Policies

Credit through disciplinary areas

International Studies students can receive credit through the internship courses offered within academic departments (such as Political Science and Public Administration; History; Languages, Literatures and Cultures; etc.). Those disciplinary courses are generally only available to students who are double-majoring (or sometimes minoring) in those areas, and will generally count as an elective toward that major (or minor). Depending on the nature of the experience, such an internship may also count as an elective toward the student’s concentration within International Studies. Students pursuing such internships should make arrangements with the respective department, and contact their advisor or the director of International Studies if they would like to request that the disciplinary internship course be validated as an elective for the International Studies major and/or counted in fulfillment of the International Educational Experience requirement. 

Credit through International Studies

Students also may receive academic credit directly through the International Studies Program, by enrolling in INS4941. Students interested in doing so must follow these steps: 

1. Prior to the semester in which the internship will be undertaken for credit, the student must have successfully completed three upper-level courses within the major, including INS3003 Introduction to International Studies, and have a minimum GPA of 2.75.
2. The student should identify an internship opportunity, and complete and submit any application materials as required by the sponsoring entity. For guidance, see the Internships page of this website.
3. Upon acceptance, the student must secure an offer letter from the on-site internship supervisor (on official letterhead, with an electronic copy being acceptable) indicating the following: the nature of the student’s responsibilities; an approximate indication of the student’s work schedule during the semester in question, for a total of at least 150 hours; and a statement of the supervisor's willingness to provide a written evaluation of the student’s performance the end of the term. (If the student has received an offer letter that does not meet these criteria but which relates to an established institutional internship program, such as those run by government agencies, that letter may be acceptable. Consult with the director of International Studies for assistance.)
4. The student must complete the Internship Agreement found on the Forms page of this website.
5. The offer letter and Internship Agreement form must be submitted to the director of the International Studies Program by the corresponding deadline, as follows: March 15 for summer internships (Register for Summer C); April 1 for fall internships; or November 1 for spring internships. In certain cases, a student who has spoken with the director of International Studies about their application for a specific internship, prior to the deadlines stated here, will be granted an extension to supplied the required materials.
6. A student who would like to use their internship in fulfillment of the International Educational Experience for International Studies must also submit the Request for Approval to Register in INS3950 International Educational Experience, found on the Forms page of the Canvas group site for the International Studies Program.
7. International students (those holding F1 or J1 visas) who seek to pursue internships in the U.S. must submit a completed CPT form to the International Center by the dates indicated in step 5 above.
8. The names of students whose internships are approved will be notified via email that they have been given permission to register for the internship course INS4941.
9. All students whose internships will take place outside the U.S. must meet with the International Center to complete any necessary paperwork by: April 1 for summer internships (Register for Summer C); May 1 for fall internships; or December 1 for spring internships. 
10. The student should consult with their on-site supervisor regarding the preferred method for keeping track of their hours. In most cases, an Excel spreadsheet will be appropriate. The student will submit this record of hours to the on-site supervisor, not to the director of International Studies, and that on-site supervisor will attest to the completion of the total hours (see next item).
11. By the final day of classes of the semester which corresponds to the student’s internship (the Friday before final exams begin—student should refer to the UNF Academic Calendar to determine that date), the student must submit to the director of International Studies the following: the on-site supervisor’s letter, evaluating the students’ work and affirming that at least 150 hours were completed (supervisor may alternatively submit this directly to the director of International Studies ); and a reflective paper of 4-6 double-spaced pages addressing the following questions (in essay, not question-and-answer format): What did you learn during this experience? How has this experience impacted your future academic or professional plans?
12. After reviewing these materials, the director of International Studies will enter a grade for INS4941. 

Last revised 8/23/2022

Most of the disciplinary areas that contribute to International Studies have Directed Independent Studies (DIS) courses in the catalog. Students who complete such courses, supervised by faculty in those areas, can, at the discretion of the director of the International Studies Program, count their DIS as an elective for the International Studies major. All arrangements regarding the content and expectations involved in such experiences will be arranged directly between the student and the faculty member in question. The director of International Studies generally does not coordinate such matters.

