The undergraduate international studies program provides internationally focused, cross-cultural course work at Ohio State. In cooperation with departments in several colleges, it offers undergraduates interdisciplinary major and minor programs of study concerning different world regions as well as contemporary global themes. The program is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences. There are 11 separate specializations in international studies, divided into two groupings below. Contemporary world affairs Development studies Globalization studies International relations and diplomacy Security and intelligence World economy and business Areas studies Africa East Asia Latin America Middle East Russia and Eastern Europe Western Europe Students can major or minor in any of these specializations or double major in international studies by combining one world affairs and one area studies specialization.

Graduates of the international studies program are widely recognized as having taken a demanding curriculum designed to make them well-informed about world issues, proficient in a foreign language, and possessed of good skills in research, writing and public speaking. The fundamental strengths of the international studies degree are its flexibility and its interdisciplinary character. Profiting from the wide range of curricular options available to them, students have a range of choices that allow them to prepare for graduate/professional school or for careers in a variety of fields, including the private sector, government service and international development agencies.