Enhance Your Education

Distinctive Programs in Integrated International Studies

There are ample opportunities to enhance your studies in integrated international studies through independent research, off-campus study, and internships. These programs are integral to a Knox education, teaching you how to apply your skills in “real world” situations.

Student Research and Creative Projects
Knox is a leader in promoting top-notch undergraduate research. In fact, more than 90% of all Knox students complete an independent research or creative project by the time they graduate. Many students’ projects are supported by an unusually rich array of Knox College funding programs that together provide students more than $200,000 each year in support of their work. These sources include: Richter Memorial Scholars Program, Ford Foundation Research Fellows Program, Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program and departmentally supported independent studies. In addition, special fellowships awarded to Knox through national competitions and through the research grants of Knox faculty make Knox a leader in promoting undergraduate research. Examples of some recent student research projects include:

• “The Guatemalan Civil War and its Lasting Impact on the Mayan People,” Hana Lewicki, ’07, Spanish and integrated international studies major, independent study/senior research funded by Richter program.
• “Readings of Moscow,” Joshua Koenigs, ’06, integrated international studies major.
• “Introductory Polish Language,” Emilie McManus, ’06, integrated international studies major.

College Honors
Outstanding students may elect to undertake College Honors in their senior year, carrying out an advanced research project presented and defended to a faculty committee that includes a distinguished outside examiner. Examples of recent Honors projects by integrated international studies students have included:

• “Negotiating Global Identities,” Teresa Lazarz, ’04.
• “Presenting Morality and Mortality: Film as a Political Actor,” Kirsten Meredith, ’01.
• “Bridging the Gap – Zimbabwe: A Case Study of Information Technology Development in Africa,” Matthew Berg, ’00.

Off-Campus Study
Knox’s study abroad programs span the globe, with opportunities for travel and study in most regions of the world. Knox has extensive experience with study abroad, offering three programs of its own: Barcelona, Spain; Besançon, France; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Students also may apply for other programs in which Knox participates throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Recent off-campus programs have included:

• ACM Central Europe
• American University in Cairo
• DIS, Denmark
• Japan Study
• Knox Programs in Barcelona, Besancon, Buenos Aires
• Russia: Krasnodar Semester

QuickStart Language Sequence
Knox’s QuickStart Language program emphasizes active conversation. Courses create a real-world environment and use specialized, fast-paced language drills to reinforce new skills. Vocabulary lessons are geared toward the needs of new professionals facing foreign peers. After just ten weeks in class—that’s why they’re called QuickStart—the courses culminate in a two-week trip to Europe or South America.

Internships
As a student of integrated international relations at Knox, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your education—to get that valuable experience you hear so much about—by completing an internship. Internships provide an opportunity to explore and test career options, to gain experiences and skills needed to succeed as a professional, to build a resume, to network and make critical connections, and to experience a work environment. More and more employers are looking for college graduates with career-related experience.

Students are encouraged to find experiences that not only challenge their language skills in practical ways, but also challenge their ability to adjust to foreign professional environments and business practices. Internships have included work at the German Red Cross, Banco Bilbao in Spain, and Mahindra Consulting in Bombay, India. A recent internship by an integrated international relations major was: