credit hours. A full-time student not on probation may take a course load of up to 17 credit hours. A student with a strong academic record may take up to 18 credit hours with the approval of the dean (additional tuition charges apply). Students on probation are limited to 13 hours. Students doing internships or working are advised to reduce their course load.
Scholarship Requirements
In order to graduate, a student must have the following: (1) 120 credit hours of passing grades (courses in exercise and sport activities cannot be included in the required hours); and (2) a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0.
Dean’s Honor List
The name of every student who attains a 3.75 grade-point average in course work is placed on the Dean’s Honor List for that semester. Appearance on the list is limited to full-time students registered for a minimum of 15 credit hours in a given semester and to part-time students registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours over a period of two consecutive semesters, which may include a summer term.
Academic Standing
A student whose cumulative grade-point average is less than 2.0 but at least 1.0 any time after having attempted a minimum of 24 credit hours is placed on probation: “first probation” for the initial semester, “second probation” if continued on probation for a second semester. For part-time students and those enrolled in summer sessions, a semester is interpreted to mean a time interval in which at least 12 credit hours have been attempted. A student on probation is limited to no more than 13 credit hours of course work per semester.
A student who resumes a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or more after a first or second semester on probation is removed from probationary status. Failure to resume a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 after two successive semesters on probation results in suspension. The Dean’s Council may continue a student on probation if satisfactory progress is demonstrated during the probation period.
A student whose cumulative grade-point average falls below 1.0 any time after having enrolled in a minimum of 24 credit hours as a student in the Elliott School will be suspended.
Students who are suspended for poor scholarship may apply for readmission after the lapse of one fall or spring semester. To be considered for readmission, the student must submit evidence to the Dean’s Council of conduct during absence from the University which indicates that the student will profit from readmission. A student suspended twice for poor scholarship will not be readmitted.
Semester Warning—A student whose cumulative grade-point average is less than 2.0 after attempting a minimum of 12 credit hours is placed on semester warning at the end of the semester and is strongly advised to take corrective measures (e.g., limitation of course load to no more than 13 credit hours).
Incompletes
Conditions under which the grade of I (Incomplete) may be assigned are described under University Regulations. Incomplete course work must be completed no later than one calendar year from the last day of the examination period of the semester or summer session in which the grade of I was assigned. When work for the course is complete, the grade earned will be indicated in the form of I, followed by the final grade. The indication of I cannot be removed from the transcript. A grade of I that is not changed within this period automatically becomes an IF. The grade of I cannot be changed by reregistering for the course at GW or by taking its equivalent elsewhere. In cases of well-documented extenuating circumstances, an instructor and a student may jointly petition the Dean’s Council for additional time in which to complete the work of the course. Such petitions should be submitted within a year of the assignment of the grade of I. Students will not be permitted to register for any additional course work if they have more than two Incompletes on their record.
Residence
Students must complete at least 60 of their final 90 hours in residence to earn a degree in the School. Students approved for study abroad during their junior or senior year may request an exception through the Office of Academic Advising and Student Services. Students wishing to transfer from another division of the University into a degree program in the Elliott School must have completed 24 credits with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or above at the time of transfer. Note that in all cases a total of 60 credit hours in residence is required for Latin or special honors. Except in special circumstances, at least 9 of the final 15 hours must be completed in residence.
Internships
Internships offer students the opportunity to make practical use of the knowledge they acquire in the classroom. Undergraduates who have completed at least 30 credit hours and have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.5 are eligible to arrange internships for credit (to a total maximum of 6 credits toward the degree). Academic work in the field of the internship is required. A zero-credit internship is also available.
Internships are available in the private and public sectors. Students are responsible for locating their own internships; listings are posted in the GW Career Center.
Double Majors
A student who completes the requirements of two majors in the Elliott School (for example, international affairs and Asian studies) may graduate with a double major. Such a student should consult with an Elliott School advisor and officially declare both majors on the appropriate form available on the Elliott School website at gwu.edu/~elliott/studentservices.
Students may combine a major field in the Elliott School with a second major field offered by the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering and Applied Science, as long as the other major is toward a B.A. (majors in Communication and in the School of Media and Public Affairs are excluded). Permission for the second major must be obtained from the appropriate administrative office of the other school.
Students in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, whether pursuing a B.A. or a B.S. major, may also take a second major in the Elliott School. Students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science pursuing a B.A. may take a second major in the Elliott School. Students wishing to pursue these options must request approval through the Elliott School Academic Advising and Student Services office. Students must complete all of their degree requirements for their major in their home school in order to graduate with a second major from the other school.
Study Abroad
Students are encouraged to travel and study abroad. Those wishing to study abroad must consult their academic advisor and the University’s Office for Study Abroad. A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred in from study abroad. GW courses taken abroad for GW credit do not apply to this maximum (i.e., specific courses taken through GW Study Centers and GW Summer Abroad for which students receive GW credit as opposed to transfer credit). Students must secure the dean’s prior approval for any plan of study abroad if the credit earned is intended to apply to the degree program in which they are registered. Students must apply to a program from the University’s List of Study Abroad Programs. A catalogue or other description of the study abroad program must be presented for consideration together with detailed descriptions of the courses to be taken. See Study Abroad Programs.
Pass/No Pass Option
A student in the Elliott School of International Affairs who has a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 or better may, with the approval of an advisor and the dean, take one course per semester and receive a grade of P, Pass, or NP, No Pass, which will be recorded on the student’s transcript but will not be reflected in the cumulative grade average. A student must sign up for such an option at the Academic Advising and Student Services office within the first eight weeks of classes. Under no circumstances may a student change from pass/no pass status to graded status, or vice versa, after the end of the eighth week of the semester. Required courses in the student’s major (except those in which the grade of P or NP is normally assigned) may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis. A transfer student may not elect to take a course on a pass/no pass basis until the second semester of enrollment in the University. No more than six courses in which the grade of P or NP is assigned will apply toward the degree, including courses in which the grade of P or NP is normally given.
General Curriculum Requirements
General curriculum requirements for all Elliott School students are listed below. Requirements for the specific majors in international affairs, Latin American and hemispheric studies, Middle Eastern studies, and Asian studies are outlined under the appropriate heading in Courses of Instruction. For information on earning credit by examination or waiving curriculum requirements, students should see their academic advisor in the Elliott School.
All students take (1) 4 credits of UW 20; (2) 6 credits of math and/or science courses; (3) 9 credits of humanities or 6 credits of humanities and 3 credits of creative arts courses; (4) 16 credits of social science courses, including Econ 11–12, IAff 5, PSc 1, and one course chosen from Anth 2 or 4, Geog 1 or 2, or PSc 2; (5) 15 credits of courses relating to societies and cultures: two courses chosen from Hist 38, 40, 72 and a 3-credit course from three of the following regions: Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe/Eurasia, Middle East; (6) second-year level of proficiency in one modern foreign language should be attained by the end of the sophomore or junior year (see major field for additional language requirements). All Elliott School majors require third-year–level proficiency in a modern foreign language.
Students can take a secondary field of study, such as business, economics, or languages, in other schools of the University. Students from other schools of the University can take a secondary field of study in international affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs. See an academic advisor in the Elliott School.
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