At which campus can I study this program?
Entrance to Major
In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:
- attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
- have third-semester classification.
READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY
Degree Requirements
For the Bachelor of Science degree in Global and International Studies, a minimum of 120 credits is required:
Requirement | Credits |
---|---|
General Education | 45 |
Electives | 21-24 |
Requirements for the Major | 57-58 |
3-6 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 3-6 credits of GQ credits.
Per Senate Policy 83-80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of coursework in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. For more information, check the Recommended Academic Plan for your intended program.
General Education
Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.
The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.
Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)
- Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
- Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits
Knowledge Domains
- Arts (GA): 6 credits
- Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
- Humanities (GH): 6 credits
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
- Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits
Integrative Studies (may also complete a Knowledge Domain requirement)
- Inter-Domain or Approved Linked Courses: 6 credits
University Degree Requirements
First Year Engagement
All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.
Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.
First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.
Cultures Requirement
6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements
- United States Cultures: 3 credits
- International Cultures: 3 credits
Writing Across the Curriculum
3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.
Total Minimum Credits
A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.
Quality of Work
Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.
Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition
The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.
Requirements for the Major
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Prescribed Courses | ||
GLIS 101N | Globalization ![]() | 3 |
GLIS 102N | Global Pathways ![]() | 3 |
GLIS 400Y | Seminar in Global and International Studies | 3 |
MATH 21 | College Algebra I ![]() | 3 |
Additional Courses | ||
Select 3-4 credits of the following: | 3-4 | |
Elementary Statistics in Psychology ![]() | ||
Statistical Concepts and Reasoning ![]() | ||
Elementary Statistics ![]() | ||
Research Methods in Sociology | ||
Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
Select 21 credits in the Pathway courses 1 | 21 | |
Select 21 credits (at least 6 credits at the 400-level) in related areas in consultation with an adviser 2 | 21 |
1 | Lists of the Pathway courses are kept by departmental advisers, and appear online on the program’s website, glis.la.psu.edu. 15 credits of these 21 will be in a single Pathway concentration (no more than 6 credits towards the Pathway completion are to be from courses in a single department). 6 credits of these 21 are from other Pathway concentrations. At least 12 credits must be taken at the 400 level or higher. These credits do not have to be within a single Pathway. |
2 | Related areas include the following:
|
With approval of the academic adviser and/or the directors of undergraduate studies for the GLIS major, students with equivalent coursework in significant engaged scholarship experience (such as undertaking an internship, job, volunteer position, or period of study) located either abroad or in a majority non-English-speaking part of the United States, may use up to 15 of those credits to substitute for credits in the Pathways.
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
University Park
Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Majors and Minors web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program
Suggested Academic Plan
The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2020-21 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contain suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).
Global and International Studies, B.S. at University Park Campus
The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
GLIS 101N* | 3 | GLIS 102N* | 3 |
ENGL 15, 30H, ESL 15, ENGL 137H, or CAS 137H‡ | 3 | CAS 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, ENGL 138T, or CAS 138T‡ | 3 |
Related Course Any Level* | 3 | Related Course Any Level* | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | MATH 21*† | 3 |
15 | 15 | ||
Second Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
Major course from list* | 3 | Major course from list* | 3 |
Related Course Any Level* | 3 | Related Course Any Level | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | STAT 100, 200, SOC 207, or PSYCH 200* | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | Elective | 3 |
15 | 15 | ||
Third Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
Major course from list* | 3 | Related Course Any Level* | 3 |
Related Course Any Level* | 3 | 4xx level major course* | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | 4xx level major course* | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | ENGL 202A, 202B, 202C, or 202D‡ | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | Elective | 3 |
15 | 15 | ||
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
4xx level major course* | 3 | 4xx level major course* | 3 |
GLIS 400Y* | 3 | General Health and Wellness (GHW) | 1.5 |
General Health and Wellness (GHW) | 1.5 | 4xx level related area course | 3 |
Writing Across the Curriculum Course | 3 | Elective | 3 |
Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
Elective | 3 | ||
16.5 | 13.5 | ||
Total Credits 120 |
* | Course requires a grade of C or better for the major |
‡ | Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education |
# | Course is an Entrance to Major requirement |
† | Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement |
University Requirements and General Education Notes:
US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).
W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.
GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.
Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.
All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30H and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.
Advising Note:
All incoming freshmen must take a First-Year Seminar (FYS) during Fall or Spring of their first year. Academic advisers can provide a list of FYS being offered and help the student enroll. Most FYS in the College of the Liberal Arts are worth 3 cr. and count as a General Humanities (GH) or General Social Sciences (GS) course. For this reason, the FYS is not listed separately on this eight-semester plan; most students will be able to fulfill the FYS requirement while also fulfilling a GH or GS requirement.
Career Paths
For undergraduates, a Global Studies major offers excellent preparation for careers in government, education, diplomatic service, intelligence analysis, international business and finance, NGOs, and non-profit organizations. Graduates are also prepared for competitive graduate programs in fields as diverse as international law, international development, global education, administration, public policy, and the humanities and social sciences.
Careers
Bios of our recent alumni explaining how GLIS fit into their career paths are available on the GLIS website. Their careers include, Account Management in Advertising Technology, International Relocation Services, Social Media Advertising, Regional Policy Officer, State Department, Financial Analyst, Seimens Healthcare, Strategy and Business Development, Senior Director, Strategic Accounts, Teacher, Sales, Gilead Sciences, Office Operations and Facilities, Commissioner’s Office Major League Baseball, Management Consultant in Talent and Organization Strategy at Accenture Federal Services (AFS), Study abroad programs, including IES, and Independent Creative Writer.
Opportunities for Graduate Studies
- Masters in Global Studies
- Law School
- Graduate Work in Economics
- Political Science
- Comparative Literature
- Area Studies
Contact
University Park
GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM
442 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-0589
glis@psu.edu