The practice of diplomacy in the 21st Century requires new and creative responses to the complex nature of bridge building, community formation and conflict resolution. While the work of nation-state diplomatic corps representatives remains central to such efforts, diplomacy is also practiced by multiple non-state actors and individuals, including business people, scientists, artists, community organizers, activists, clergy and educators. Diplomacy today is truly transprofessional.
DePaul's program in Applied Diplomacy addresses these realities through an innovative program designed to train a new generation of diplomats. At both the undergraduate and graduate level the curriculum is multidisciplinary in expertise, deeply rooted in an ethic of collaboration and is designed to serve the needs of bridge builders across multiple boundaries of difference.
What would it look like if a future nation-state diplomat spent time with Chicago-based community organizers, in order to learn about the real-world intricacies of negotiation and coalition-building across boundaries of difference? Can you imagine a world in which a Chicago community organizer has the same background in international relations, international political economy and mediation as a peer in the foreign service?
DePaul’s Applied Diplomacy program is dedicated to re-conceptualizing the practice of diplomacy to make these interconnections possible. Uniting traditional and non-traditional approaches to the field, the program seeks to transform our understanding of both. We emphasize the critical necessity for practitioners of diplomacy to become culturally, racially, ethnically, ecologically and religiously literate, and embrace an interdisciplinary and intercultural definition of the term diplomacy.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 84 |
| Degree (Core + Concentration) Requirements | 84 |
| Open Electives | 24 |
| Total hours required | 192 |
Learning Outcomes
- Mastery of Content – Students will be able to describe and explain core concepts within the field of diplomatic studies in their local, national, and international contexts.
- Critical Thinking – Students will be able to analyze a given diplomatic issue from diverse perspectives and/or theoretical approaches.
- Articulate Expression – Students will be able to compose clear and well-organized written or verbal explanations of diplomatic phenomena and support these explanations with evidence.
- Ethical Analysis – Students will be able to evaluate diplomatic institutions, practices, and theories regarding social justice.
College Core Requirements
Study in the Major Field
The student’s course of study in the College consists of three parts: Liberal Studies, the major field, and electives. Together these three parts contribute to the liberal education of the student which is the common purpose of all study in the College. By “liberal education” the College understands not only a deep and thorough knowledge of a particular area of study but a knowledge of the diverse areas of study represented by criticism, history, the arts, the behavioral and social sciences, philosophy, religious studies, the natural science, and mathematics.
The major field program generally is built upon a set of core courses and a specialized “concentration.” The number of courses required for a major varies by department. Most students go beyond the minimum requirements, electing additional courses which both broaden and deepen their understanding of their chosen discipline.
Because no academic major program is built in isolation, students are required to pursue a number of electives of the student’s choice. The inherent flexibility of this curriculum demands that the student consult an academic advisor at each stage in the total program and at least once prior to each registration.
Students will be prompted to visit the College Office for their official graduation check early in their senior year.
Declaration of Major, Minor and Concentration
All students in the College are required to declare a major field prior to beginning their junior year. The student will then be assigned a faculty advisor in the major field department or program and should make an appointment to see that advisor at his or her earliest convenience.
Students must declare or change majors, minors, and concentrations, via Campus Connection. However, for the purpose of exploring the possibility of changing a major field, the student should consult an academic advisor in the Office for Academic Advising Support.
The Modern Language Requirement (MLR)
All students will be required to demonstrate competence in a modern language (i.e., a language other than English) equivalent to the proficiency attained from one year of college-level language study. This Modern Language Requirement (MLR) may be demonstrated by:
- placing into 104 or above on the DePaul language placement exam
- completing the last course or earning AP/IB credit for the last course in the first-year college sequence of any language (e.g. 103 for DePaul language classes)
- completing a college course or earning AP/IB credit for a college course beyond the first-year level in any language (e.g. 104 or above for DePaul language classes)
- completing the final course of a four-year sequence of the same modern language in high school*
- completing a proctored exam by BYU and passing the exam (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
- completing a proctored Written Proficiency Test (WPT) by Language Testing International (LTI) and achieving a score of Beginner High or above (see the Department of Modern Languages website for registration details)
*Students are strongly encouraged to take the DePaul language placement exam even if they have met the MLR via study of a language in high school. This will ensure continuation of language study at the proper level.
Please note: Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Requirement.
Students who complete an Inter-College Transfer (ICT) to the College will abide by the MLR in place on the effective date of the ICT, regardless of when they first matriculated at DePaul.
Students who have met the MLR and wish to pursue further work in the language may elect the “Modern Language Option” (see below).
The Modern Language Option (MLO)
The Modern Language Option is available to all BA students who wish to study a modern language beyond the level required by their College, and to all other undergraduate students without a modern language requirement who wish to study a language at any level.
Students selecting the MLO may substitute a sequence of three courses in the same language for three domain courses.
The three MLO substitutions must be made in three different domains, and any substitutions must be consistent with the principle that students complete at least one course in each learning domain.
MLO substitutions may not be used to replace requirements in the Math & Computing, and Scientific Inquiry, domains.
Students majoring in one modern language may use the Modern Language Option for study of a second language at the Intermediate level or above.
Modern Languages courses with an E-designation are taught in English and may not be applied to the Modern Language Option.
NOTE: Please contact your college/school regarding additional information and restrictions about the Modern Language Option.
External Credit and Residency
A student who has been admitted to the College begins residency within the college as of the first day of classes of the term in which the student is registered. Students in residence, whether attending on a full-time or part-time basis, may not take courses away from DePaul University without the written permission of the college. Permission must be obtained in advance of registration to avoid loss of credit or residency in the college; see the LAS website for more information.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| LSP 112 | FOCAL POINT SEMINAR | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Required | 4 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| DPL 350 | APPLIED DIPLOMACY SENIOR CAPSTONE 1 | 4-4.5 |
- 1
Students must earn C- or better in this course.
- 2
Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Learning Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the Scientific Inquiry Learning Domain. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam or it may be fulfilled by credit for advanced math coursework earned in-residence at DePaul (MAT 135, MAT 136, MAT 147, MAT 148, MAT 149, MAT 150, MAT 151, MAT 152 MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 162 MAT 170, MAT 171, MAT 172, or equivalent) or earned externally either as transfer credit from another college/university or as test credit through AP, CLEP, IB, or International A and A/S Level exams. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfill any of the three QR/MCD requirements.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
- 3 Courses Required
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 2 Courses Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 CR Course, and 1 SR Course]
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 2 Courses Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 2 Courses Required1
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 2 Courses Required
[1 Lab Course, and 1 SWK Course]
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- 1 Course Required
Notes
Specified required courses within Liberal Studies may have grade minimums (e.g. C- or better). Please consult your advisor or your college and major requirements.
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major. Students who choose to take an experiential learning course offered by the major may count it either as a general elective or the Experiential Learning requirement.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Major Core Requirements
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DPL 200 | DIPLOMACY: ITS PAST AND PRESENT | 4 |
| DPL 201 | DIPLOMACY: ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE | 4 |
| DPL 202 | TRANSPROFESSIONAL MEDIATION AND NEGOTIATION | 4 |
| DPL 203 | CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY | 4 |
| DPL 350 | APPLIED DIPLOMACY SENIOR CAPSTONE | 4 |
| GEO 233 | COMPARATIVE URBANISM | 4 |
| INT 200 | INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL ECONOMY | 4 |
| INT 201 | NATION STATES, NATIONALISM, EMPIRE | 4 |
| PSC 140 | INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | 4 |
| PSC 150 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS | 4 |
| Modern Language Component | 24 | |
Modern Language Courses
The Applied Diplomacy program stresses the importance of language study for its students and offers ample opportunity to advance linguistic and cultural competence. All majors are required to complete a minimum of six language study courses (24 credit hours) and encouraged to go beyond this minimum if possible. Any courses taken must align with the incoming language proficiency level of the student, and will be taken according to the following guidelines:
For students with no second language background:
- Six courses to develop intermediate proficiency of a new language.
For students with some knowledge of another language:
- Option A: six courses to refine the linguistic and communicative intercultural skills of the language in which the student already has proficiency;
- Option B: A total of six language courses across two languages, including one to five courses in the modern language in which they have some experience, to achieve at a minimum intermediate proficiency in that language; and one to five courses in a second language of their choice.
Students are encouraged to begin their language studies as soon as possible following their declaration of an Applied Diplomacy major.
The six course language requirement cannot be waived. English as a second language cannot count for this modern language requirement.
Concentrations, tracks and specializations provide focus to the major. In addition to any college core requirements, liberal studies requirements and major requirements, students are required to choose one of the following concentrations. Majors will take six courses from their chosen concentration, two of which must be at the 300 level.
- Diplomacy and Critical Theory, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy and International Law, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy and International Political Economy, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy and International Relations, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy and Religion, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy and the Arts, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy, Culture, and Identity, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Diplomacy, Non-Governmental Organizations, and Peacebuilding, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Environmental Diplomacy, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- History of Diplomacy, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Language and Diplomacy, Applied Diplomacy (BA)
- Urban Diplomacy, Applied Diplomacy (BA)