Contact Us
Students will need to log in to access most of the forms below. Please drop the "student" in your email address when logging in (username@american.edu).
Course Planning
An academic planning sheet and approved courses for this semester are available here.
Internships
Internships are a great way to gain practical experience and explore possible careers. You can do an internship whether or not you earn credit for it. Earning credit for an internship can help you to manage your time.
Before you can do an internship for credit, you need to have an internship offer. The SIS Office of Career Development can help you find and apply for internships.
Registration Process & Policies
Registration Process
If you decide to do the internship for credit, you must enroll in an online class. During the semester, one section of the class is for sophomores and juniors and one section is for seniors. Internships are 5 hours per week per credit (ie 3/week=1 credit, 9/week=3 credits for a maximum of 6 credits.)
For Spring 2025:
001: Seniors with Prof. Onder
002: All other students with Prof. Levinson
Please note: Professor Egan wants to speak with all students before signing their registration forms.听听
You cannot add the class to your schedule in Student Planning. Use the forms below instead.听听The forms require multiple signatures and can take up to two weeks to complete. Please plan ahead.
- (for all internships)
If you are seeking major credit for your internship, please also use the Internship Credit Request form in the Course Review section below on this page to send your request to the approprite department.
Rules & Limitations
- First-year students must complete 30 academic credits in residence at 猫咪社区app University before registering for an internship. Transfer and exam credits do not count towards the required 30 credits.
- Transfer students may register for an internship after finishing 12 credits in residence at 猫咪社区app University.
- A maximum of 12 credits of self-designed work is permitted in the major.
- Internships for thematic or regional credit must be for a minimum of three credits. Internships for elective credit may be for fewer credits. All SIS internships must be taken for an A-F grade.
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F-1 students may only take 1 online class (or 3 credits) as part of their full-time enrollment requirement each semester. J-1 students may not take any online classes. F-1 students may not do a second internship at the same location unless the second internship is academically different than the first internship.听听International Students must complete CPT or OPT with ISSS.
Last updated: 11 February听2019
Study Abroad
Typically, SIS students听study abroad during their junior year for one semester.听
Eligibility & Course Approval Process
- Demonstrate satisfactory academic progress
Students going abroad for a semester must听complete and pass the following:
- Math (Q1) requirement
- College Writing (W1) Sequence (WRTG-100 and 101 or equivalent)
- SISU-205
- SISU-206 and SISU-306
- Research study abroad programs two semesters before leaving
- Learn about possible study abroad programs on the AU Abroad website
- Carefully review courses in the
- Develop a preferred schedule for each program you are considering
- Select as many SISA courses as possible if you want major credit
- To have new courses approved, submit a request through the course equivalency database
- If you have less than one year remaining when you return from abroad, please meet with an SIS advisor to discuss your academic plan. Otherwise, complete .
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Independent Work Options
Choose one of the four possible independent work combinations available to School of International Service (SIS) undergraduate students.听12 credits听is the maximum for independently designed work.
Internship & Independent Study Combinations
Option 1
3 credits in major听internships
3 credits in major independent study
6 credits in elective internship or independent study
Option 2
3 credits in major internship
9 credits in elective internship or independent study
Option 3
6听credits in self-designed capstone
6 credits in elective internship or independent study
Option 4
12 credits in elective internship or independent study
Independent Study
Independent Studies are an option for self-directed students with a strong interest in a research area that is not covered by the courses SIS typically offers
Registration Process & Policies
Preparing for your project
What do you want to know or be able to do at the end of this project? If you are completing directed reading, what do you want to learn about? If you are conducting independent research, what is your research question? If you can't define a research question or learning goal for your directed reading project, speak with an academic advisor.
Draft your research abstract or directed reading proposal. Explain what your focus is, why you want to pursue it and what you hope to learn by the end of the semester if you complete the project. Meet with a faculty member to review your proposal and make modifications as needed.
Registration Process
You cannot add the class to your schedule in student planning. The forms below will add the class to your schedule.
You must complete the Independent Study Eligibility form in person with an advisor. The approved SIS Independent Study Supplement must be attached to the Independent Study Registration form. The Independent Study Registration form is online only.
- Request for Registration Action (if you are dropping a class)
Rules & Limitations
- All independent studies must be supervised by a full-time SIS faculty member.
- You must successfully complete Introduction to International Studies Research (SISU-206) before registering for an independent study.
- Independent studies for regional or thematic credit can only be completed for three credits each.
- If you want the course to apply to a major requirement, your proposal must be reviewed and approved by the Undergraduate Program Director.
- A maximum of 12 credits of self-designed work is permitted in the major.
- Students wishing to complete an independent study capstone must commit to a full year 6 credit project. Please speak with an academic advisor during junior year if this option interests you.
Course numbers
- SISU-390 Directed Reading - with instructions from faculty (sophomores and juniors)
- SISU-490 Independent Study Project - Full Year Capstones Only
A directed reading is a project in which a student completes a series of predetermined readings and submits work based on those readings. An independent study project is a course in which a student does an independent research on a topic agreed upon by the student and faculty.
Last updated: 27听September 2018
Consortium
The gives students the opportunity to take courses that 猫咪社区app University does not offer.
Registration Information & Participating Universities
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
If you are interested in a registering for a course at another school, please contact that department to determine if they require any prerequisites or placement exams. Before you can enroll, the syllabus for the class must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate academic department at 猫咪社区app University.
It is important to leave generous commuting time in your schedule if you choose to take a consortium class. Please also note that you will only be registered for a consortium course in there is still space available during the first week of school at that institution.
Please note, you will pay the AU tuition rate to take consortium courses at these schools.
Participating Universities
Last update: 24 May 2023
Course Review
There are courses approved to fulfill SIS thematic and regional area requirements noted in the catalog. If you would like a course that is not on those lists reviewed to possibly apply to a regional or thematic area, please complete this form.
Review Forms
Review Forms
Please use these forms if you would like a department to review a course or internship for thematic or regional credit.
Please note: If you are seeking internship credit, you must also register for the internship course.
Environment, Development & Health
- Environmental Sustainability and Global Health (ESGH)听
- Global Inequality and Development (GID)
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Politics, Governance & Economics
- Global and Comparative Governance (GCG)
- Global Economy (GE)
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Peace, Human Rights & Cultural Relations
- Peace, Global Security, and Conflict Resolution (PGSCR)
- Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights (JEHR)
- Identity, Race, Gender, and Culture (IRGC)
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Foreign Policy and Global Security
- Foreign Policy and National Security (FPNS)
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Global Inquiry
- SISU-206
- SISU-306
- SISU-393
Regional Courses
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