www.smu.edu/internationalstudies
Professor Stephen K. Wegren, Director
General Information
To succeed in an international career, students need expertise in the politics, economics, history, language and cultures of societies other than their own. The curricula for the Area Studies Program are designed to provide students with a foundation for this expertise, requiring coursework in the social sciences, business, language and humanities.
The area studies minor is separate from the major or minor in international studies. A student may earn a minor in a geographical area in order to increase expertise and in-depth knowledge of a region’s history, politics, society and culture. A minor in an area study is offered in Africa/Middle East studies, Asian studies, European studies, and Latin American and Iberian studies.
Area Studies Minor Rules for SMU Abroad Credit
To maximize the educational experience in these degree programs, all area studies minors are strongly encouraged to spend at least one term or summer studying abroad. The University offers numerous study abroad opportunities around the world; most of these courses may be applied to the area studies minor. The following policies apply to the Area Studies Program:
For an Area Studies Minor
- Up to 12 credit hours of world language study may be taken in an SMU-approved study abroad program and counted toward the language requirement for any area studies minor.
- Three of nine credit hours in the student’s regional specialization may be taken in an SMU-approved study abroad program and counted toward the minor.