Survey of US foreign relations with East Asia since 1899, covering topics from the Boxer Rebellion to the North Korea nuclear standoff.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026← International Studies (INTLST)
Hardest courses in International Studies
Plan ahead for courses where students have earned lower grades.
Lowest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
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10 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
Explores the roles of markets, states, and civil institutions in shaping global wealth and well-being using economic theory, computer simulations, and historical experience.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Jeremy Foltz
Problem sets constituted 40% of the grade but were unrelated to lecture material or tests. Students noted that the workload did not align with the topics covered in class, creating confusion about expectations.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Introduction to International Studies: An interdisciplinary examination of cultural, political, economic, and social patterns defining the modern world.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Katherine Jensen
The class required extensive reading, and students noted that completing the assigned material was essential for understanding the lectures and succeeding on exams.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Topics in Culture in the Age of Globalization examines contemporary issues in international studies within global culture.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Melody Niwot
Students faced a heavy workload with significant reading and writing assignments that took a long time to be graded.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025An interdisciplinary course examining the link between education and global political, economic, and social contexts. It uses a place-based approach to explore topics like migration, marketization, and youth culture.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Elise Ahn
Readings were dense and long, with grades based on a case study built over the semester.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Human Rights and Education explores the relationship between human rights and education globally, investigating tensions within the human rights framework to reduce social inequality through educational case studies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Mary Michaud
Homework involved significant reading, and students were expected to be prepared to discuss these materials in class.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Explores global women's health through a human rights lens, examining health issues across the life cycle and the socio-cultural and economic factors affecting access to quality basic health care.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Addresses various contemporary international, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary issues in International Studies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Sarah Beckham
Discussion questions were sometimes hard, but students noted they could complete them by analyzing the topics in depth.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026#9 ·INTLST 401
Topics in Global Security
3–4 creditsTopics in Global Security covers contemporary issues in international studies in global security.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Ronald Machoian
Assignments were student-driven, allowing learners to focus on topics that interested them. The instructor made it clear what students needed to remember despite occasional entertaining tangents.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026The Cold War from WWII to the end of the Soviet Empire, exploring geopolitics, ideology, and covert operations across five continents using diverse sources.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026