Course Catalog

Global Studies Catalog Information


Programs offered
• Major in Global Studies
Thematic Concentrations:
– Development Studies Concentration (44 credits)
– Global Environmental Studies Concentration (48 credits)
– Global Systems and Processes Concentration (44 credits)
– Worlds in Dialogue Concentration (40 credits)
Regional Concentrations:
– Asian Studies Concentration (32 credits plus language
requirement)
– European Studies Concentration (36 credits plus language
requirement)
– Latin American Studies Concentration (32 credits plus
language requirement)
– Scandinavian Studies Concentration (32 credits plus language
requirement)

Faculty
Global Studies Program Steering Committee
Kenneth W. Foster, chair
Per M. Anderson
Jonathan P. Clark
Nicholas R. Ellig
Eduardo Gargurevich
Milda O. Halvorson
Linda L. Johnson
Jan H. Pranger

Development Studies Concentration
Nicholas R. Ellig, co-chair
Kenneth W. Foster, co-chair
Global Environmental Studies Concentration
D. Bryan Bishop, co-chair
Peter C. Hovde, co-chair
Global Systems and Processes Concentration
Nicholas R. Ellig, chair
Worlds in Dialogue Concentration
Jan H. Pranger, chair
Asian Studies Concentration
Linda L. Johnson, chair
European Studies Concentration
Jonathan P. Clark, chair
Latin American Studies Concentration
Eduardo Gargurevich, chair
Scandinavian Studies Concentration
Milda O. Halvorson, chair

The global studies program is designed for students who are interested in combining the insights found in diverse disciplines as they seek to understand global issues and explore solutions to global problems. The program is also for students who wish to acquire expertise in a specific region of the world while developing a global perspective on that region. Students majoring in global studies choose one concentration on which to focus. Four of the available concentrations focus on a theme or issue area: Development Studies, Global Environmental Studies, Global Systems and Processes, and Worlds in Dialogue. The other four available concentrations focus on a geographic region: Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies and Scandinavian Studies. In all concentrations, students apply multiple disciplinary and regional perspectives to study issues of global importance. They also take three required common courses for the major: GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies; GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies; and GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar. Concordia’s global studies major is unique in that it engages students in dialogue across the traditionally disparate areas of global and regional (or area) studies.

All majors are strongly encouraged to take part in at least one study abroad program (including semester abroad programs, May seminars, summer school abroad courses, and summer field study courses) during their time at Concordia. The global studies program works closely with students to enable credits earned through study abroad to be counted toward their global studies major requirements.

Majors are also encouraged to pursue experiential learning opportunities such as internships and service-learning programs, earning cooperative education credits either through GS 390 – Cooperative Education or through completion of a 390 course in another department. The program works with majors to enable cooperative education credits to be counted toward their global studies major requirements.

The global studies program equips students with the expertise needed to thrive in an interconnected world and enables students to pursue their passionate interests in issues facing our global community and societies across the world.

Students majoring in global studies pursue diverse programs of study depending on which concentration they choose and which particular courses they take as electives within their concentration. However, the program provides all students with learning experiences that prepare them to achieve a common set of learning outcomes, which include being able to:
• use their understanding of the diverse forms of interconnectedness found in our world today, and their familiarity with the major institutions, processes, and actors that animate the global community, to analyze and explore solutions to contemporary problems
• use their understanding of how the existence of diverse cultural traditions and normative frameworks affects our contemporary world, and of how we might move toward greater intercultural understanding, to analyze and explore solutions to contemporary problems
• utilize a distinctive global perspective as they reflect on a wide variety of issues and as they pursue their chosen career
• integrate diverse forms of knowledge and diverse perspectives in order to advance understanding and address problems
• demonstrate a critical degree of competency in a particular thematic or regional area of concentration
• demonstrate the ability to analyze information and trends, formulate appropriate and interesting questions, and develop innovative answers and solutions
• possess a thoughtful sense of their personal place within the global community and thoughtful positions on the major ethical issues that surround the study of our increasingly globalized world

The global studies program cooperates closely with other departments on campus, and many global studies majors pursue a second major in a traditional academic discipline.

