Global Studies Major

Global Studies is a rigorous but flexible interdisciplinary major that combines courses across departments and schools at the University of Richmond and at least a semester of study abroad. Students majoring in Global Studies select one of four concentrations, each coordinated by advisors with special expertise in the areas. The GS major and these concentrations provide a well-rounded liberal arts education, awareness of different nations, cultures, and global issues, and preliminary preparation for a variety of careers in the international arena.

The Global Studies major begins with the gateway course, Introduction to Global Studies, and at least one of two other foundational courses, Planet Earth: People and Place or Introduction to Comparative Politics. Students also reach advanced proficiency in a second language and experience living in another academic culture. During the final year, after study abroad, GS majors complete a capstone Senior Seminar by researching and writing an original scholarly paper on an important international issue. Successful completion of GS 290 is a prerequisite for GS400.

Students work with faculty advisors to choose additional electives within each concentration, including courses taken abroad. Selections typically mix courses from anthropology, communications, economics, environmental studies, geography, history, literature, political science, religion, sociology, women’s studies, and the fine arts. Within each concentration, eight units must be taken from three or more departments (with no more than three units from a single department). While studying abroad students are encouraged to work with faculty advisors to identify courses not listed in the Richmond catalog that complement their academic program.

  • Major

    The Global Studies Major

    Note: The grade point average of the coursework comprising the major must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade less than C- (1.7).

    13 units, including:

    • FOUNDATIONAL STUDY IN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

      • Students specializing in Global Studies should be competent in at least two languages. For students whose secondary education was in English this requirement can be met by completing two courses taught in a language other than English at the 300 or 400 level in the departments of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures or Latin American, Latino and Iberian Studies. Students whose secondary education was not in English may satisfy the requirement with two units of world literature at the 300 or 400 level in any language (beyond the concentration).

    • APPROVED EXPERIENCE ABROAD

      • All Global Studies students should experience significant cultural immersion via a study abroad program of at least one semester in length, related to the major concentration. Students requesting an exception to this requirement (usually two summers) may submit a written petition to the program coordinator for review by a committee of Global Studies faculty.

      • For one semester of study abroad, students can transfer back up to 3 units of credit toward the GS major concentration. For a full-year overseas, they can transfer back no more than 5 units.

    • GLOBAL STUDIES FOUNDATIONAL COURSEWORK AND CAPSTONE

      • One unit, chosen from

      • Two courses required of all majors:

        • GS290 Introduction to Global Studies

        • GS400 Senior Seminar

    • GLOBAL STUDIES CONCENTRATION

      • Eight units selected from three or more departments with no more than three units from a single department

      • Students are expected to fulfill all prerequisites necessary for courses within the major. Prerequisites do not count toward the major unless otherwise noted.

  • Cultures & Communication

    Global Studies: Cultures and Communication

    The concentration consists of eight units in at least three different departments or disciplines, selected in consultation with an advisor, structured as follows:

    • Skills and Applied Courses

      • Analytic and applied understandings of intercultural communications. Two courses, chosen from:

        • ANTH211 Field Methods in Ethnography

        • ANTH310 Food and Culture

        • ARTH322 Museum Studies

        • CRWR314 Literary Translation

        • LAIS 411 Bilingualism in the U.S., Latin America, and Spain

        • LING252 Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics

        • JOUR100 News Media and Society

        • LING203 Introductory Linguistics

        • MGMT333 Cross-Cultural Management

        • RHCS250 Critical Intercultural Communication

      Complex Problems

      • Explore challenges and stakes of efforts to communicate across borders, cultures, assumptions, and beliefs. Two courses, chosen from:

        • ANTH300 Sexuality and Gender Across Cultures

        • ANTH306 Tourism and Anthropology

        • ANTH379 ST: Tech, Surveillance and The Media

        • ECON210 Economics of the European Union

        • ENVR322 The Global Impact of Climate Change

        • HIST236 Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and After

        • HIST240 Human Rights and Revolution in the Atlantic World (1750-1850)

        • HIST270 Early Islamic World

        • HIST329 Brexit: A History

        • HIST390 Food and Power in Africa and Asia

        • LLC260 Literature and Social Change in Eastern Europe

        • LLC360 Representing the Holocaust

        • LLC346 Insiders and Outsiders: Arabic Encounters with the West

        • SOC308 Sociology of War

    • Regional Courses

      • Investigate cultural specificity. Two units chosen from regional courses:

    • Additional Concentration Electives

      • Two additional courses, chosen from those above.

  • Development & Change

    Global Studies: Development and Change

    Note: Within the concentration, the eight units must be selected from three or more departments with no more than three units from a single department.

