Global Studies

The Global Studies Program educates students to engage critically and actively with contending perspectives on global issues, their origins, and possible solutions to global problems drawing on methods and perspectives from multiple disciplines. To this end the program offers courses and experiences designed to equip students with the skills and analytical methods needed to comprehend and engage with contemporary global problems and possible solutions, particularly those related to development and social justice, transnational movements of people and ideas, and international affairs.

Course of Study

Students electing the Global Studies major are required to declare a minor or major in another discipline.  In addition, students may not apply more than two courses (8 semester hours) from all other major or minors.

Bachelor of Arts Degree

Major in Global Studies

36 semester hours

• Global Studies Core
  16 semester hours

• • • GLST/HIST 210: Contemporary Global Issues: Migration, Poverty, and Conflict (4)
    • Select two courses from the following:
      • ANTH 102: Introduction to Human Cultural Diversity (4)
      • ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics (4)
      • HIST 103: Conflicts and Convergences in the Modern World (4)
    • GLST 499: Capstone: Research Seminar (4)

• Issue Area Concentrations
  20 semester hours

Five courses must be taken from one of the three concentrations outlined below. At least three of the five courses counted toward a concentration must be at the 300 level or higher. There is a required course for each concentration as noted for each concentration below. Students may not include more than 8 semester hours from any one discipline to fulfill concentration requirements.

Option for second concentration

Students may select a second concentration, requiring 20 semester hours. This includes the required course and four additional courses. At least three of the courses must be at the 300 level or higher. Students do not need to complete study away for the second concentration. Up to 8 of the 20 semester hours for the second concentration may be counted toward other majors/minors over and above the 8 semester hours allowed for the rest of the major requirements.

• Language

Students must demonstrate proficiency in a language relevant to their coursework and at a level consistent with Option 1 of the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science (BA/BS) requirement. This may be accomplished through a proficiency examination or through the equivalent of 16 semester hours of coursework.

Off-Campus Study Component

Majors are required to participate in an off-campus study program. While off campus, students must earn eight semester hours of credit related to the global studies core or the student’s global studies concentration. At least four credits must be related directly to the student’s global studies concentration. For example, this study away requirement could be met by taking two appropriate J-Term courses, or by eight semester hours of appropriate coursework taken during a semester away. Language study coursework does not necessarily count for this requirement; coursework must deal with the contemporary world and its issues. Obtaining pre-approval for credit is encouraged. Local internships related to an area concentration and involving a cross-cultural setting may be allowed. The Global Studies chair must approve exceptions.

Senior Research Project

The senior project is a general university requirement in all programs and majors. Students satisfy this requirement by completing a research project or paper in GLST 499.

Concentrations

• Development and Social Justice

Standards of living have increased dramatically worldwide over the past 100 years, yet poverty and inequality remain features of our world. Continued improvement in human well-being for all involves economic growth, reducing poverty, and addressing inequities and issues of social justice, for example in wealth, political freedom, education, and health care. Given the complexity of development processes and of the diverse array of responses to poverty and social justice concerns, the concentration incorporates the approaches of multiple disciplines such as anthropology, economics, literature, history, and religion.

• • • Required of all students in this concentration:
      • GLST 357: Global Development (4)
    • Other Offerings
      • ECON 323: Health Economics (4)
      • ECON 333: Economic Development (4)
      • ENGL 216: Topics in Literature: Emphasis on Cross-Cultural Perspectives (4)
        (When approved by GLST chair)
      • ENGL 233: Post-Colonial Literature (4)
      • FREN 211/311: Francophone Africa in Global Context (4)
      • FREN 304/404: Postcolonial Francophone Fictions and Criticism (4)
      • HISP 301: Hispanic Voices for Social Change (4)
        (when taught by PLU faculty on campus)
      • HISP 351: Hispanic Voices for Social Change for Heritage Speakers (4)
      • HISP 322: Latin American Cultural Studies (4)
      • HIST 335: Slavery, Pirates, and Dictatorship: History of the Caribbean (4)
      • RELI 245: Global Christian Theologies (4)
      • SOCW 325: Social, Educational and Health Services in Tobago (4)
        (This is a study away course)

• Transnationalism and Its Consequences

Migration, colonial occupation, refugee flows, global travel—the movement of people and ideas across national borders both historically and in the present has political, economic, social and cultural impacts for the destination and also for the place of origin. Using multiple disciplinary perspectives, this concentration investigates the issues arising from the transnational movement of people and ideas such as those related to religious and cultural diversity and political and economic reaction and adjustment.

• • • Required of all students in this concentration:
      • LTST 342: U.S. Latino/a/x Literary and Cultural Studies (4)
    • Other Offerings:
      • ANTH 343: East Asian Cultures (4)
      • COMA 304: Intercultural Communication (4)
      • ENGL 216: Topics in Literature: Emphasis on Cross-Cultural Perspectives (4)
        (When approved by GLST chair)
      • ENGL 380: Studies in Global Anglophone Literature (4)
      • HISP 301: Hispanic Voices for Social Change (4)
        (when taught by PLU faculty on campus)
      • HISP 351: Hispanic Voices for Social Change for Heritage Speakers (4)
      • HISP 321: Iberian Cultural Studies (4)
      • HISP 322: Latin American Cultural Studies (4)
      • HIST 335: Slavery, Pirates, and Dictatorship: History of the Caribbean (4)
      • HIST 337: The History of Mexico (4)
      • RELI 245: Global Christian Theologies (4)
      • RELI 390/393: Topics in Comparative Religions (4)
        (When approved by GLST chair)

• International Affairs

Interaction on an international scale raises complex issues that are best analyzed from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Diplomacy and political relations require understanding not just of political relationships, but also of economic interactions. Conflict resolution at both domestic (such as in Rwanda) and international (such as between Israel and Palestine) levels requires diplomacy, but also deep cultural understandings. This concentration is designed to provide students with the foundations to build a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of international affairs.

• • • Required of all students in this concentration:
      • GLST 331: International Relations (4)
    • Other Offerings
      • BUSA 337: International Finance and Risk Management (4)
      • BUSA 460: International Marketing (4)
      • COMA 304: Intercultural Communication (4)
      • COMA 340: Conflict and Communication (4)
      • ECON 331: International Trade and Commercial Policy (4)
      • ECON 333: Economic Development (4)
      • GLST 325: Global Political Thought (4)
      • GLST 332: American Foreign Policy (4)
      • GLST 357: Global Development (4)
      • GLST 431: Advanced International Relations (4)

Minor

20 semester hours

• • • GLST/HIST 210: Contemporary Global Issues: Migration, Poverty, and Conflict (4)
    • Select one course from the following:
      • ANTH 102: Intro to Human Cultural Diversity (4)
      • ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics (4)
      • HIST 103: Conflicts & Convergences in the Modern World (4)
    • Three courses in one concentration, including the required course for that concentration, and at least two must be at the 300 level or higher.

Students must take one semester of 200-level college coursework in a foreign language or demonstrate equivalent proficiency.

Students must take at least four semester hours of study away course work related to the contemporary world and its issues. For example, one appropriate January Term (J-Term) course that would apply toward the student’s concentration.