International Affairs

International affairs is a discipline with broad dimensions, one that integrates the information, strategies, and techniques of a variety of disciplines—political science, sociology, economics, history, communication, and psychology—to study and understand complex relations among nations. International affairs looks not only at cultural interplay, but at political, military, and economic transactions among nations.

Because this field is interdisciplinary, it rarely exists as a separate department within an undergraduate curriculum. In fact, Lewis & Clark is one of only about 25 insti-tutions in the nation that has an international affairs department. Lewis & Clark’s international affairs program is recognized as one of the top programs in the country, offering a number of courses unique to our curriculum.

To accommodate students with different career goals, our courses ensure full exposure to the field. Course sizes are small, ranging from 15 students (at the upper level) to 40 students (at the introductory level). All majors take a set of core courses (Introduction to International Affairs, Principles of Economics, Introduction to Politics, International Organization, U.S. Foreign Policy, Advanced Study in International Affairs, and Senior Seminar). Then, each student works with a faculty adviser to construct a coherent program that may also include courses in economics, political science, history, psychology, and sociology. Students are encouraged to develop programs emphasizing areas appropriate to their specific interests and career goals.

Lewis & Clark’s international affairs program has a strong orientation toward preparing students for graduate school. Many of our majors enter graduate and professional programs in international affairs, international business, and law. Our curriculum is designed to match entrance requirements for the major graduate programs in international affairs.

Our faculty believe that the main purpose of an international affairs education is not just to learn about what’s going on in the world, but to learn how to make your own decisions and judgments. Critical and analytical thinking are emphasized. The department relies on the varied teaching styles and philosophies of its faculty to expose students to the different academic approaches in the field of international affairs.

The senior thesis requirement develops these skills and prepares students for further studies in international affairs. Seniors enroll in Advanced Studies in International Affairs, a seminar offered in the fall of the senior year. During the spring semester, each student writes a thesis drawing on material presented during the theories seminar and in other international affairs courses. Students who produce a thesis of outstanding quality may receive honors at graduation.

Students find that the College’s many special opportunities are exciting complements to the international affairs major. Lewis & Clark’s distinctive overseas study programs, offered in nearly every corner of the world, allow international affairs students to develop a special understanding of the cultures and ideologies they study.

Majors also benefit from the College’s off-campus study program in Washington, D.C. Offered each fall, this program brings students into contact with the inner workings of our own government. On occasion, international affairs majors pursue internships in Portland and elsewhere with organizations that have an international focus. Among these are the World Trade Center in Portland, World Affairs Council of Oregon, U.S. Department of Commerce, Nike, Merrill Lynch, U.S. State Department, and Central Intelligence Agency.

Students extend their learning beyond the classroom at Lewis & Clark. A student-run organization called the International Affairs Association (IAA) plays a major role in international education at Lewis & Clark. The IAA brings visitors of international distinction to campus for lectures and informal discussions with students. Prominent figures visit throughout the year. Recent guests have included Georgi Arbatov, director, Institute of U.S. and Canada Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences; William Wallner, U.S. Forest Service senior entomologist; and Gabriela Febres Cordero, former Venezuelan trade minister.

The Department of International Affairs hosts an annual International Affairs Symposium on campus, the oldest continuing symposium of its kind in the United States. The symposium is one of the most prestigious events within Oregon academic and civil communities. It has been acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Chronicle of Higher Education. Speakers have included statesmen such as President Gerald Ford (while he was in office), Henry Kissinger, Jesse Jackson, and senators Frank Church and Eugene McCarthy; ambassadors and chiefs of staff; and scholars such as Arbatov, Marshall Shulman, Edwin Reischauer, Zbigniew Brzezinski, John Kenneth Galbreith, Hans Morgenthau, and Henry Trofimenko.

The international affairs department also offers the Model United Nations club. The fall activity includes participation in the Model Security Council of the Columbia and Willamette basins; during spring semester, students participate in the Model United Nations of the Far West.

Another activity that engages the energy of international affairs students is the Meridian. An annual student publication, the Meridian offers an opportunity for students to publish their research.

Although international affairs is not a pre-professional program, graduates find that an inter-national affairs major is extremely flexible in terms of the variety of jobs it prepares them to pursue. A high percentage of our students pursue graduate work in international and public affairs.

Other students enter directly the fields of international business, public service, journalism, and international humanitarian work. The broad liberal arts background provided by the major is most helpful in understanding the global complexities of the new millennium.

Examples of student research

• “Controlling Borders: How National Identity Influences Immigration Practice.”
• "Diffusing Democratic Norms: Scocializing Romania to the Principles of Democracy.”
• “Relative Gains and Domestic Politics: An Examination of Cooperation Through the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.”
• “Seeking the Burdensome Relief: Implications of the Process of Debt Releif on Dependency in the Developing World.”

Examples of positions obtained by international affairs graduates

• International Transportation, Nike.
• Grant Thornton Accountants.
• International Catholic Migration Commission, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Emerson Electronics, Tokyo, Japan.
• Graduate studies at Pennsylvania State University; Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University; SAIS/Johns Hopkins program, Bologna, Italy; School of Organization and Management, Yale University; Columbia University; Monterey Institute of International Studies; Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; Georgetown University.