Global Studies (BA)

This program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences/Global Languages, Cultures and Societies Department and is only available at the St. Louis main campus.

Program Description

In our globalized world, it is important for students to cultivate the skills and knowledge needed to navigate through the complex, border-crossing movements affecting diverse communities. The global studies major is a broad, interdisciplinary program with subject areas like cultures and languages, political science, history and geography that builds a deep understanding of and appreciation for shared histories, different cultural practices and customs, and interdependent social, political and economic processes that shape the world. Students are training with the cross-cultural and linguistic competencies necessary to understand and engage with the urgent issues of today's world. This program builds on Webster's strength as a global university and our multiple campuses around the world, such as Geneva, Switzerland and others. As a global studies major, students will be able to study abroad in one of our international campuses as part of their degree. These campuses may also afford students the opportunity to undertake internships with local institutions depending on their location, further enabling them to specialize in their thematic area of interest. This major provides the tools for students to better address these national and transnational challenges. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of how movements of people, ideas, policies, commodities/capital across borders intersect with local and regional socio-cultural and economic institutions and practices. 
• Explain, using different disciplinary approaches, how local and regional systems interact with contemporary global issues in the world today.
• Demonstrate intermediate-high level proficiency in a language other than English, respecting cultural and linguistic norms.

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 37 required credit hours
• Language proficiency up to the 3000-level
• International travel through a Webster study abroad program, an approved ISTL 2500 International Field Experience in Global Studies, or an alternative cultural high impact experience approved by the department 
• Applicable University Global Citizenship Program hours
• Electives

Up to 12 credit hours may, with approval, apply to both the global studies major and a dual major. This option does not apply to a dual major in global studies and international relations, international human rights, or international business, or to other similarly related areas.

Curriculum

The 37 credit hours required for the global studies major include the following:

• ISTL 1000 Introduction to Global Studies (3 hours)
• POLT 1050 Introduction to International Relations (3 hours)
• ISTL 2150 Global Exposures: Study Abroad and Global Engagement (1-3 hours)
• HRTS 2800 Methods of Inquiry (3 hours)
  or ANSO 2850 Introduction to Research Methods (3 hours)
  or ENGL 1900 Introductory Seminar in Literary Analysis (3 hours)
  or HIST 2090 Encounters with History (3 hours)
  or POLT 2600 Research Methods and Approaches in Political Science (3 hours)
• ANSO 4175 Globalization (3 hours)
• ISTL 4500 Capstone Seminar in Global Studies (3 hours)
• 19-21 credit hours in a thematic concentration (at least 12 hours above the 3000-level)

Thematic Concentration

For the thematic concentration, students may choose from the following:*

Concentration in Global Development and Social Movements:

This concentration examines the global dynamics of power and politics through the transnational mobility of people and things, especially as part of international development. It focuses on understanding how developmental processes shape, and are shaped by, the circulation of people, ideas, practices, capital and institutions, recognizing that borders are at best, artificial and fluid, rather than fixed and permanent. 

• ANSO 1050 Global Social Problems (3 hours)
• ANSO 3340 NGOs in a Global Arena (3 hours)
• ANSO 2460 Good Intentions: The Need to Help (3 hours)
• ECON 3720 International Trade and Finance (3 hours)
• EDUC 4250 Economics and Geography for Global Sustainability (3 hours)
• MNGT 4330 International Marketing (3 hours)
• MNGT 4100 International Management (3 hours)
• HIST 1000 World Systems since 1500 (3 hours)
• HRTS 1100 Introduction to Human Rights (3 hours)
• HRTS 2500 Current Problems in Human Rights (3 hours)
• HRTS 3500 International Human Rights Law (3 hours)
• HRTS 3590 Theories of Human Rights (3 hours)
• INTL 2030 International Law (3 hours)
• INTL 3700 International Organizations: Structure and Political Conflict (3 hours)
• INTL 3800 International Security (3 hours)
• ISTL 1550 Topics in Global Studies (3 hours)
• ISTL 2550 Topics in Global Studies (3 hours)
• ISTL 3550 Advanced Topics in Global Studies (3 hours)
• ISTL 4550 Topics Seminar in Global Studies (3 hours)
• LEGL 2080 Topics in Law: International Human Rights Law (3 hours)
• PHIL 3340 Global Ethics (3 hours)
• PHIL 3400 Human Rights and the Environment (3 hours)
• POLT 1080 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3 hours)
• POLT 3400 Comparative Politics (subtitled Refugee and Migration) (3 hours)
• PSYC 2850 Psychology of Peace and Conflict (3 hours)
• PSYC 3275 Genocide (3 hours)

