Global Studies

 

PRELIMINARY DRAFT OUTLINE

GLOBAL STUDIES MAJOR

    

 Bachelor of Arts

 

Rationale

 

In an increasingly interconnected world it is essential that Bridgewater State University students have the opportunity to pursue an undergraduate degree that prepares them to understand the new global environment and position themselves for career opportunities in the international arena. The Global Studies Major offers a rigorous and comprehensive academic program that includes wide-ranging classroom exposure to global course work, concentrations in five area studies, a semester abroad experience and an international-oriented internship or service learning project. Together the elements of the Global Studies Major will move Bridgewater State students toward the university's goals of advancing its international mission and bringing a global perspective to its academic programs.

 

Mission Statement

 

Bridgewater State University's Global Studies major prepares students for international engagement through an interdisciplinary study of political and economic systems, modern languages, and cross-cultural communication.  Students majoring in Global Studies will engage in collaborative/multidisciplinary research and inquiry in order to develop the analytical skills necessary to conduct global analyses and work effectively in different cultural contexts.

 

Global Studies Major

 

Learning Objectives

 

     1.    Demonstrate knowledge of diverse political, economic, and social. Demographic and environmental conditions around the world.

     2.    Develop an understanding of the global political, economic and social systems around the globe.

     3.   Gain factual knowledge and analytical skills necessary to engage in foundational questions of global analysis.

     4.   Identify global themes (war, peace, economic development, globalization, environmental sustainability).

     5.   Engage in collaborative learning using multidisciplinary methods for understanding particular global problems within their particular social, historical and cultural contexts.

     6.   Develop and apply analytical skills relevant to the identification of trans-national problems.

     7.   Articulate potential solutions to contemporary global problems (global governance, international organizations, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, corporate responsibility).

     8.   Develop in-depth knowledge relevant to a particular issue concentration (globalization, cultural diversity, economic development, political development, world health, social justice).

     9.   Develop communicative competence in a foreign language to better engage with international actors and conduct primary research in their geographic area of interest.

   10.   Participate in off campus study abroad opportunities to complement students' particular issue concentration.

   11.   Develop in-depth knowledge relevant to a particular regional concentration.

   12.   Develop writing and communication skills that effectively engage audiences through writing, presentations, and other media.

 

Core Curriculum Requirements

 

A minimum of 120 earned hours is required for graduation. These earned hours include the core curriculum requirements as specified in the "Undergraduate Academic Programs" section of this catalog and the Core Curriculum Web site, www.bridgew.edu/corecurriculum.

 

Design of the Global Studies major

 

The design of the Global Studies major has four main objectives: 1. Introduce the student to the general questions, concerns and issues associated with the new globalized world. 2. Offer students a thematic approach to understanding the current state of global affairs; 3. Provide for an overseas educational experience and 4. Link the thematic and experiential components to a wide range of course offerings with a global theme including the opportunity to develop a competency in a specific area study.

 

At the center of this comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, the major will offer four thematic options developed around a series of courses in disciplines that provide solid preparation in specific aspects of global studies.  Those themes are Global Governance, Global Communication, Global Economy, and Global Development, Sustainability and Social Justice.

 

  

Major Requirements

 

Foundation course -- Introduction to Global Studies -- 3 credits

 

Global Governance Theme -- 18 credits

 

POLI 260 -- International Relations

POLI 275 -- Comparative Politics

POLI 384 -- United States Foreign Policy

POLI 473 -- Globalization and Global Governance

POLI 488 -- Politics and Development in the Third World

Writing Intensive Course, i.e. Senior Seminar

 

Global Communication Theme -- 18 credits

 

COMM 2XX -- Introduction to Cultural Communication

COMM 365 -- Inter-Cultural Communication

COMM 371 -- Global Cinema

COMM 4xx -- Cultural Communication Theory and Methods

COMM 4XX -- Discourses of Globalization

Writing Intensive Course, i.e. Senior Seminar

 

Global Economy Theme -- 18 credits

 

ECON 320 -- Comparative Economics

ECON 321 -- International Economics

ACFI 455 -- International Finance

MGMT 355 -- International Management

MGMT 460 -- Public Policy and Governmental Regulation in Global Management

Writing Intensive Course -- To be determined

 

