U-ICS-AB - International Comparative Studies (AB)

Ten courses (Core, Region, and Global) at least eight of which must be at or above the 200 level and at least two of which must be at or above the 400 level. Four foreign language courses in one language, initiated at any level. Region and Global courses may not be below the 100 level. The ICS gateway course fulfills one of the 100-level requirements and the ICS capstone seminar fulfills one of the 400-level or above requirements. Successful completion of the first semester of the ICS honors thesis sequence fulfills the capstone requirement. The second semester of the thesis sequence does not exempt majors from the second 400-level or above course requirement.

The fourteen courses for the major are to be distributed as follows:

• Gateway Course: Comparative Approaches to Global Issues (ICS 195). This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. Whether or not they major in ICS, students are expected to complete the course in the first or second year of study. Students who plan to be ICS majors are expected to complete the course before a study-away semester. Rising juniors or juniors who decide to major in ICS may petition the director of undergraduate studies to take the course in exceptional circumstances, although course enrollment is capped at forty-nine and wait lists are honored. The course is cross-listed in DukeHub by the departments of cultural anthropology, sociology, history, religion, political science, and gender, sexuality, and feminist studies (the course number under which a student enrolls is irrelevant). ICS 195 is a prerequisite for ICS 489S, the ICS capstone seminar.

• Region Concentration (four courses): To gain some historical, political, and cultural knowledge depth related to one part of the world, ICS majors choose a Region concentration and complete four courses chosen from ICS-approved region courses. The most up-to-date region courses are available on the ICS website. Region courses are generally not assigned an ICS number in DukeHub, although they will have such a number if they also meet ICS Global criteria.

  • Criteria for ICS Region courses: Content is focused on cultural, social, historical, political, economic, and/or identity dynamics; is theoretically informed and empirically engaged with fieldwork, archives, literary, artistic, and cultural artifacts or processes, and/or statistical data; is largely focused on a particular place or region; and examines dynamics that occurred at any time from 1700 to the present, although it may include content that began in earlier periods.

  • ICS Regions: ICS students choose a Region concentration from the following seven geographic options: Africa; China and East Asia; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; Middle East; Russia and Central Asia; and South Asia. Alternatively, an ICS major may propose to the director of undergraduate studies a differently conceptualized geographic Region focused on a part of the world not captured in or crossing these Region designations, for example, around a body of water or proximal borders. Cases made for such independently conceived areas must be thoughtful and intentional rather than ad hoc. The seven ICS Regions are based on historical, cultural, political, and/or economic histories of connection. At the same time, the ICS intellectual project understands that state borders and regions are dynamically produced by different processes and agendas, including transnational ones, and recognizes dramatic variety within these regions.

  • Interdisciplinarity: The four Region courses chosen must come from at least two disciplinary or interdisciplinary departmental homes. The disciplinary home is determined by the originating departmental sponsor of the course. Approved ICS Region courses are listed according to the disciplinary home/number on the ICS website. However, a given ICS student may enroll in an approved Region course under any cross-list department/number.

  • Study Away Courses in a Foreign Language: Content courses offered in an advanced level of a non-English language at a study-away institution may count toward a major’s Region concentration if they meet region criteria.

• Global Courses (4): ICS majors complete four courses chosen from a robust list of ICS-approved Global courses that is available on the ICS website. Global courses are typically assigned an ICS number in DukeHub, but are listed and organized according to the original disciplinary or interdisciplinary department home/number on the ICS website.

  • Criteria for Global courses: Content is organized by a connective, transnational, comparative, or international approach to cultural, social, historical, political, economic, environmental, or discursive dynamics. Courses approach the above through one or more of the following nodes: 1) institutions, organizations, or systems; 2) identities and lived experiences; 3) circulations, circuits, borders, and migrations; 4) social or other movements; 5) cultural productions and receptions. By definition, course content should not be delimited by a focus on one place or state. Course content is theoretically informed and empirically engaged (ethnography, observation, interviews, archives, surveys, and statistical data; institutional, literary, artistic, cultural, commercial, or environmental artifacts, processes, or forms). Course content examines dynamics that occurred at any time from 1700 to the present, although it may include content that began in earlier periods.

