Global Studies

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)
European Studies
Latin American Studies
Programs and Course Descriptions

Faculty

View the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Faculty.

View the Latin American Studies Faculty.

View the Russian and Post-Soviet Studies Faculty.

The Global Studies Programs

Students who major in Global Studies (GBST) design an interdisciplinary sequence of courses together with an advisor in one of the following area concentrations: Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies, and Russian and Post-Soviet Studies. Through coursework in the culture, history, languages, literature, politics, and religions of major world regions, students explore the specificity of a given region, the ways in which global forces are realized in and through local contexts, and the interconnections between global regions. Majors often combine their program of study with service learning, internships, or study abroad. Familiarity with a specific region provides a foundation for grappling with the emerging possibilities and the ethical responsibilities of living in an interconnected world.

In general, a major in Global Studies includes courses from at least three departments. Detailed descriptions of the degree programs are provided below. Additional information about courses and requirements is available from Global Studies faculty advisors.

Language Requirement. Degrees in Global Studies include a modern foreign language component which exceeds the College’s proficiency requirement. Students meet the requirement by completing the appropriate line requirements of their concentration.

Major Writing Requirement (MWR). The major writing requirement may be satisfied by (1) taking a course that counts for the MWR for a student’s Global Studies concentration (2) completing a writing project designed to meet the MWR with special permission from a faculty member (3) conducting an independent study or honors project under the supervision of a faculty member on a topic appropriate to your major or (4) fulfilling the major writing requirement in a disciplinary major.

Major Computer Proficiency Requirement (CPR). Global Studies majors may satisfy the computing proficiency requirement by (1) fulfilling the computing requirement for a department that offers a course in the student’s major (2) completing a course that counts for the CPR for a student’s Global Studies concentration or (3) completing CSCI 131 or higher.

Study Abroad. Students are strongly encouraged to seek overseas opportunities and pursue summer and semester-long programs of study, scholarship, and service in all areas of Global Studies, or at approved institutions in the United States. Contact the Global Education Office at the Reves Center for International Studies for information on William and Mary study abroad programs and on programs offered by other institutions. With prior approval, courses taken abroad may be applied to the major or used for other requirements. Funding for independent research projects may be available from the Charles Center for Interdisciplinary Study; students should also investigate scholarship opportunities available through the Reves Center’s Global Education Office for language study.

Major Declaration. Prospective majors in Global Studies should discuss their plans for study with member or affiliated faculty by the end of the sophomore year. Declaration forms and instructions for majors and minors are available at the Global Studies website and at the Registrar’s Office.

Minors. In Global Studies students may complete a minor in Comparative and Diaspora Studies, East Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, or South Asian Studies.

Senior Honors Students who wish to conduct an honors project must apply for admission to the Departmental Honors program, which is administered by the Charles Center. As part of the application, students must get the approval of an honors project by a faculty member of their area concentration. Application, which includes a faculty signature and a prospectus, should be made to the Charles Center by the end of classes in the academic semester before the project is to begin. A prospectus includes: (1) a clear statement of the problem to be researched; (2) a brief, critical review of scholarly literature on the research topic; (3) a description of the methodology to be employed; (4) and an approximate schedule of work. Eligible applicants must carry a 3.2 grade point average in AMES and must also meet the College eligibility standard of 3.0 overall or in their junior year. For further information and an application, contact the Charles Center.

Students admitted into the Honors program in Global Studies will enroll in these courses during both semesters of their senior year. Honors candidates are responsible for (1) formulating and completing a program of study in consultation with a faculty advisor; (2) preparation and presentation, by two weeks before the last day of classes in the spring semester, of an honors essay; and (3) satisfactory performance in a comprehensive oral examination which focuses on the subject matter of the honors essay. For College provisions governing admission to the Senior Honors program, see the discussion of major honors elsewhere in this catalog and the Charles Center web site.

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES)

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) is a multidisciplinary program that aims to enrich the understanding of a broadly conceived “Asia” in relation to other parts of the world. The AMES curriculum includes the study of history, politics, religion, literature, fine and media arts, performance, expressive and ritual culture, and the major languages of the region. Its curriculum consists of course offerings encompassing a diverse range of topics that involve East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific. Students select a track in either East Asian Studies or Middle Eastern Studies. The AMES curriculum includes four minor programs of study including minors in East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, South Asian Studies and Comparative and Diaspora Studies. AMES concentrators and AMES minors are encouraged to combine their academic study with service learning, study away, or study abroad. AMES students are encouraged to look into allied programs such as Global Studies and International Relations for complementary courses and intellectual exchange. Students are encouraged to pursue advanced research through AMES 495 -AMES 496 (Senior Honors). Interested students should consult with a faculty advisor.

