When in Rome, do as the Romans do and earn credit toward your degree at the same time.
Starting next year, U students may have the opportunity to earn a degree which would require students to have experiences abroad.
The U Undergraduate Council approved the international studies major and minor proposal Monday. However, the U Board of Trustees and the state Board of Regents must also approve the degree before it is available to students.
According to the proposal, “[International studies is] designed to prepare students broadly for the increasingly global context in which Americans live and work.”
The international studies major can be considered a conglomerate degree because it is the result of cooperation among three colleges, said Robert Newman, dean of the College of the Humanities.
Instead of listing one college on the graduation certificate, students who earn this degree will have the College of Humanities, College of Social and Behavioral Science and the College of Business on their diploma.
For 33 semester hours, an experience abroad and three years of foreign language, students can graduate with this “unique degree,” said Jerry Root, languages and literature professor.
Root, who wrote the proposal, believes this degree has a level of practicality that exceeds many others.
Unlike a language degree which proves a student has a level of expertise in a single language, a graduate with an international studies degree would have taken the language courses, but would also understand more of the economic, business, history and political activities of a specific region, Root said.
“It gives students a broader understanding of the world we live in,” he said.
The degree is the only international studies bachelor’s degree offered within the Utah System of Higher Education. However, Brigham Young University has the same bachelor’s degree and Salt Lake Community College offers an international studies associate’s degree, according to John Francis, associate vice president for undergraduate studies.
“We seek to combine course work from the business school, the humanities and social and behavioral sciences. Students often take a wide variety of courses from these schools but they haven’t been able to apply [the credit hours] toward their degree,” Francis said.
He said that many students go to the Office of Undergraduate Studies each year inquiring about such a program.
“I would say the amazing thing is that there has been a need for this for 20 years or longer. It is amazing to think that we did not do it earlier,” Francis said.
“We have incredible international expertise in faculty research and teaching, and even more international expertise in our students?many know other languages and have traveled abroad,” Root said.
While U faculty and administrators seem to agree the U needs this degree, others may not be so easily persuaded.
During last week’s Regent meeting in St. George, Regents said that in the forth-coming year they anticipate approving fewer new majors than in the past. The state’s tax-revenue shortfall has cut millions from higher education’s budget, possibly forcing the closure of many courses. Regents said they don’t want to create new majors by closing others.
Francis believes despite the Regent’s warning the major will be approved because the courses required are being taught presently in the three different colleges.