  • Interdisciplinarity: The four Global courses chosen must come from at least two disciplinary or interdisciplinary departmental homes. The disciplinary home is determined by the originating departmental sponsor of the course. Approved ICS Global courses are listed according to the originating disciplinary home/number on the ICS website. However, a given ICS student may enroll under any cross-list department/number of an approved Global course.

• Foreign Language Corequisite (4 courses): Because language knowledge is crucial to deeper historical, political and cultural understanding, as well as social and professional functioning in a variety of settings, the ICS major requires two years (four full courses) of university courses in one non-English language used by a group in part or all of the geographic region concentration. College Board, IB, or other preuniversity language courses, knowledge, or exams cannot be counted toward this requirement. Language courses used to fulfill the requirement may begin at any level. Barring other restrictions, students should count toward the ICS major the most advanced university language courses taken. Barring other restrictions, unlimited content courses offered in one foreign language may count toward the foreign language corequisite. Language courses can be found in their sponsoring departments and will not be listed by ICS numbers in DukeHub.

  • Double Counting: One advanced language course may double count in the appropriate Region or Global category if its content meets ICS Region or Global criteria and other thresholds (see FAQs on the ICS website), whether the course is offered on Duke’s campus or is an approved study away course.

  • Research Methods: In certain situations, such as when a student is fluent in a non-English language widely used in the chosen Region concentration, one of the foreign language courses may be met with a research methods or research analysis course.

  • Notes: Although the foreign language requirement is not flexible, in certain cases there is reasonable flexibility in regard to the language used to fulfill it. Examples of such cases: 1) when a second year of a language is not taught at Duke; 2) when no language course is available at a sufficiently advanced level. See “Major Requirements” on the ICS website for additional notes on the ICS foreign language requirement.

• Capstone Seminar: International Comparative Studies 489S (Capstone Seminar in International Comparative Studies). At least one section of this seminar is offered each fall and spring semester. The seminar is restricted to declared ICS majors in their final year or semester (for December graduates) of study. International Comparative Studies 195 is a prerequisite for International Comparative Studies 489S. ICS seniors who produce capstone seminar research projects of exceptional quality are nominated for the ICS Capstone Research Prize by their faculty member. Winners receive a book prize, are listed in the Duke Commencement Program, and are recognized in the ICS Diploma Program and Ceremony.

ICS Advising & ICS Curricular Plan: After a student has formally declared an ICS major, the director of undergraduate studies will assign the student an ICS faculty advisor. Each major is required to complete an ICS Curricular Plan (forms are available on the ICS website). In order to assure that each student’s curricular plan is accurate and up-to-date and each ICS major is on track for timely completion of the major, each ICS major is responsible for meeting with their ICS faculty advisor every semester before registration. Students who are studying away often communicate with their ICS advisor through email or Skype. This requirement to update a curricular plan every term also holds true for ICS AB2 majors and ICS majors who plan to study away the following semester, unless they have completed all ICS requirements. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the ICS major, meeting with one’s advisor and updating the curricular plan is the single most important administrative aspect for a successful senior clearance before commencement. 

Study Away: ICS students are strongly encouraged to study away for a semester, and a large majority of ICS majors complete some part of their coursework in study away programs. Students considering or planning to major in ICS are expected to complete the required gateway course, ICS 195, before a study away semester. Up to four full credit study away or transfer courses that meet ICS Region, Global, or foreign language criteria may count toward the major. Students who declare an ICS major are required to meet with an advisor and begin their ICS Curricular Plan before leaving for a study away program. The ICS gateway, capstone, and thesis courses must be taken at Duke and may not be substituted with transfer or study away courses. Further important information on study away requirements and policies is available on the ICS website.

Grants and Awards: Duke students who are not graduating seniors are eligible to apply for research funding provided by several units on campus. For more information, visit the Undergraduate Research Support Office website at undergraduateresearch.duke.edu. In addition, rising seniors accepted into the ICS Distinction Program may apply for a summer travel grant to advance language learning and/or to conduct field research, funded by the Scott Lee Stephenson Memorial Fund. The author of an exceptional distinction project is recognized with the ICS Distinguished Thesis Award. Additionally, up to four Capstone Research (Book) Prizes are awarded to seniors who produce superb research in an ICS capstone seminar.