Thematic Concentrations
(four concentrations offered)
Major in Global Studies with a Development Studies Concentration
This concentration is for students who are interested in issues concerning poverty, inequality and socioeconomic development. The curriculum enables students to gain expertise in the social, political and economic aspects of poverty, inequality and the effort to promote socioeconomic development. The requirements for a major in global studies with a development studies concentration are 44 credits:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• 4 credits from a course on comparative political analysis and international relations, chosen from the following:
– PSC 241 – International Politics, 4 credits
– PSC 256 – Comparative Politics, 4 credits
• 8 credits from a course that includes a focus on international economics, chosen from the following:
– BUS 201 – Principles of Global Economics, 4 credits (required)
– ECON 302 – Intermediate Macroeconomics, 4 credits OR
– ECON 333/335 – International Economics, 4 credits
• 8 credits from courses focused entirely on the subject of socioeconomic development, chosen from the following:
– PSC 328 – The Politics of Development, 4 credits
– SOC 312 – Global Development Issues, 4 credits
– REL 340 – Ethics of Aid and Development, 4 credits
• 4 credits from a course focused on the history of Africa, Asia or Latin America, chosen from the following:
– HIST 320 – Latin American History, 4 credits
– HIST 342 – Modern East Asian History, 4 credits
– HIST 352 – The Rise of Modern Africa, 4 credits
• 4 credits from a course with subject matter that is relevant to the study of global socioeconomic development, poverty and inequality, chosen from the following:
– EDUC 330 – Comparative Education, 4 credits
– ENG 451 – Postcolonial Literatures, 4 credits
– ENVR 360 – Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, 4 credits
– FREN 223 – Race, Gender and Power in the Francophone World, 4 credits
– HIST 344 – Women and Development: The Asian Experience, 4 credits
– PSC 365 – Global Sustainability Issues, 4 credits
– REL 386 – Religion in the Postcolonial World, 4 credits
– SOC 217 – Cultural Anthropology, 4 credits
– SOC 339 – Urban Communities, 4 credits
• 4 credits earned through a study abroad or experiential learning opportunity. Credits must be approved by the chair of the global studies program. Credits may be earned in the following ways:
– completion of a relevant 4-credit Cooperative Education course (390);
– completion of a relevant 4-credit course taken as part of a study abroad experience that is related in some way to the study of development.
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Major in Global Studies with a Global Environmental Studies Concentration
This concentration is for students who are interested in gaining the expertise necessary for engaging with the ecological and environmental issues facing humanity. Environmental problems and their solutions are explored from a distinctly global perspective. The requirements for a major in global studies with a global environmental studies concentration are 48 credits:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• ENVR 103 – Ecosystems and Human Influence, 4 credits
• BIOL 122 – Evolution and Diversity, 4 credits
• BIOL 221 – Ecology, 4 credits
• ENVR 360 – Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, 4 credits
• BUS 201 – Principles of Global Economics, 4 credits
• REL 348 – Ethics of Sustainable Community, 4 credits
• 8 credits from relevant courses in the social sciences or humanities, chosen from the following. At least 4 credits must be from PSC 350, PSC 365 or PSC 367.
– ECON 320 – Energy, Environment and Economics, 4 credits
– ECON 274 – Introduction to Business and Economics Statistics, 4 credits
– MATH 205 – Introduction to Statistics, 4 credits
– PSC 311 – Methods and Techniques of Political Analysis, 4 credits
– PSC 328 – Politics of Development, 4 credits
– PSC 350 – Environmental Politics and Policies, 4 credits
– PSC 365 – Global Sustainability Issues, 4 credits
– PSC 367 – Arctic Environmental Governance, 4 credits
– PSYC 230 – Statistics and Psychology Measurement, 4 credits
– REL 340 – Ethics of Aid and Development, 4 credits
– SOC 228 – Research Methods and Statistics, 4 credits
– SOC 312 – Global Development Issues, 4 credits
• 4 credits earned through a study abroad or experiential learning opportunity. Credits must be approved by the chair of the concentration. Credits may be earned in one of the following ways:
– completion of a relevant 4-credit cooperative education course (390);
– completion of a 4-credit independent study research project (490) that involves original field research;
– completion of a relevant 4-credit course taken as part of a study abroad experience that is related in some way to the study of global environment issues.
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Major in Global Studies with a Global Systems and Processes Concentration
Students pursuing this concentration will explore the contemporary institutions, assumptions, norms and practices that transcend individual states and civilizations and shape the interactions – social, political, economic and religious – of the peoples and states of the world. Students will not only explore the evolution of these various arrangements (including institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization), they will also be encouraged to think about the implications of current trends and developments for the future of these arrangements. Requirements for a major in global studies with a global systems and processes concentration are 44 credits:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity, and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• BUS 201 – Principles of Global Economics, 4 credits
