GLOBAL STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE - Major / Minor
What is Global Studies?
From terrorism to post-modernism. From Yahoo to Yao. From Hollywood to Bollywood. From Wall Street to Jump Street. Almost every aspect of human existence has been touched in some way by the dynamic of globalization.
Global Studies prepares students for work and life in a modern and interconnected world. It is a distinctive, interdisciplinary effort that draws from multiple colleges, departments, and programs from across campus. Numerous
Career Opportunities are open to Global Studies students.
The GS Major requires a total of 40 credits in subjects ranging from: culture, religion, communication, international relations, politics, economics, and other aspects of social life from a global perspective. Check out these notable
Global Studies links for more ideas, and for more of an idea of what
Global Competency means, check out this fascinating article recently released from the Chronicle.
The Mission of Global Studies
The Global Studies major at Lehigh seeks to promote critical perspectives on the social, political, economic and cultural processes associated with globalization. Going beyond traditional study in a single discipline, students harness critical and methodological approaches taken from the full range of the humanities and social sciences.
In particular, students engage in international travel, the study of world cultures and the acquisition of foreign language expertise, as ends in themselves and as tools for understanding and meeting the global economic, social and ecological challenges that face us.
The program also seeks to foster historical, comparative and interdisciplinary methodologies that lead to a deeper understanding of particular nations and regions of the world. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, analytical reading and writing skills, and the ability to develop a holistic perspective based on literary, ethnographic, sociological, governmental, and commercial sources. Students will become as comfortable with issues of critical political economy as they are with literary theory and religion studies.
Ultimately, Global Studies students develop a sense of responsibility toward the human community and citizenship in the world – and develop the means to shape that world.
Below, you will find descriptions for the
required courses and
collateral requirements that help to define the special nature of this program. For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Jack Lule, the
Adviser to Global Studies.
Required Courses
For detailed information about how to earn a major or minor in Global Studies, please see the
required courses page. For full course descriptions of courses available to Global Studies students, see the
full course descriptions page. Check out the
GS cross-listed courses here for the Fall 2009 semester.
The World Digital Library
To be launched on April 21st by UNESCO and 32 partner institutes, the World Digital Library will make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multi-lingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world, including manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, architectural drawings,and other significant cultural materials. The objectives of the World Digital Library are to promote international and inter-cultural understanding and awareness, provide resources to educators, expand non-English and non-Western content on the Internet, and to contribute to scholarly research.
Study Abroad
There are many reasons why the study abroad experience is a key component of the Global Studies major. It often provides students with a new-found sense of awakened curiosity in peoples and subjects who before might have seemed unrelated and abstract, and helps to build the confidence and skills necessary to engage with unfamiliar cultures.
With respect to intellectual development, such experiences are intended to influence how students learn to evaluate the complex web of interactions that exist between the global and the local.
All students pursuing a Global Studies major are required to fulfill 12 credits of study abroad, taken in one semester, or two 6 credit summer sessions. If a student is financially or academically unable to study abroad, coursework may be substituted, with the guidance of an advisor. Study abroad is also strongly encouraged for students seeking a minor in Global Studies.
Lehigh University Study Abroad Office
International exchange agreements with partner institutions are continually being developed in collaboration with Lehigh's
Study Abroad Office. Be sure to familiarize yourself with what resources they have to offer.
Useful Study Abroad Search Engines and Scholarship Opportunities
Do you want to study abroad, but don't know where to start or think that you cannot afford it? Check out these
search engines.
Making the most of your Study Abroad Experience - Resume Tips (PDF).
Language Proficiency
Learning another language is an integral component of the Global Studies major. It provides students with the confidence and skills needed to engage with unfamiliar cultures as global citizens.
Students pursuing a Global Studies major/minor are encouraged to study abroad not only so that they may acquire a new sense of cultural appreciation and global experience, but because it offers a unique opportunity to significantly strengthen non-native language skills.
All Global Studies majors are required to obtain an Intermediate II or equivalent in a language taught at Lehigh, through the
Department of Modern Languages & Literature (MLL), that is other than the student's native language.
Lehigh University - United Nations Partnership
Lehigh University maintains a distinctive NGO (non-governmental organization) status with the United Nations. This offers Lehigh faculty and students a unique link to one of the world's leading organizations.
The Global Studies program builds on this access by offering workshops, field trips, and internships. Students can now hear about global issues straight from people who are making wide-reaching global decisions. For more information about this special partnership, be sure to check out the
Lehigh-UN Partnership website.
For an idea of the kinds of jobs available within the United Nations sphere of influence (including nongovernmental organizations), check out this extensive and comprehensive
UN listing of jobs available world wide in addition to countless links to other related nongovernmental organizations and internship opportunities.
Another useful resource is the
UN's Department of Public Information which offers a comprehensive list of all of the official nongovernmental organizations that they work with
(in order to view the entire list, you must select 'All' when selecting a region, country, and activity).
Internship Opportunities
An advanced elective may be replaced by an approved, overseas internship or relevant, supervised experiential learning in the US. Check out this
page for more information about the kinds of international internships that are available.
Lehigh University Career Services
The
Career Services Office at Lehigh also offers an excellent set of resources to assist students in finding the right internship opportunity for them.