    Eight units, including:

    • ECON211 Economic Development in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

    • Developmental Courses

      • At least three core unit courses, one from each of the following groups:

      • Group 1: Geographies

        • GEOG320 Power, Space and Territory: Geographies of Political Change

        • GEOG345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy, Nature

        • GEOG370 Geographies of Economic Development and Globalization

      • Group 2: Politics and Policies

      • Group 3: Human Experience

        • ANTH302 Medicine and Health from a Global/Anthropological Perspective

        • ANTH303 Biopolitics in Medical Anthropology

        • ANTH 305 Health and Migration

        • ANTH328 Anthropology of Human Rights

        • HIST390 Food and Power in Africa and Asia

    • Regional Courses

      • Three elective units covering at least two different 'developing' regions, selected from the regional courses or comparable courses of study abroad.

    • Development Related Courses

      • Possible additional electives from courses listed above, selected topics, courses studied abroad, internships, independent study, or the following courses:

        • ANTH300 Sexuality and Gender Across Culture

        • ANTH303 Biopolitics in Medical Anthropology

        • ANTH328 Anthropology of Human Rights

        • ECON105 Introduction to Global Economics

        • ECON230/ENVR230 Environmental Economics

        • ECON310 International Trade: Causes, Consequences, and Controversies

        • GEOG220 Ecotourism

        • HIST391 Transnational Social Reform

        • PLSC359 Global Governance

        • SOC306 Social Change in a Global Perspective

        • SOC335 Feast and Famine: Inequalities in the Global Food System

    All students concentrating in Development are encouraged, but not required, to conduct independent research, in consultation with their GS faculty advisor. Summer research may be eligible for University funding.

  • International Economic Policy

    Global Studies: International Economic Policy

    Students are strongly encouraged to develop proficiency in economics with either a minor or double major (see Economics department listings for requirements).

    Note: Within the concentration, the eight units selected from three or more departments.

    Eight units, including:

    • International Economics or Finance

      • Three units, chosen from:

        • ECON210 The Economics of the European Union

        • ECON211 Economic Development in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

        • ECON215 International Monetary Economics

        • ECON310 International Trade: Causes, Consequences, and Controversies

        • ECON315 International Macroeconomics

        • FIN462 International Financial Management

        • Or, another upper level courses in international economics with approval of GSIEP advisors

    • Global Power and Politics

      • Two units from two different departments, chosen from:

        • ANTH328 Anthropology of Human Rights

        • GEOG320 Power, Space, and Territory: Geographies of Political Change

        • GEOG345/SUST345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy, Nature

        • HIST236 Russian Empire, Soviet Union and After

        • HIST271 The Modern Middle East

        • HIST290 Britain and the World

        • HIST291 Histories of Public Health and Biomedicine in the Global South

        • HIST392 Humanitarianism and Development

        • PLSC250 Introduction to International Relations

        • PLSC350 American Foreign Policy

        • PLSC351 Globalization

        • PLSC353 International Security

        • PLSC356 International Political Economy

        • PLSC359 Global Governance

        • PLSC360 International Development Policy

        • SOC331 Across the Pond: Europe vs. USA

    • Regional Courses
      These courses focus on a specific region or country in order to emphasize the importance of culture and historical and cultural context in global interactions, both economic and otherwise. Students must take two units, chosen from the list of Regional Courses.

    • One additional unit chosen from courses above.

  • Politics and Goverance

    Global Studies: Politics and Governance

    The concentration is comprised of eight units selected from at least three departments and in the following categories

    • Diplomacy and World Order

      • Two units, chosen from:

        • ANTH328 Anthropology of Human Rights

        • ENVR366 International Environmental Law

        • GEOG320 Power, Space, and Territory: Geographies of Political Change

        • HIST215 United States and the World Since 1945

        • HIST249 Cold War Europe, 1945-1991

        • HIST290 British Empire and the World

        • HIST341 History and Memory: WWII in East Asia

        • PLSC250 Intro to International Relations

        • PLSC350 American Foreign Policy

        • PLSC353 International Security

        • PLSC359 Global Governance

        • RHCS359 Media and War

    • Economic Integration or Interdependence

      • Two units, chosen from:

        • ECON105 Introduction to Global Economics

        • ECON210 The Economics of the European Union

        • ECON211 Economic Development in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

        • ECON230/ENVR230 Environmental Economics

        • ECON310 International Trade and Finance

        • HIST390 Food and Power in Africa and Asia

        • GEOG345/SUST345 Global Sustainability: Society, Economy and Nature

        • GEOG370 Geographies of Economic Development and Globalization

        • PLSC351 Globalization

        • SOC306 Social Change in a Global Perspective

        • SOC335 Feast and Famine: Inequalities in the Global Food System

    • Regional Courses

      • Two units focused on the same world region selected from regional courses or study abroad.

    • Additional Concentration Electives

      • Two units chosen from the areas above.