Degree Requirements

Students who successfully complete all of the following requirements will earn a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) upon graduation:

  • Completion of at least 40 courses worth three or more credit hours
  • Completion of at least 120 credit hours
  • Completion of the SFS-Q Core Curriculum
  • Completion of the International Politics, Culture & Politics, or International Economics major program
  • Satisfaction of the Foreign Language Proficiency requirement
  • Attainment of a final cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better
  • Completion of the university's two year residency requirement

Students who transfer to the School of Foreign Service in Qatar must complete a minimum of half of the degree program (20 courses and 60 credit hours) at Georgetown, in addition to meeting the residency requirement.

Students may track their progress towards their degree using the online degree audit.

SFS-Q Core Curriculum

The School of Foreign Service's interdisciplinary core curriculum consists of the following requirements:

  • Proseminar (INAF 100)
  • Two Philosophy courses
    1. Political & Social Thought (PHIL 099)
    2. A second course offered by the Philosophy Department
  • Two Theology courses
    1. The Problem of God (THEO 001) or Introduction to Biblical Literature (THEO 011)
    2. A second course offered by the Theology Department
  • Two Humanities and Writing courses
    1. Critical Writing for International Affairs (ENFL 114) or Critical Reading and Writing (HUMW 011)
    2. Critical Reading and Writing (HUMW 011) for students who took ENFL 114 , or English Gateway (ENGL 043) for students who took HUMW 011
  • Two Government courses
    1. Introduction to International Relations (GOVT 006)
    2. Comparative Political Systems (GOVT 121)
  • Three History courses
    1. Introductory History - Early or Modern (HIST 007 or HIST 008)
      Note: These courses have recently been renumbered. Previously the following courses met this requirement: World History I (HIST 001), World History II (HIST 002), European Civilization I (HIST 033), European Civilization II (HIST 034).
    2. An approved Regional History I
    3. An approved Regional History II
      Note: Students who have not taken American History in secondary school may petition the Deans to substitute US History to 1865 (HIST 180) or US History since 1865 (HIST 181) for the Regional History I and/or II requirement.
  • Four Economics courses
    1. Principles of Microeconomic (ECON 001)
    2. Principles of Macroeconomic (ECON 002)
    3. International Trade (ECON 243)
    4. International Finance (ECON 244)
  • Map of the Modern World (INAF 008)
  • Proficiency in a Modern Foreign Language

Students may track their progress towards their degree using MyDegree, an online degree audit system that is available through MyAccess, or by completing a core curriculum worksheet.

 

Foreign Language Proficiency

In order to earn the BSFS degree, every student in the School of Foreign Service must demonstrate that he or she has the minimum skills necessary to complete academic or professional work in a modern language other than English.

SFS-Q students must plan carefully in advance to complete the proficiency requirement. (For students beginning language instruction, preparation for language proficiency will take 7 semesters.)  Review the language proficiency guidelines published by the School of Foreign Service and meet with your advisory dean  in order to formulate a comprehensive plan of study.

Normally, students demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language in either of the following two ways.

Certification of Native Speaker Status:

Students whose first language is not English may request to be certified as native speakers of a language. Georgetown considers a student a native-speaker of a language if the student graduated from a secondary (or high) school that used the student's first language as the primary language of instruction and if the student is qualified to enter a university that offers primary instruction in that language. In order to be certified as a native speaker, students must present appropriate documentation to the Dean's Office.

Passing a Language Proficiency Examination:

Students who are not native speakers of a modern foreign language must pass a language proficiey examination administered by Georgetown University faculty. Students need the equivalent of seven semesters of university study in a foreign language in order to qualify for the examination. (This includes six semesters of language instruction plus a post-advanced course.)