• ECON 333 – International Economics I, 2 credits
• ECON 335 – International Economics II, 2 credits
• HIST 152 – World in Perspective since 1500, 4 credits
• PSC 241 – International Politics, 4 credits
• REL 392 – Religion and World Affairs, 4 credits OR
REL 339 – World Christianity, 4 credits
• SOC 312 – Global Development Issues, 4 credits OR
SOC 328 – Class, Race, and Ethnicity, 4 credits
• 4-credits from an international perspectives course (explores the social, political, economic, or religious interactions of two or more states or geographic regions with an eye both to discerning areas of disagreement and common ground and to exploring the impact of these relationships on the global system), selected from the following:
– HIST 314 – U.S. Foreign Policy, 4 credits
– HIST 336 – Clash of Cultures: The World and the West, 4 credits
– PSC 332 – U.S.-China Relations, 4 credits
– PSC 352 – U.S. Foreign Policy, 4 credits
• 4-credits from a global perspectives course (focuses on social, political, and economic problems in a global context, with particular attention to exploring the role of contemporary institutions, assumptions, norms and practices in addressing these various problems), selected from the following:
– GEOG 201 – World Geography, 4 credits
– PSC 328 – The Politics of Development, 4 credits
– PSC 365 – Global Sustainability Issues, 4 credits
– PSC 360 – International Security, 4 credits
– PSC 441 – Ethics and International Relations, 4 credits
– REL 340 – Ethics of Aid and Development, 4 credits
– REL 348 – Ethics of Sustainable Community, 4 credits
– SOC 217 – Cultural Anthropology, 4 credits
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Major in Global Studies with a Worlds
in Dialogue Concentration
Students selecting this concentration will explore the interaction or dialogue between different “worlds” (e.g., geographical, cultural, philosophical) with an eye to proposing solutions for the global issues (political, social, cultural, technological, etc.) that arise when “worlds” in the interdependent global environment interface with each other. The requirements for a major in global studies with a worlds in dialogue concentration are 40 credits:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• 4 credits from a course that introduces students to modes of inquiry and theories of cross-cultural analysis selected from the following:
– COM 316 – Intercultural Communication, 4 credits
– ENG 160 – Global Literature and Human Experience, 4 credits
– PSC 256 – Comparative Politics, 4 credits
– PSYC 420 – Cross-Cultural Psychology, 4 credits
– REL 339 – World Christianity, 4 credits
– SOC 217 – Cultural Anthropology, 4 credits
– SOC 328 – Class, Race and Ethnicity, 4 credits
• 12 credits from “global discourse” courses that analyze contemporary global problems from multiple intercultural perspectives (political, cultural, geographical, religious, historical or philosophical), selected from the following (no more than 4 credits may be selected from any one department):
– ENG 451 – Postcolonial Literatures, 4 credits
– FREN 223 – Race, Gender and Power in the Francophone World, 4 credits
– HIST 151 – World in Perspective to 1500, 4 credits
– HIST 152 – World in Perspective since 1500, 4 credits
– HISP 311 – U.S.-Latin American Relations, 4 credits
– HIST 344 – Women and Development: The Asian Experience, 4 credits
– HIST 370 – Islam and the West, 4 credits
– PSC 256 – Comparative Politics, 4 credits
– PSC 332 – U.S.-China Relations, 4 credits
– REL 334 – Monotheisms: Jewish, Christian and Muslim, 4 credits
– REL 339 – World Christianity, 4 credits
– REL 386 – Religion in the Postcolonial World, 4 credits
• 12 credits from “world community” courses that engage students in critical analysis of possible solutions – world views, norms, policies, social movements, law – to contemporary global problems, selected from the following:
– ECON 333 – International Economics I, 2 credits
– ECON 335 – International Economics II, 2 credits
– PSC 241 – International Politics, 4 credits
– PSC 352 – U.S.-Foreign Policy, 4 credits
– PSC 360 – International Security, 4 credits
– PSC 441 – Ethics and International Relations, 4 credits
– REL 340 – Ethics of Aid and Development, 4 credits
– REL 348 – Ethics of Sustainable Community, 4 credits
– REL 392 – Religion and World Affairs, 4 credits
– SOC 312 – Global Development Issues, 4 credits
– SOC 328 – Class, Race and Ethnicity, 4 credits
– SPAN 386, PSC 386 – Modern Spain: A Critical Look (Segovia Program), 4 credits
Students must complete seven distinct courses in the above three categories (one course cannot count in more than one category).
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Regional Studies Concentrations
(four regional concentrations offered)
Students pursuing these concentrations will focus their study in a particular geographical and cultural region. Attention will be devoted to exploring a region’s unique history, institutions, assumptions and practices. Students selecting this concentration will be expected to complete a language requirement linked to their particular region of study.

