Northwestern's adjunct major in International Studies is truly a liberal arts program, in the sense of attempting to open up many new perspectives. Its intent is not to train experts on a particular subject or in a particular discipline but rather to introduce students to many different approaches to understanding. This aim underlies the entire curriculum of the program. It is implicit in the interdisciplinary character of the introductory course on the historical development of the world system. While the adjunct major in International Studies is structured to achieve certain pedagogical ends, it is nonetheless a flexible program.
Students can tailor the major to their interests.
After the initial three-quarter Introduction to the World System, majors have considerable choice of courses that may fulfill the requirements of the major. Many different courses, for example, may be used in the study of international politics or economics and in approaches to culture. In the later stages of the program, students may choose to focus on an area of the world, or instead to undertake a broader comparative study. In the latter case, the student is free to choose the topic of research, with International Studies faculty adviser approval as to its feasibility. International Studies asks that its adjunct majors achieve basic competence in a foreign language, as this capability transforms one's perception of the world and the ability to study its complexity.