European Studies

A concentration in European Studies provides interdisciplinary exposure to Europe’s history, culture, and politics, emphasizing both Europe’s regional specificity and its historical and contemporary interactions with other global regions. The concentration prepares students culturally and linguistically for professions in the public and private spheres in the US and Europe, as well as for graduate study. Core courses are drawn from History, Art History, Classical Studies, Government, and Modern Languages and Literatures, and students choose electives from these and other departments, including Economics,
English, Music, Philosophy, and Religion.

Concentrators must have the following prerequisites, which do not count toward the 33 required credit hours: HIST 111 (Europe to 1715) and HIST 112 (Europe since 1715), or an AP score of 4 or 5 in European History; 202 or equivalent in one European language; 102 or equivalent in a second European language.

ES concentrators are strongly encouraged to participate in study abroad programs in Europe. Courses taken abroad are evaluated toward the ES concentration on a case-by-case basis.

Declaring a concentration in European Studies requires meeting with an ES advisor to create a plan of study that focuses on a particular region, chronological period, and/or theme. This plan of study must be filed with the European Studies Curriculum Faculty Advisory Committee (CFAC). Students should keep in mind that not all courses listed as eligible for the ES concentration are offered each year and should work closely with a European Studies advisor to ensure their plan of study is viable given actual course offerings. Students are also advised to check with professors in contributing departments to confirm the frequency with which specific courses are taught.

Course prerequisites are indicated in brackets after the appropriate course titles (slashes between course numbers indicate that students must take one of the listed courses).

Latin American Studies

Latin American Studies (LAS) is a multidisciplinary program that aims to help students make connections across different scholarly approaches to the “the Americas” and to make sense of interdisciplinary frameworks for understanding the people, economies, cultures and politics of one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions. The LAS curriculum includes the study of history, political economy, sociology, literature, fine and media arts, culture, and the major languages of the region. Course offerings cover a wide range of topics and geographical focuses in Anthropology, Art and Art History, Economics, Government, Hispanic Studies, History, and Sociology.

Requirements for the major and minor are listed below. (Total credits: 33)

Major Declaration: Prospective majors in LAS should discuss their plans for study with an affiliated faculty by the end of the sophomore year. Upon declaring the major students will select two disciplines that will serve as “concentrations” within the multi-disciplinary major, which will enable them to pursue an in depth course of study within a focused area. Declaration forms and instructions for majors and minors are available on the Global Studies website and at the Registrar’s Office. Disciplinary concentrations include: Anthropology, Art and Art History, Economics, Government, Hispanic Studies, History, Sociology.

Immersion Experience: The immersion experience is defined as an experience beyond the William and Mary classroom clearly linked to Latin America or Latinos residing in other parts of the world. Its purpose is to develop students’ awareness of issues impacting Latin American countries and people. The immersion experience is designed to give students an opportunity to apply their in-class learning to real-world situations and develop frameworks for engaging real-world issues affecting Latin American cultures, nations, and communities. The immersion experience may be tied to a service learning opportunity or study abroad. Students can also satisfy this requirement through an internship that focuses on Latin American or Latino issues in the United States. This is a non-credit bearing requirement. Students who fulfill this requirement by participating in a William and Mary study abroad program or through a LAS-affiliated program such the Borderlands, SOMOS, MANOS or the National Security Archives programs should enroll in LAS 400. In other cases fulfillment of the immersion requirement is subject to the approval of the student’s major advisor or the LAS program director. Approval forms are available on the LAS website.

Language requirement: The concentration in Latin American Studies includes a language requirement that exceeds the College-wide proficiency requirement. The requirement can be met with three credits at the 300-level or above taught in a target language spoken in the region. Although the College is not currently able to offer languages beyond Spanish, a student could count another language (for example, Portuguese or Nahuatl) provided they can demonstrate proficiency through accredited academic courses taken domestically or abroad. In special cases this requirement can also be satisfied by an equivalent language immersion experience subject to approval by the LAS program director.

Programs and Course Descriptions

Programs

Courses

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

European Studies

Global Studies

Latin America Studies

Russian and Post-Soviet Studies