We offer flexible and rigorous interdisciplinary undergraduate programs in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, helping students develop keen analytical and ethical reasoning skills amid complex global dynamics.
Where can International Studies take you?
Academic Programs
IS Major
Students in the IS Major complete the IS Core, select a concentration, learn a language, study abroad, and complete a senior seminar or thesis. Application required in freshman Spring.
IS Minor
IS minors complete two foundation courses and four electives in a concentration of your choice. All are invited to declare an IS minor without application.
By the Numbers
30 faculty
ISP Faculty are affiliated with 9 different departments
500 approved courses
Take electives across the university to complete your major or minor
63 Fulbright Fellowships
Our students have won more than 60 Fulbright Awards since 2000, taking them across the world to teach or study
Browse lists of pre-approved core and elective courses, course plans, and links to important administrative forms.
News & Notes
Jonathan Kirshner named inaugural Giffuni Professor
Professor of Political Science and International Studies Jonathan Kirshner, whose research and teaching draw on an expansive synthesis of international relations, political economy, the politics of money and finance, and politics and film, has been appointed as the inaugural Vincent Q. and Mary Ann Giffuni Professor at Boston College. The professorship was established by a gift from the Giffunis to recognize a faculty member whose study in the field of economics integrates with today’s relevant social issues.
Read more here
Stacie Kent Publishes New Book on Coercive Commerce
Stacie Kent, Assistant Professor of International Studies and History, published a new book in December titled "Coercive Commerce: Global Capital and Imperial Governance at the End of the Qing Empire." Based on extensive research conducted with British and Chinese government archives, Coercive Commerce shows how commercial treaties and the regulatory regime that grew out of them catalyzed a revised arts of governance in Qing-administered China.
Prof. Jonathan Kirshner Giving 15th Annual Waltz Lecture
Jonathan Kirshner, Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Boston College, was invited to give the 15th Annual Kenneth N. Waltz Lecture in International Relations at Columbia University on November 21st. The lecture, titled "Listening to Thucydides: Contingency, Chance, and Catastrophe in Contemporary World Politics," will be delivered in person. It will revisit Thucydides’ brilliant, sprawling, epic history of the Peloponnesian War.
Details
Prof. Elizabeth Prodromou's New Article For Aegean Monthly
Elizabeth Prodromou, Visiting Professor in International Studies at Boston College, wrote an article recently published in The Aegean Monthly. The article, titled "Commemorations and Cultural Heritage at 50 Years of the Partition of Cyprus," explores the pattern of cultural heritage destruction perpetrated by the Turkish occupation troops and the local Turkish-Cypriot administration in occupied Cyprus.
Read the article here:
https://aegeanmonthly.com/2024/08/21/commemorations-and-cultural-heritage-at-50-years-of-the-partition-of-cyprus/
Show MoreEvents
AY 2024–25
Meet the IS Community
Thalia Chaves Thalia Chaves '24
Thalia Chaves
BC major/minor
International Studies major, Managing for Social Impact and Public Good minor
Where are you living now?
Saugus, MA
What are you doing now?
I am working at the Conservation Law Foundation within the strategic litigation team.
What aspect of the IS Program did you enjoy the most?
As a peer advisor, I got to witness just how incredible the IS program is, both at being able to provide individual attention to students and keeping IS students’ interests central to all decisions. Having a group of peer advisors provides a group of fierce advocates and liaisons from the current classes directly to the leaders of the program. I enjoyed how personal and small the IS program is.
What features or experiences in the IS Program helped you get where you are now?
My preparation in the IS program empowered me to craft a great application and get selected to represent BC at the United Nations COP27 climate conference. The flexibility of the IS program also enriched my academic preparation as I more deeply engaged with topics I was interested in, which culminated into my thesis project on the equitable development of green hydrogen renewable energy. Most importantly, the IS program shined a light on just how crucial it is to look at every problem, local or global, with an interdisciplinary lens. I was able to fall in love with law as I learned how it could intertwine and strengthen other disciplines to solve some of our most contemporary, pressing issues today.
What advice do you have for current students?
Take advantage of the professors and resources you have at your disposal in the IS program. There are many times I held myself back from attending office hours or events or applying to opportunities out of being shy or underestimating myself. The people make the program and they will propel you far because of how deeply every person in the IS program cares about seeing every student succeed in what they love.
Fun fact about yourself?
I sang for three years in the BC Opera Workshop without any prior opera experience!
