Global and International Studies Major

Program Code: GLOBE_BA

PROGRAM CURRENTLY ON HOLD; NOT ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS
Begin Date of Enrollment Hold: Fall Semester 2015

Program Description

The interdisciplinary major in Global and International Studies is intended to prepare students for lives and careers in a world that is increasingly interdependent. It reflects a "One World" concept that emphasizes the importance of global perspectives, foreign language study, and education or working experience abroad. The structure of the major also recognizes the fact that the majority of the world's people live in regions other than the European and North American sphere, and that a knowledge of non-Anglophone cultures is an important form of preparation for global citizenship. Because students need specific fields of knowledge as well as a global framework, this major is available only as a concurrent or sequential major, and students must first have a primary major. Some components of the Global and International Studies requirements may overlap with those of the primary major; for details, consult the adviser for the Global and International Studies major.

The degree (e.g., B.A., B.S., B.F.A., etc.) will normally match that of the student's first major.

Students in baccalaureate degree programs other than those leading to the B.A. who desire a B.A. degree in International Studies will receive concurrent degrees and have to fulfill all requirements for concurrent degrees and for the B.A. degree as indicated under "Concurrent Majors and Sequential Majors" in the GENERAL INFORMATION section of this bulletin and under "Baccalaureate Degree Requirements" at the beginning of this college section.

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

  1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
  2. have at least third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

Requirement Credits
Requirements for the Major 30

 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 Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

This major also requires significant experience abroad, of at least 8 weeks in length. The requirement for experience abroad can be fulfilled by formal study abroad, and/or approved internship or employment or comparable experience (such as Peace Corps service).

Prescribed Courses
CMLIT 10World Literatures Keystone/General Education Course3
Additional Courses
Select 3 credits in Global Approaches of the following:3
Introduction to International Arts Keystone/General Education Course
Cultural Diversity: A Global Perspective Keystone/General Education Course
Virtual Worlds: Antiquity to the Present Keystone/General Education Course
Human Rights and World Literature Keystone/General Education Course
Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy Keystone/General Education Course
France and the French-speaking World Keystone/General Education Course
World Regional Geography Keystone/General Education Course
World History to 1500 Keystone/General Education Course
World History since 1500 Keystone/General Education Course
Introduction to World Musics Keystone/General Education Course
Comparing Politics around the Globe Keystone/General Education Course
International Relations Keystone/General Education Course
Introduction to World Religions Keystone/General Education Course
Supporting Courses and Related Areas 1
A. Foreign Language
Select 12 credits EITHER in a language beyond the 12th -credit-level proficiency OR in a second foreign language, or equivalent proficiencies 212
B. Global Perspectives
Select 6 credits from departmental list 36
C. World Regions
Select from departmental list 6 credits in courses focused on one of the following world regions: 46
Africa
Asia and the Pacific
Eastern European and Slavic Cultures
Latin America and the Caribbean
Middle East
1

Must include at least 12 credits at the 400 level.

2

For foreign language majors, study must be in a foreign language other than primary major.

3

One course in this area or in Area C must be a 400-level course in CMLIT.

4

Language courses beyond the sixth semester are eligible if they focus on significant content beyond language skills. One course in this area or in Area B must be a 400-level course in CMLIT.

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.

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 Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

Contact

University Park

GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM
442 Burrowes Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-0589
glis@psu.edu

https://glis.la.psu.edu