University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

The International Studies Specialization is an academic program that combines course work at UW-Stout and abroad with practical experience living, studying or working with people of another country or culture. Many students take the specialization in place of a minor. With careful planning, many of the requirements of the specialization can also be used to meet requirements in your degree program. Therefore, you can often get the specialization without taking a lot of additional courses beyond your degree requirements. The combination of study abroad and the International Studies Specialization can help you develop:

• Ability to communicate ideas clearly with people of different cultures and languages.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems from local, national, global and cross-cultural perspectives.
• Self confidence in living and working with people from other countries and cultures.
• Tolerance for other cultures and different cultural approaches to problem-solving.

Who can enroll in the specialization?

Any student interested in international studies can enroll. However, the Specialization is designed to work best for students in the following majors:

• Apparel Design and Development
• Business Administration
• Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
• Retail Merchandising and Management
• Education Majors
• Undecided

And students wanting to study a foreign language

What is the program of study?

All students enrolled in the specialization study international relations, world geography, cross-cultural communication, language and area studies at Stout or in one of the study abroad programs.

Then you take additional professional courses from one of the specialized options listed below:

• International Business
• International Tourism
• Language Studies
• Area Studies
• International Education
• Apparel Design and Development: Retailing

The specialization is flexibly designed to offer you an opportunity to better understand other cultures and international relations, and to prepare for life and a career in the global society of the 21st Century. Many students combine the specialization with a study abroad program in order to gain actual experience living in another culture.

About the Specialization

Specialization Requirements [PDF]
from the Undergraduate Bulletin

Specialization Plan Sheet [PDF]

For more information, contact:

Kim Zagorsky
Specialization Director
332D Harvey Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751-0790

Phone: 715/232-5388
E-Mail: zagorskik@uwstout.edu