At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
The minor in Global Studies is intended to prepare students from all degree programs within the Berks College (with the exception of the major in Global Studies) to gain a global perspective, which would be useful in a variety of workplace and academic settings. HIST 320W, PLSC 14, and CAS 271 provide the necessary background to help students understand and appreciate broad issues of international concern. A combination of more specific option courses will deepen students' experience of the world and enhance analytical and interpersonal skills.
What is Global Studies?
If you are interesting in helping to make the world a better place, the minor in Global Studies may be the perfect fit for you. Global Studies is the study of globalization as it relates to the economy, market relations, the movement of people and resources, communications, politics, the effect of human activity on the environment, and cultural interconnectedness. Global Studies promotes intercultural understanding and sensitivity to diversity, critical components to navigating the twenty-first century global environment.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You enjoy working with individuals and groups from diverse populations and reaching common understanding.
- You are concerned with global issues such as the environment, human rights, immigration, diplomacy, and international business.
- You like to look at the big picture and to help others see issues from a broader perspective.
- You would like the flexibility of a broad, liberal arts minor that prepares you to enter a variety of fields.
Entrance to Minor
All students taking this minor will be required to show a 12-credit-level proficiency in a foreign language.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Requirements for the Minor | 18-30 |
Eighteen credits are required for the minor in Global Studies.
Requirements for the Minor
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
Intercultural Communication  | ||
| Contemporary World History and Issues | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Select 12 credits (at least 6 at the 400 level) from the following: | 12 | |
| Literature and Culture | ||
| France and the French-speaking World | ||
| German Culture and Civilization | ||
HIST 120 | ||
| East Asia since 1800 | ||
| Latin-American History Since 1820 | ||
| Introduction to the Middle East | ||
| Modern African History | ||
| Topics in European History | ||
| Latin America and the United States | ||
| Mexico and the Caribbean Nations in the Twentieth Century | ||
| American Diplomacy Since 1914 | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | ||
| Topics in Comparative Government and Institutions | ||
| Government and Politics of Africa | ||
| International Law and Organizations | ||
| Russian Culture and Civilization | ||
| Intermediate Grammar and Composition | ||
| Iberian Civilization | ||
| Ibero-American Civilization | ||
| Afro-Hispanic Civilization | ||
| Intensive Grammar and Composition | ||
| Readings in Ibero-American Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Literary & Cultural Studies en Español | ||
| Advanced Grammar and Composition Through Reading | ||
| Spanish for Business and International Trade | ||
| Masterpieces of Spanish American Literature | ||
| Ukrainian Culture and Civilization | ||
| Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Demonstrate proficiency in a single foreign language by either examination or coursework equivalent to completion of 12 credits of coursework 1 | 0-12 | |
- 1
See the Admission section of the General Information in this Bulletin for the Placement Policy for Penn State Foreign Language Courses (under Opportunities for Credit by Acquisition).
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
Berks
Zohra Melaouah-Shaffer
Program Coordinator
Department of Global Studies
Franco Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6197
BKGlobalStudies@psu.edu
Career Paths
A degree in Global Studies provides an excellent academic foundation for students to enter a wide variety of careers in which they will be interacting with diverse populations to find solutions to global issues. The degree helps students to understand, analyze, and interpret global issues from cultural, historical, literary, and political perspectives while gaining the skills necessary to explain how issues impact people at the local, national, and global levels.
Careers
Graduates will be prepared for a wide range of positions in the following fields: government agencies, nonprofit agencies dealing with human rights issues, environmental agencies, immigration law, international media, public and private schools, study abroad offices, international corporations, research institutes, police departments, foreign ministries, and the United Nations.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES WITH A MINOR IN GLOBAL STUDIES
Contact
Berks
DIVISION OF HUMANITIES, ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Franco Building
Reading, PA 19610
610-396-6197
BKGlobalStudies@psu.edu