The International Studies Program also has its own DIS course: INS4905 Directed Independent Study. Students will only be allowed to use this course code when all the following conditions are met: 

• The student must secure a faculty member (other than the director of the International Studies Program) to supervise their research. The director of International Studies would only serve as instructor of record when the content of a directed independent study related to the director's own research.
• The faculty member must indicate in writing (email is fine) their willingness to serve as the instructor of record for INS4905.
• The student must complete a proposal that conforms to the expectations of both the faculty member and the director of International Studies. Unless the faculty member, the director of International Studies, and the student come to an agreement otherwise, the default proposal form will be the research grant application used by the UNF Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). A student pursuing a DIS is not required to actually submit the grant application to OUR, but is encouraged to do so.   
• All arrangements related to the DIS must be made prior to the end of the spring semester (for summer and fall DIS courses) or the fall semester (for spring DIS courses).

Students pursuing the BA in International Studies must demonstrate intermediate-level proficiency in a language other than English. To do so, several possibilities exist:

1. A student may pass a two-course 1000-level beginning language sequence (eight credits total) and a two-course 2000-level intermediate sequence (six credits total) at UNF, passing all courses with a C or higher.
   
   Students with previous experience in Chinese, French or Spanish may be able to skip courses, and optionally receive retroactive credit by passing a more advanced course. For more information, contact the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, or see the policy on Placement and Retroactive Credit in French, Spanish, and Chinese, elsewhere in this catalog.
   
   Students who choose to pursue language coursework at an institution other than UNF, whether in the US or abroad, must consult beforehand with their advisor and the chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures to ensure that credits will transfer and to complete any necessary paperwork.
   
   Students who desire to complete this requirement with any language other than Chinese, French or Spanish (including German) should first meet with the director of the International Studies program and the chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures to discuss course availability and to acquire the needed permission, granted via the form titled "Request for Permission to Fulfill International Studies Language Requirement with a Language Other than Chinese, French or Spanish," available on the Forms page of the International Studies Program website.
    
2. A student with existing proficiency in Chinese, French or Spanish may meet this requirement by completing one 3000-level course taught in the respective language at UNF with a grade of C or higher.
   
   Students who satisfy the language requirement in this fashion may be able to count the upper-level course in question as an elective for the INS major, and may optionally receive credit for one of the intermediate-level courses skipped. See the policy on Placement and Retroactive Credit in French, Spanish, and Chinese for details.
   
   A student with existing proficiency in a language not taught through the 3000-level at UNF may meet this language requirement by achieving a qualifying score on a standardized assessment tool (generally the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview, or OPI), as deemed appropriate by the director of International Studies, in consultation with the chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and with the student assuming responsibility for any related costs. No credit will be awarded in this scenario.
   
   
3. A student who can provide evidence of having completed high school outside the US at an institution in which English was not the language of instruction may be considered to have already met this requirement, at the discretion of the program director, in consultation with the chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
   
   
4. A student who has transfer credit on their UNF transcript for upper-level coursework for which English was not the language of instruction (completed in the United States or abroad) may be considered to have already met this requirement, at the discretion of the program director, in consultation with the chair of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. If a student has done such coursework but it does not appear as transfer credit on their UNF transcript, it may be possible to determine that the requirement has been met based on a transcript issued directly by the institution in question. Additional documentation may be required to make such a determination.

Students are expected to begin language coursework or make other arrangements for the completion of this requirement during their first semester after declaring the major in International Studies.

This requirement is oriented toward the demonstration of a minimum competency for language learning, and students should realize that intermediate-level language skills, and the degree of cultural fluency that can be gained in four semesters of language coursework, are generally not sufficient for the professional situations in which those pursuing this degree may find themselves. International Studies students therefore are encouraged to minor or double-major in a foreign language. A minor in Chinese, French or Spanish at UNF requires three courses beyond the intermediate level, and those courses can be double-counted between the respective minor and the major in International Studies. Those double-majoring in French Studies or Spanish may count up to 18 upper-level credits towards both degrees.

