Hello! So, I've been eyeing the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown, and I'm really interested but also kind of confused. Can someone clarify the types of majors and coursework available in SFS?
The School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University offers a unique interdisciplinary approach to studying international affairs. The underlying premise is that students training to become global leaders must have a firm understanding of a variety of subjects in the humanities and social sciences.
In the SFS, you have eight undergraduate majors to choose from:
1. Culture and Politics (CULP): This major allows you to explore how culture, history, and society shape the world's political landscape. You could take classes in anthropology, sociology, history, government, and even philosophy or literature.
2. Global Business (GBUS): This major combines in-depth coursework in core business skills (like accounting, finance, and marketing) with advanced study of international affairs.
3. International Economics (IECO): As an IECO major, you'd study economics in the context of international and comparative settings.
4. International History (IHIS): This major probes historical events in a global context, analyzing the interconnectedness of past world events.
5. International Political Economy (IPEC): The IPEC major brings together political science, economics, history, and other disciplines to analyze the dynamics of the global economy.
6. International Politics (IPOL): Those in the IPOL major get a deep dive into understanding the mechanisms of international relations, security policy, and foreign policy.
7. Regional and Comparative Studies (RCST): This gives students the opportunity to focus on specific regions such as Africa, Asia, or the Middle East, and to draw comparisons across regions.
8. Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA): STIA students study the impact of scientific and technological developments on global societies.
One of the hallmarks of Georgetown's SFS is that each major is interwoven with the study of languages, encouraging students to become fluent in a second language. As an SFS student, you would also fulfill SFS core requirements, a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum that incorporates history, theology, philosophy, writing, and economics. This type of comprehensive education is something unique to Georgetown's SFS and leads to graduates who are well-rounded and well-prepared for a variety of international careers.
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