Global 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 area concentration 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 a specific level of language instruction as detailed in their concentration.

Major Writing Requirement (MWR). The major writing requirement may be satisfied in Global Studies by (1) completing the appropriate senior seminar of the individual program, or (2) fulfilling the major writing requirement for a department contributing courses to your selected concentration or (3) completing a writing project designed to meet the MWR with special permission from a faculty member. Students should consult with their area concentration advisor on how best to fulfill this requirement.

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 area concentration or (3) completing CSCI 131 or higher. Concentrators in AMES fulfill the CPR by completing AMES 493 with a grade of C- or better.

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 & 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 an affiliated faculty in an area concentration 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 of Asia and the Middle East, 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 Global Studies 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 the honors courses (495-496) appropriate to their concentration 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

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 continent. 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 of Asia and the Middle East. AMES concentrators and AMES minors are encouraged to combine their academic study with service learning, study away, or study abroad.

AMES concentrators are required to complete 38 credit hours, including AMES 250 (core course) and AMES 493 (capstone course). AMES students are encouraged to look into allied programs such as Global Studies for complementary courses and intellectual exchange. Students are encouraged to pursue advanced research through AMES 495 - AMES 496 (Senior Honors). Please consult with a faculty member in AMES if you are interested in the program.

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. Majors must have the following prerequisites, which do not count toward the 18 required credit hours: HIST 111 - History of Europe to 1715 and HIST 112 - History of Europe since 1715, or an AP score of 4 or 5 in European History; 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 Director of European Studies on behalf of the Area Concentration Faculty Committee. 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 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 major languages of the region. Course offerings cover a wide range of topics and geographical focuses in departments including Anthropology, Art and Art History, Economics, Government, Hispanic Studies, History, Religious Studies, and Sociology.

Requirements for the major are listed below. (Total credits for the major: 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 fields of emphasis 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. Disciplinary concentration fields include: Anthropology, Art and Art History, Economics, Government, Hispanic Studies, History, Sociology. Students can also, in consultation with the LAS program director, design a thematic or global field relevant to the region, choosing courses (at least 9 credits) from any discipline or program that together allow for in-depth study of a chosen topic relevant to Latin America. Declaration forms and instructions for majors and minors are available on the Global Studies website and at the Registrar’s Office.

Immersion Experience: The immersion experience is defined as an experience beyond the William & 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 & Mary study abroad program or through a LAS-affiliated program such as Borderlands, SOMOS, MANOS or the National Security Archives programs should complete a pre-approval form (available on the LAS web-site) and 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.

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.

Russian and Post-Soviet Studies

Russian and Post-Soviet Studies (RPSS) is an interdisciplinary program that introduces students to culture, history and politics of a vast region spanning from East-Central Europe to Siberia and Central Asia. The curriculum for the RPSS concentration and the RPSS minor includes courses in politics, history, literature, film, and media of the region, and the Russian language. Russian and Post-Soviet Studies concentrators and minors are strongly encouraged to combine their academic study at William & Mary with study abroad. The concentration prepares students culturally and linguistically for professions in the public and private spheres in the US and in Eurasia, as well as for graduate study.

Majors are required to complete 33 credit hours. All courses with the RPSS designator (see below) fulfill major and minor requirements for the concentration. Please consult with a faculty advisor about specific lines the course fulfills. The rest of the courses for the major and minor are selected from those available in the curriculum of the various departments. See the requirements for the RPSS major and RPSS minor.