Major in Global Studies
with an Asian Studies Concentration
The requirements for a major in global studies with an Asian studies concentration are 32 credits plus the language requirement:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 220 – Asia in a Global Age: An Introduction, 4 credits
• 16 additional credits selected from the following courses. To fulfill these requirements, courses must be primarily focused on Asia; if comparative, a minimum of one-half of the course content addresses Asia and a comparison with Asia is integral to the course (courses must be selected from no fewer than three academic departments).
– ART 369 – 18th and 19th Century Art In the East and West, 4 credits
– ART 374 – Art and Religion, 4 credits
– HIST 341 – Foundations of East Asian Civilization, 4 credits
– HIST 342 – Modern East Asian History, 4 credits
– HIST 344 – Women and Development: The Asian Experience, 4 credits
– PHIL 314 – Asian Philosophy, 4 credits
– PSC 332 – U.S.-China Relations, 4 credits
– PSC 338 – Chinese Politics, 4 credits
– REL 338 – Religions of East Asia, 4 credits
– REL 387 – Religions of India, 4 credits
– THR 335 – Non-Western Theatres and Cultures, 4 credits
– India Program: Social Justice, Peace and Development: A Semester in India (16 credits available)
– Kanda Program, Japan (12 credits available)
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Language Requirement:
• Demonstration of proficiency in an Asian language at the level of a 212 (fourth semester) language course. This may be fulfilled in the following ways:
• Completion of Chinese 212 or higher course
• Completion of Japanese 202 or higher course through the Tri-College (MSUM)
• Transfer of credit earned at another institution (for the study of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Vietnamese or other Asian language) equivalent to the level of a 212 or higher course at Concordia.