By "language other than English" this policy refers to languages used today for human communication. Students with questions regarding acceptable languages should contact the program director.

The International Educational Experience requirement is designed to provide students with an experience beyond the traditional campus-based classroom setting that will complement and enhance their program of study.

To satisfy this requirement, a student must complete an activity bearing at least three hours of academic credit (passing with a grade of C or higher) in one of the following settings:

1. A study abroad program led by a member or members of the UNF faculty (including semester-long courses based on campus that contain a study abroad component), or\
2. an exchange program coordinated through the UNF International Center. 

Alternatively, with prior approval by the director, the three credit hours may be earned through one of the following: 

1. A study abroad program offered through another institution or a third party, 
2. direct enrollment at a non-US institution abroad in the context of an in-person (not online) course, or 
3. UNF internship course INS4941, corresponding to an approved internship with an international focus conducted in the US or abroad involving at least 150 hours. 

These three credits will generally be validated as elective credit major, though in some cases they may correspond to other areas of the program of study, such as the foreign language requirement. Students must meet with their advisor and/or the director of International Studies when planning this experience, in order to discuss how the credits earned will fit into their program of study, and to complete any needed paperwork. This is particularly true for students who will be transferring to UNF credits earned through another institution.

INS3950 International Educational Experience is 0-credit course used to record fulfillment of this requirement in the advising system and on the student’s transcript. Students must register for this course during the semester in which they will be undertaking the relevant activity, upon successful completion of which this course is marked as passed. See the section "Registering for and Completing INS3950" below for details.

Coursework that meets the criteria established above may be retroactively applied to the completion of this requirement if credit was awarded within five years prior to declaring the major in International Studies, and at the discretion of the program director. 

US military personnel (whether UNF ROTC, active duty or veteran), as well as any other student, may formally petition to have prior experiences abroad count toward this requirement, with decisions made on a case-by-case basis by the program director and/or a faculty committee. Students whose petitions are approved will be exempted from this requirement, but will not receive three credit hours.

International students (those holding F-1 and J-1 visas) are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs and/or US-based internships, but this requirement is waived for such students, as their coursework at UNF is deemed to meet or exceed the expectation this requirement places on US-based students. These students likewise will be exempted, but will not receive three credit hours.

Students for whom this requirement may raise financial concerns should consult with the International Center for assistance in identifying funding sources, or with the director of International Studies to discuss opportunities for relevant internships in the North Florida area.

This requirement cannot be met with a directed independent study, except under exceptional circumstances and by permission of the program director. 

Students are expected to develop a plan for completing this requirement by the end of their first semester after declaring the major, in consultation with their advisor or the director of International Studies, along with the faculty leaders of UNF study abroad programs and the staff of the International Center.

The language on this page was approved by the UNF Faculty Association on January 26, 2017. Minor updates have been made since that date. 

INS3950 is a 0-credit course used to mark completion of the International Educational Experience requirement on a student's transcript. A student must register for this during the semester in which he/she will be undertaking an activity (study abroad or internship) in fulfillment of the International Educational Experience requirement, in addition to any related study abroad or internship courses.

To do so, the student must first request permission by completing and submitting the document titled "Request for Approval to Register in INS3950 International Educational Experience" found on the Forms page of the Canvas site for International Studies. That form is designed to help prevent problems that have arisen in the past. The director of International Studies can generally simplify the form for students who contact him before attempting to fill it out.

Once the student's request is approved, they will receive an email indicating that they have approval in the system to register for INS3950. 

Students will be required to submit a short written reflection about their experience, and possibly other documentation, in order to have INS3950 marked as completed at the end of the term in question. Details will be provided in the course site in Canvas for INS3950 for the corresponding semester.