School of International Studies

Dean’s Message

There are thousands of colleges and universities in the United States, and more thousands world-wide. Almost all of them offer some form of international affairs program.  Why choose the University of the Pacific's School of International Studies? As you are searching for a college, you will notice that everybody says just about the same thing.  How are we not like the others?  Why are we better?

First, we are a university-based school dedicated to international studies, not merely a department or interdepartmental program.   In the whole country, there are only five others like us.   That means you get the advantages that only a comprehensive university can offer: the breadth and resources and a faculty and student body all working on international issues at the core of the school.  We have small classes and faculty who really do love teaching, and are good at it (or we wouldn't have hired them) and students who are unusually bright, worldly and fun. 

Second, we require that every student study abroad and learn another language in order to graduate. We offer more than 100 different programs in more than 60 countries to suit every need and interest.  We are absolutely committed to the idea that you cannot begin to understand the world if you never leave home.  Major employers around the world hire our students because they have lived and studied in another country.

Third, we have created the best undergraduate cross-cultural training program in the country to maximize the study abroad experience and enrich all of our course offerings.  See our website (What’s Up with Culture at www.pacific.edu) for details—it's exciting stuff. 

Fourth, we actively promote internship and work experience both nationally and abroad for every student, believing that preparation for real work in the world should be fundamental to the undergraduate experience and not begin the day after graduation.  Our new Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship has fully-funded global internships.  If you come to SIS we commit to providing you a domestic or international internship. Last summer we had students working in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Asia.  We have recently hired one of the UN’s Coordinators for Darfur who is teaching for us and helping to set up new internships and programs around the world.

Fifth, our programs are interdisciplinary.  All global challenges and careers will require an integrated knowledge of many fields—of history and ecology and economics and language and politics, geography and culture, to name a few.  So, from the first course you take with us, we will be emphasizing the interconnectedness of the world.  We offer four distinctive majors in SIS. The International Relations major is designed for students interested in comparative and international politics, and prepares you for careers in government and law.  The Global Studies major is designed for students who want to spend two semesters abroad.  The Development and Cultural Change major is designed for students with an interest in international development and prepares students for work with international and non-governmental organizations.  International Affairs and Commerce is designed for students with an interest in economics; especially those who intend to work in international business. You can also enter as an Exploratory major and decide on your focus after you have taken a few classes.

At Pacific, we offer numerous competitive academic scholarships. In addition, we have a Global Ambassador scholarship for students who have participated in extended study abroad programs in high school such as YFU, AFS and Rotary International. We would like to invite you to visit our beautiful campus so that you can see first-hand how your interests and achievements would be integrated into your college experience if you choose Pacific. We can arrange a weekday visit for you where you will be able to tour the campus, meet with our faculty and staff, sit in on one of our team-taught courses, and have lunch with current SIS students. To arrange a visit call Ms. Kathleen Hastings, SIS Coordinator, at (209) 946-2650.

At SIS we pride ourselves in the personal attention every student receives. In that spirit, let me invite you to contact me directly should you have any questions about our program. I can be reached at deansis@pacific.edu

(Pictured top-right: Dean Margee Ensign and  Sakena Yacoobi, global activist and Skoll award winner. Yacoobi, a Pacific alumna, was also awarded an  honorary doctorate from Pacific.)