Global Studies (BA International Studies)

Students who major in Global Studies (GBST) collaborate with a faculty advisor to design their interdisciplinary sequence of courses in one of the following area concentrations: Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies, European Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Through coursework in the arts, culture, history, languages, literature, politics, and religions of major world regions and communities, 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 communities. Majors often combine their program of study with service learning, internships, or study abroad. Familiarity with a specific region or global community provides a foundation for grappling with the emerging possibilities and the ethical responsibilities of living in a globally interconnected world.

Language Requirement. Degrees in Global Studies include or encourage coursework in 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) completing a writing project designed to meet the MWR with special permission from the Program Director of the relevant concentration (i.e. AMES, APIA, EURS, LAS, or REES). Students should consult with their area concentration advisor on how best to fulfill this requirement.

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 one of the five area concentrations by the end of the sophomore year. Declaration forms and instructions for majors and minors are available on the Global Studies website.

Minors. In Global Studies, students may complete a minor in Asian & Pacific Islander American Studies, East Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Russian, East European, and Eurasian 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 in their area concentration (AMES, APIA, EURS, LAS, or REES). 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 area 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 for Undergraduate Research web site. Students considering Honors projects will please consult with their concentration major’s program director to clarify requirements unique to that program. 

Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies

European Studies

​Latin American and Caribbean Studies

​​Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies