BA MAJOR & MINOR
Global Perspective
How much of our life is predetermined? Can we avoid poverty or gain wealth largely because of where we live or who are parents are? Are there thoughts that we cannot express (or even conceive of) with our native language? How much is our future determined by our culture, our past, and the place we call home? How can we change that? Global studies attempts to answer these and other vital questions.
Are you interested in working with an NGO, becoming a diplomat, being an international entrepreneur, or just having a deep and nuanced understanding of the world around you? If so, then this is the major for you. Geography, geopolitics, ecology, the social sciences, and the humanities are all connected in the rich, interdisciplinary field of global studies.
What You’ll Study
Introductory courses provide an overview of specific introductions to world regions and the perspectives of different disciplines. The major requires you to study language, engage in experiential education through travel, and undertake a senior capstone project.
Refine your interests by choosing a thematic concentration:
- Culture, Power, and Place – Explore globalization’s impact on customs and institutions, as well as how such developments relate to contested notions of identity, place, and nation.
- Environment & Society – Examine the intersection of politics, the economy, and the environment within the context of globalization.
- Peace & Social Justice – Consider the roles of peace, war, and justice in the era of globalization.
- The Local & The Global – Investigate contemporary Appalachia in comparative, interdisciplinary, and global frameworks.
We will prepare you to be a responsible citizen of the world by challenging you to understand contemporary global issues. You’ll graduate with an appreciation of the historical and geographical contexts of global inequalities after immersing yourself in research that integrates the humanities, the social sciences, and environmental studies.