ICS 195, Comparative Approaches to Global Issues, taken during freshman or sophomore year.
ICS 489S, Capstone seminar, taken senior year; ICS Honors students may substitute first semester of honors thesis course sequence.
Region Concentration
To gain 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.
A region may be chosen 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 should 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. It also recognizes dramatic variety within these regions.
Approved Region courses are archived by semester and available here.
Criteria for Region courses: course content is focused on cultural, social, historical, political, economic, and/or identity dynamics; theoretically informed and empirically engaged with fieldwork, archives, literary, artistic, and cultural artifacts or processes, and/or statistical data; 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.
The four Region courses for the ICS major must come from at least two disciplinary or interdisciplinary homes (determined by the originating departmental sponsor of the course).
Comparative Courses
To deepen the interdisciplinary critical transnational approach introduced in the gateway course, ICS majors complete four courses chosen from an ICS-approved list of “comparative” courses. Approved Comparative courses are archived by semester and available here.
Criteria for Comparative courses: courses are 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 nation-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.
The four Comparative courses for the ICS major must come from at least two disciplinary or interdisciplinary homes (determined by the originating departmental sponsor of the course).
Depth Requirements in Region and Comparative Courses
To ensure depth within the major, ICS majors are allowed no more than one course at the 100 level in the new numbering system (or its equivalent in the old numbering system) to fulfill the eight courses required for Region and Comparative categories. ICS majors are also required to take at least one approved ICS course at the 400 level or above in the new numbering system (or its equivalent in the old numbering system) in the Region or Comparative categories. The second semester of the honors thesis course sequence does not exempt ICS majors from this requirement. ICS treats study abroad courses approved for Region or Comparative as intermediate (between 200 and 399 in the new Trinity course numbering system).
Foreign Language Co-requisite
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 in a part or all of the geographical region of concentration.
Criteria and notes for Foreign Language co-requisite: College Board, IB, or other pre-university language courses, knowledge, or exams cannot be counted toward this co-requisite.
Language courses in fulfillment of the co-requisite can 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 can count toward the Foreign Language co-requisite.
One advanced language course may double count in the appropriate Region or Comparative category if its content meets the Region or Comparative criteria, whether it is offered on Duke's campus or is an approved study away course.
Although the language co-requisite itself is not flexible, there is reasonable flexibility in regard to the courses used to fulfill it in certain cases, such as when a student is fluent in a non-English language widely used in the chosen Region concentration. In such a case, oneof the Foreign Language course co-requisites can be met with a research methods or research analysis course. As needed, further alternative approaches to satisfyingone of the Foreign Language co-requisites can be developed in consultation with the student's ICS advisor and the DUS.
This form will track your progress in the major, through the requirements detailed at left.
Each ICS major must complete a Curricular Plan, updated with and approved by an ICS advisor each semester, to assure they are on track toward fulfilling major requirements.