Favorite BC ISP memories?
Some of my most fond memories are of sitting on the red, cute couches in the Connolly Office, whether it was chatting with Professors Owens, Nakazato, and the peer advisors or meeting new students during events. Not enough students take advantage of that calm, quiet, special place. If you want to study or feel more connected to the IS program, meander over to the Connolly House office one day!
Jack MacDonald Jack MacDonald '21
Jack MacDonald
BC major/minor
International Studies major, Chinese minor
Where are you living now?
Somerville, MA
What are you doing now?
Program Coordinator at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
What aspect of the IS Program did you enjoy the most?
I found that people who pick International Studies are inherently passionate. Whether it be human rights, denuclearization policy, protest movements, or the way governments interact, it’s difficult to successfully engage with key global issues while being indifferent to their implications. As a result, my peers consistently challenged me to think differently and go deeper with course content. I often left class with more questions than I started with. If you feed off big-picture problems and lively debate, IS is a great place to be. You’ll meet incredible people worth keeping in touch with.
What features or experiences in the IS Program helped you get where you are now?
The IS program developed my interest in global communications. This was the product of an on-campus editor role with Kaleidoscope International Journal, media studies course taken abroad at Peking University, and dynamic Senior Seminar with Professor Owens. This led me to a Program Coordinator role at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In the public health world, I have found a dynamic environment with room for upward growth while connecting to a broader, international mission. Some highlights from my two years at Harvard Chan School include research site visits in Uganda, a Health Voices fellowship, and attending a policy lecture with NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (the focus of one of my course papers at BC).
What advice do you have for current students?
My advice for current students is to take a significant risk. It’s easy to put yourself in a box in college, especially as you start to narrow down your academic interests Junior or Senior year. Take a class on a completely new subject, cold email a professor you admire but haven’t met yet, go to the audition you’re talking yourself out of. Practicality and regret are friends. Also, take a research methods course with Professor Peter Krause.
Fun fact about you?
I’m oddly good at dodgeball and have made some awesome friends in Boston playing in a league.
Favorite BC ISP memories?
Special thanks to Professor Jennifer Erickson for being a wonderful undergrad mentor at BC. Also, fellow Chinese minor and friend-for-life Nick Rokosz who is my first call for all things politics.
Kevin Marshall-Moran Kevin Marshall-Moran ‘11
Kevin Marshall-Moran
BC majors
International Studies + Economics
Where are you living now?
Brooklyn, NY
What are you doing now?
Impact investing / real estate
What aspect of the IS Program did you enjoy the most?
ISP allowed me to blend a variety of interests and pursuits that combined economics, political science, history, theology, etc. into one cohesive (for me) academic program. The tight-knit peer group of similarly ambitious and curious students inspired me to strive for excellence.
What features or experiences in the IS Program helped you get where you are now?
The multidisciplinary student body and curriculum helped me to appreciate and consider different viewpoints and the context behind them.
What advice do you have for current students?
Trust in the depth and rigor of your program. It will pay dividends.
How do you spend your free time?
With two little girls at home (2.5 years and 5 months), I don’t have much free time—but right now I am searching for the best ice cream in Brooklyn with my eldest daughter.
Anju Sadasivam Anju Sadasivam '23
Anju Sadasivam
BC major
International Studies
Where are you living now?
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
What are you doing now?
I am pursuing a Master’s degree at the Global Campus of Human Rights Southeast Europe.
What aspect of the IS Program did you enjoy the most?
I enjoyed building relationships with both professors and classmates who constantly pushed me to see things from new perspectives and gain a more global understanding of the world.
What features or experiences in the IS Program helped you get where you are now?
My study abroad in Croatia at the European Center for Studies on War and Peace inspired my passion for the region. Conversations with BC professor Peter Martin helped me figure out my next steps after graduating from BC.
What advice do you have for current students?
you don’t have to have everything figured out! take your time and pursue the things that you truly care about while being open to surprising opportunities!
Memorable recent experience?
I attended a conference on transitional justice and transitional democracy in Kyrgyzstan this summer!
Favorite BC ISP memories?
Dinner at Professor Owen’s house and the IS senior send-off at Felipe’s!
Join Global Conversations
Global Conversations is a student-led project that connects students at BC with university students around the world through informal yet meaningful dialogue. We have held over 150 conversations via Zoom and in person with peers in nearly 30 countries, about politics, security, religion, climate justice, global cultures, and more. Join us for an upcoming conversation!
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