Global Development, Sustainability and Social Justice Theme -- 18 credits

 

ANTHO 204 -- Global Human Issues

GEOG 130 -- Environmental Geography

SOCI 315 -- Race and Ethnicity in America/SOCI 316 Social Movements

BIOL 110 -- Biology: A Human Approach

ECONOM 360 -- Environmental Economics

Writing Intensive Course -- To be determined

 

 

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY -- Two semester sequence of an introductory foreign language or its

equivalent -- 6 credits

 

 

Experiential Components

 

STUDY ABROAD -- 12 credits

 

INTERNSHIP/COMMUNITY SERVICE/SERVICE LEARNING -- 3 credits -- This internship could be completed in conjunction with the study abroad experience or while at Bridgewater. Examples of such internship experience are foreign consulates, international non-profits, corporations with international divisions. The internship component of the Global Studies major can also be met with university recognized and credit bearing community service or service learning projects in conjunction with one of the many partnership agreements with universities abroad.

 

Total -- 39 credits

 

 

Recommended Global Studies Electives -- 18 credits

 

Art, Music and Theater

 

ARTH 205 -- Asian Art Survey: India, China and Japan

ARTH 207 -- Introduction to African Art

ARTH 208 -- Survey of Islamic Art and Architecture

ARTH 219 -- Meso-American Art and Architecture

MUSC 162 -- Music in African Culture

MUSC 163 -- Music of the Non-Western World

THEA 222 -- Asian Theater

THEA/PHED -- 260 World Dance

               

Anthropology

 

ANTH 100 -- Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

ANTH 120 -- Global Indigenous People

ANTH 204 -- Global Human Issues

ANTH 213 -- Latin American Peoples and Cultures

ANTH 215 -- The Caribbean

ANTH 216 -- Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East

ANTH 224 -- Anthropology of South Asia

 

Geography

 

GEOG 151 -- Human Geography

GEOG 171 -- Geography of the Developing World

GEOG 374 -- Geography of the Middle East

GEOG 375 -- Geography of South Asia

GEOG 376 -- Geography of East Asia

GEOG 376 -- Geography of Russia
GEOG 381 -- Geography of Latin America

GEOG 386 -- Geography of Canada

GEOG 388 -- Geography of Africa

 

History

               

HIST 475 -- The Modern Middle East

HIST 478 -- Latin America: The National Period

HIST 481 -- China Under Communism

HIST 482 -- History of Modern Japan

HIST 483 -- South Asia: The Modern Period

HIST 488 -- Canadian History since Confederation

  

Languages and Literature

 

ENGL 253 -- Non-Western Literature

ENGL 255 -- East Asian Literature in Translation

ENGL 497 -- Seminar: World Literatures and Cultures

LASP 310 -- Contemporary Latin American Short Story

LASP 400 -- Survey of Spanish Literature

LASP 402 -- Survey of Spanish-American Literature

 

Philosophy

 

PHIL 251 World Philosophy

 

Sociology

 

SOCI 104 -- Global Social Problems

SOCI 214 -- Middle Eastern Societies

SOCI 217 --  East Asian Societies

SOCI 218 -- Chinese Society and Culture

SOCI 220 -- The Developing World

 

 

SUGGESTED MINOR

 

Students majoring in Global Studies are urged to choose one of the five area studies or Women's Studies as a minor within the major -- 18 credits

 

The requirement of choosing one of the five area studies minors is designed to serve as a means of moving from the broader themes of global studies to more specific immersion in the history, culture, politics, economics and societal issues of a region of the world.

 

African Studies

Asian Studies

Canadian Studies

Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Middle East Studies

Women's Studies

 

Total credits including recommended electives and area studies minor -- 120 credits

 

Calculation of GPA

 

The calculation of the GPA for the Global Studies Major will be based on the grade value of all required courses.

 

 

Advising and Chairperson Responsibilities

 

The issue of advising and chair responsibilities will initially be handled by a full-time faculty member. The advising will require regular contact by the designated advisor with departments to determine whether the major requirements are being offered on a regular basis.

Last Modified: February 27, 2012