IAFS Major Requirements - Declared Fall 2023 or later

• Complete one class in each of the four functional areas and complete two additional classes in any functional area (6 classes, 18 credit hours)
• Students cannot apply more than four functional area classes from one department (i.e., PSCI, ECON). 

Click here for the permanent list of functional area classes. Our four functional areas are: 
Functional Area I: Development and Culture
Functional Area II: International Economics, Business, and Political Economy
Functional Area III: Political Geography, International Security, and Foreign Policy
Functional Area IV: Institutions, Rights, and Norms

• Complete three classes in your geographic concentration (3 classes, 9 credit hours).

Click here for the permanent list of geographic concentration classes. Students are required to complete three classes concentrating on one of the four following global regions: Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe/Eurasia, or Latin America. Students must choose a geographic concentration no later than the beginning of their junior year.

Geographic concentration coursework should be mainly in the social sciences, must include one course in contemporary history and can include a maximum of three credits of regional literature and arts (taught in the foreign language whenever possible).

(1 class, 3 credit hours)

• Complete 3 upper division credit hours to fulfill the Off-Campus Experience from one of: IAFS 4930 Internship in International Affairs; a study abroad course; a CU in DC course; IAFS 3000: Global and Local Engagement (this topic only), or other credit-bearing off-campus experience approved by the program.

Complete one of the following:

IAFS 4500 or
IAFS 4800 (1 class, 3 credit hours) or
PACS 4500 (for IAFS majors enrolled in the PACS certificate only)

Minimum requirement: Third-year, university-level proficiency in a foreign language appropriate to the area of concentration. This requirement may be met through completion of two 3000-level grammar courses in the language (except Spanish; see below).

Tutoring resources are available!

• The Anderson Language and Technology Center (ALTEC) offers free tutoring for lower-level language classes.
• Other tutoring services are available through the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Advising and Coaching services.

Notes on foreign language proficiency

• Majors must declare their language with their IAFS academic advisor by the end of their sophomore year. Special circumstances of language proficiency to meet these requirements must be resolved by the end of the sophomore year.
• Students pursuing a language offered at CU-Boulder should take the placement test of the individual language department by the end of sophomore year. Students must take at least the final semester of the required language sequence at the 3000 level.
• If a student seeks a waiver from the language requirements by testing out of a language not offered at CU-Boulder, the student must consult with their IAFS academic advisor by the end of the sophomore year.
• For language study while on study abroad, please see your IAFS advisor.

Specific Requirement by Language

For the following languages, the third-year courses which will fulfill the language requirement are:

All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the College of Arts and Sciences who enter the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall of 2018 or thereafter must complete the new General Education (Gen Ed) requirements.

We encourage all IAFS prospective and current students to contact their IAFS academic advisor if they have additional questions about Gen Ed. The new A&S General Education curriculum consists of three basic categories of requirements: Skills, Distribution, and Diversity. For more information on Ged Ed, visit the A&S webpage.