Recommended Study Abroad Options:
• Social Justice, Peace, and Development: A Semester in India
• United International College, Zhuhai, China
• Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, China
• World Christianity Semester, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong, China
• Kanda University, Chiba, Japan

Major in Global Studies with a European Studies Concentration
The requirements for a major in global studies with a European studies concentration are 36 credits plus the language requirement:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity, and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• 8 credits from courses that explore the question of Europe from historical and contemporary perspectives, chosen from the following:
– HIST 131 – European History in Perspective to 1500, 4 credits
– HIST 132 – European History in Perspective since 1500, 4 credits
– PSC 241 – International Politics, 4 credits
• 12 additional credits from courses that focus on European society and political perspectives. The question here is how one defines community in European context and what the issues are which either help provide cohesion whether on a regional, national or European-wide basis or place that sense of identity into question.
– Students must take a minimum of 4 credits from each of the two areas listed below.
– No more than one course may be taken within the same discipline.
– Many of these electives require language proficiency at the 212 level or above. See catalog course descriptions for prerequisite information.

Area 1: Defining Community through the Arts. Understanding the role of culture in providing a sense of identity.
– ART 365 – Art of the Italian Renaissance, 4 credits
– ART 367 – 20th Century Art, 4 credits
– CRDO 131 – Germany, the Third Reich and the Holocaust, 4 credits
– CRDO 232 – Arthurian Legends, 4 credits
– ENG 326 – British Literature: Medieval to Renaissance, 4 credits
– ENG 336 – British Literature: Restoration to Romanticism, 4 credits
– ENG 346 – British Literature: Empire to Independence, 4 credits
– ENG 401 – Shakespeare and the English Renaissance, 4 credits
– FREN 410 – Introduction to French Literature through Poetry, 2 credits
– FREN 411 – Development of French Theatre, 4 credits
– FREN 412 – Development of French Prose, 4 credits
– GER 321 – The Fine Arts in German Cultural History, 2 credits
– GER 323 – Literature and Society, 4 credits
– GER 360 – German Contribution to World Culture, 4 credits
– GER 361 – Myth, Folk Heroes and Fairy Tales, 4 credits
– GER 440 – Topics in German Film, 4 credits
– MUS 356 – History and Literature of Music II, 4 credits
– PHIL 312 – Modern Philosophy, 4 credits
– PHIL 330 – Existentialism, 4 credits
– PSC 241 – International Politics, 4 credits
– REL 324 – The Legacy of Luther, 4 credits
– SCAN 337, HIST 337 – Reel Norden: Scandinavian History and Film, 4 credits
– SPAN 421 – Peninsular Spanish Literature, 4 credits
– SPAN 423 – Topics in Spanish Literature, 2 credits
– THR 334 – History of Western Theatre, 2 credits
Area 2: Challenges in European Society. Historical and contemporary insights into the way in which politics, religion, social issues and economics impact an understanding of regional and national identity.
– CRED 233 – Germany, Third Reich, Holocaust, 4 credits
– FREN 370 – Current French Political, Social and Economic Affairs, 4 credits
– FREN 360 – French in the Business World, 4 credits
– GER 314 – German in the Business World, 4 credits
– GER 320 – German Cultural History in Overview, 4 credits
– GER 322 – Politics, Economies and Social Structure, 2 credits
– GER 420 – Contemporary German Society and Culture, 4 credits
– GER 421 – Advanced Topics in Swiss and Austrian Culture and Society, 2 credits
– GER 422 – Advanced Topics in German Culture and Society, 4 credits
– HIST 338 – Hitler’s Germany, 4 credits
– HIST 370 – Islam and the West, 4 credits
– HIST 332 – Russian History, 4 credits
– REL 324 – The Legacy of Luther, 4 credits
– REL 327 – Russian Orthodoxy, 4 credits
– SCAN 201 – Scandinavia in a Global Age, 4 credits
– PSC 367 – Arctic Environmental Governance, 4 credits
– SPAN 341 – The Culture of Spain, 4 credits
• 4 credits earned through a study abroad or experimental learning opportunity that includes a focus on contemporary issues. Credits must be approved by the chair of the concentration. Credits may be earned in the following ways:
– completion of a relevant 4-credit cooperative education course (390)
– completion of a relevant 4-credit course taken as part of a study abroad experience
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Language Requirement:
One year (8 credits) of a non-English European language in addition to the college’s Core language requirement, fulfilled in one of the following ways:
– Demonstration of proficiency in a non-English modern European language at the level of a 212 (fourth semester) language course at Concordia. This may be achieved through the completion at Concordia of a 212 language course in French, German, Norwegian, or Spanish or through the transfer of credit earned at another institution for a course equivalent to the level of a 212 or higher course at Concordia
– Completion of two semesters of a second (in addition to the language used to fulfill the college’s Core language requirement) non-English European language
– Completion of one semester each of two additional (in addition to the college’s Core language requirement) non-English European languages

Recommended Study Abroad Options:
• Malta
• Friedrich Schiller Universität, Jena, Germany
• Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz, Germany, International Business
• Lebnitz Universität, Hannover, Germany, International Business
• National University of Ireland, Galway
• Institut de Gestion, Université de Rennes, France, International Business
• L’Université François-Rabelais, Tours, France
• Centro de Estudio Hispanicos de Segovia, Spain
• Universidad de Alicante, Spain
• Center for Cross-Cultural Studies, Seville, Spain

Major in Global Studies with a Latin American Studies Concentration
The requirements for a major in global studies with a Latin American studies concentration are 32 credits plus the language requirement:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 210, HISP 210 – Introduction to Latin American Studies, 4 credits
• HISP 311 – U.S.-Latin America Relations, 4 credits
• HIST 320 – Latin American History, 4 credits
• 8 additional credits from the following:
– ART 373 – Pre-Columbian Art, 2 credits
– SPAN 250 – Pre-May Seminar to Latin America, 2 credits
– SPAN 300 – May Seminar to Latin America, 4 credits
– SPAN 331 – Business Spanish, 4 credits
– SPAN 351 – Contemporary Latin American Culture, 2 credits
– SPAN 361 – Latin American Views, 2 credits
– SPAN 363 – Mexican Culture, 2 credits
– SPAN 412 – Contemporary Spanish-American Narrative, 4 credits
– SPAN 413 – Topics in Latin American Literature, 2 credits
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Language Requirement:
Students must demonstrate competence in Spanish. Competence may be proven with a grade of B or better in SPAN 321 – Advanced Conversation and Composition or a higher course. Native speakers of Spanish who have had extensive experience in the language should consult with a Latin American studies member of the faculty.

