Mission and Vision

Global Studies Mission and Values

Global Studies is an interdisciplinary program whose mission is to provide students with knowledge about the world outside their own borders, so they are ready to engage in meaningful ways with an ever-changing global society. We ensure that students have the opportunities to develop the skills and experiences to succeed in a wide range of professions related to global and intercultural affairs (be it in an international or a domestic setting).

The program is designed in such a way that students explore a geographic area and two issue areas of their choice (see below), while simultaneously developing a global multidisciplinary understanding of the diversity of cultures, worldviews, economies, political systems, international institutions, and contemporary global issues. A set of core courses is designed to provide students with the practical tools and models to analyze the cultural, social, economic, and political changes that shape our world today. Students will choose their elective courses from an approved list among disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, and the arts.

The Global Studies Major allows students to specialize in one of five geographic regions—the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, or Sub-Saharan Africa—and two global-issue areas selected from the following list: Foreign Policy, Global Conflict and Cooperation, International Law and Human Rights, Global Political Economy and Development, Gender in Global Perspective.

Working closely with faculty, students will actively engage in interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving by working on case studies, simulations, and a capstone research project; they acquire foreign language skills, practice intercultural relations, and hone their oral and written communication skills.  They are also encouraged, but not required, to explore the numerous study abroad experiences available through the Office of Global Education.  

Global Studies is committed to the university core values of intellectual engagement, community, integrity, innovation, and inclusiveness as well as the University’s mission and core values. The Global Studies Student Learning Outcomes (see below) clearly demonstrate that the Global Studies program promotes a diversity and multiculturalism. The program’s curricular goals help to advance the university’s mission of responding to the needs of a diverse student body and providing “competencies and experiences needed in a global society experiencing technological, social, and environmental change.” Further, Global Studies supports the university’s value of inclusiveness, by promoting “individual and cultural diversity” and “multiple perspectives.” 

Global Studies Student Learning Goals:

• Describe and explain how their own culture is one of many diverse cultures and that alternate perceptions and behaviors may be based in cultural differences.
• Analyze world geography, global issues, processes, trends and systems.
• Compare and contrast global cultures (beliefs, values, religions, arts, practices and philosophies).
• Interpret and analyze global issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives to think critically and solve problems.
• Communicate in and use second-language skills (at an intermediate high proficiency level) in order to gain knowledge of other cultures to extend access to information, experiences, and understanding.