Concentration in Transnational Cultures and Identities:

This concentration offers a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the dynamic and shifting ways in which social and cultural identities are forged around the world. The global migration of peoples everywhere demands new ways of thinking about ourselves, as individuals and as part of greater collectivities, that are no longer bound to a people or place, but rather inspire new cultural practices, social interactions, communication and language, arts and literature, and spirituality. This concentration examines how globalization has affected socio-cultural identities and practices across an ever-increasing diasporic world.

• AFCS 1000 Introduction to Africana Studies (3 hours)
• AFCS 2500 African Diaspora Experiences (3 hours)
• ANSO 1060 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 hours)
• ANSO 2200 Peoples and Cultures (3 hours)
• ANSO 2530 World Music (3 hours)
• ANSO 2790 Asians in America (3 hours)
• ANSO 3130 Race and Ethnicity (3 hours)
• ANSO 4300 Global Sex, Gender and Sexuality (3 hours)
• ARHS 2210 Intercultural History of Art (3 hours)
• ENGL 2600 Introduction to Linguistics (3 hours)
• FREN 3150 French Civilization (3 hours)
• GRMN 3150 Culture and Civilization of German-Speaking Countries (3 hours)
• HIST 2240 Contemporary Europe: 1945-Present (3 hours)
• HIST 4200 Advanced Studies in European History (3 hours)
• HIST 4400 Advanced Studies in Non-Western History (3 hours)
• ILC 1000 The Power of Languages (3 hours)
• ILC 2150 Topics in Culture(s) (3 hours)
• ILC 2250 Food, Language and Identity (3 hours)
• INTL 3200 Comparative Politics: Western Europe and the United States (3 hours)
• ISTL 1550 Topics in Global Studies (3 hours)
• ISTL 2550 Topics in Global Studies (3 hours)
• ISTL 3550 Advanced Topics in Global Studies (3 hours)
• ISTL 4550 Topics Seminar in Global Studies (3 hours)
• PHIL 1200 The Meaning of Life (3 hours)
• PHIL 2520 Philosophic Classics: Early Modern Europe (3 hours)
• RELG 1060 World Religions (3 hours)
• RELG 1080 Thinking Through Religions (3 hours)
• RELG 2070 Introduction to Eastern Religions (3 hours)
• RELG 2080 Introduction to Western Religions (3 hours)
• SPAN 3150 Culture and Civilization of the Spanish Speaking World: Latin America (3 hours)
• WGST 1010 Women, Gender and Sexuality around the World (3 hours)

For a self-directed study whereby students may design their own thematic concentration:

This concentration allows students to develop their own individualized course of study around a particular topic and/or issue of interest to them, in close collaboration with their advisor. This individualized study must meet the learning outcomes for the major and is subject to the approval of the advisor and of the GLCS department. For this option, students must submit an application form describing the rationale for this concentration, a detailed program/plan of study including the list of courses to be taken, and how these courses meet the particular theme chosen. This individualized study must be approved by the student's junior year in order to ensure all the requirements for the major can be fulfilled in a timely manner. 

*All courses coded with ISTL automatically can be used to fulfill any of the above concentrations, even if they are not specifically listed under a thematic concentration.