Recommended Study Abroad Options:
• Universidad de las Américas, Mexico City, Mexico, International Business
• Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
• Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina

Major in Global Studies with a Scandinavian Studies Concentration
The requirements for a major in global studies with a Scandinavian studies concentration are 32 credits plus the language requirement:
• GS 117 – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• GS 118 – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits
• SCAN 201 – Scandinavia in the Global Age, 4 credits
• SCAN 337, HIST 337 – Reel Norden: Scandinavian History and Film, 4 credits
• 12 additional credits (two must be at the 300-level or above):
– SCAN 215 – Scandinavian Fiction and Art, 4 credits
– SCAN 271 – Nordic Mythology and the Viking Age, 4 credits
– SCAN 272 – The Troll Within Us: Scandinavia Through Folklore, 4 credits
– SCAN 317 – Scandinavian Immigration and Settlement in America, 4 credits
– SCAN 338 – Kierkegaard: Philosophy, Literature, Film, 4 credits
– SCAN 367, PSC 367 – Arctic Environmental Governance, 4 credits
– SCAN 410 – Ibsen and His Age, 4 credits
– SCAN 380 – Special Topics, 4 credits OR
SCAN 480 – Independent Study, 4 credits
• GS 410 – Global Studies Senior Seminar, 4 credits

Language Requirement:
Demonstration of proficiency in Norwegian at the level of a 212 (fourth semester) course.

Recommended Study Abroad Options:
• University of Tromsø, Norway
• Hedmark University College, Hamar, Norway
• Diakonhjemmet University College, Oslo, Norway
• International Summer School, University of Oslo, Norway
• Scandinavia and the Baltic Semester

Please see the director of the Norwegian and Scandinavian studies program for information on programs in Sweden and Denmark.

Global Studies Courses


GS 117 S – Systems, Policies and Institutions: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits. E. This course introduces students to the study of societies and regions of the world as distinct entities and as elements of a world system that transcends the boundaries of individual societies. The course examines how history, geography, culture and social institutions (e.g., political, economic and religious institutions) interact to define the character of the world system.
GS 118 H, G – Culture, Identity and Dialogue: An Introduction to Global Studies, 4 credits. E. This interdisciplinary course examines forms and sources of diversity and fragmentation, including individual and group cultural identities and beliefs. Diverse cultural traditions and expressions of belief will be explored as both sources of conflict and resources for addressing global problems.
GS 210, HISP 210 G, H – Introduction to Latin American Studies, 4 credits. A2. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of Latin American studies, discuss key contemporary issues, understand the historical roots of Latin American dilemmas and challenges, and explore the political implications for development and democracy in Latin America. The course includes journal keeping, group discussions, oral presentations and lectures presented by various experts.
GS 220 G, H – Asia In a Global Age: An Introduction, 4 credits. D. This multidisciplinary course provides an introduction to the study of Asia (emphasizing China, Japan, Korea and India). In addition to a study of contemporary events featured in Asian news sources, likely topics will include: the role of the family, imperialism and nationalist revolution, economic development and environmental challenges.
GS 360 – Summer Field Study Abroad, 4 credits. D. A one-month faculty-led seminar held abroad, focused on deep engagement with a local community. The course will center on experiential and community-based learning, and it will involve hands-on service in support of community goals. It is intended especially for students who want to practice connecting across cultures under occasionally challenging conditions and to do so from a fully interdisciplinary perspective.
GS 380 – Special Topics, 2 to 4 credits. D. Courses covering various topics of interest in global studies are occasionally offered.
GS 390 – Cooperative Education, 1 to 8 credits. E.
GS 410 Z – Global Studies Senior Seminar. 4 credits. E2. The Senior Seminar is a research capstone course that students majoring in global studies take during the spring semester. The course focuses upon a contemporary or expected problem of global reach and significance and supports in-depth reflection and problem solving through collaborative student investigation and individual research. The selected course problem will encourage students to explore comprehensive and holistic solutions to complex, interlocking problems – both old and new – that require creative and urgent response. As a capstone experience, the seminar will consider a problem that allows students to engage the five objectives of the major and the diverse perspectives of seminar participants. Enrollment restricted to Global Studies majors. Satisfies the Capstone course requirement in the Core Curriculum.
GS 480 – Independent Study, 1 to 4 credits. D. This course provides an opportunity for individual students to conduct in-depth research of a particular topic under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Contact the program chair for more information.