Contacts | Program of Study | Program Requirements | Summary of Requirements for Students Completing the Final Paper/Capstone | Summary of Requirements for Students Completing the BA Thesis | Honors | Advising | Grading | Global Studies Courses

Department Website: http://globalstudies.uchicago.edu

Program of Study

The bachelor of arts degree program in Global Studies is an interdisciplinary major concerned with the interconnected and interdependent nature of the contemporary world. Its main task is to understand the flow of bodies, capital, power, and ideas that shape locations across the planet and make them part of a radically unequal but nonetheless shared global space. Students employ interdisciplinary methods and analytics, and take courses across the College in programs such as environmental studies, public health sciences, anthropology, and history, or in area studies. 

Like the concept of the “global” itself, the major is not limited to specific sites or themes, but rather aims to provide students with a critical analytical framing with which to pursue their own scholarly interests. These are in areas as diverse as climate change, human rights, public health, international law, and urban studies. Students are guided by a set of thematic tracks to help them narrow their focus and develop an expertise within a given field, while engaging with the broader theoretical thrust of the major. Thanks to this flexibility, Global Studies students are often double majors and go on to a wide variety of careers.

It is strongly recommended that students intending to join Global Studies declare their major by the end of their second year in order to make sure that they are included in mailings on up-to-date deadlines and reminders necessary to complete the major.

Program Requirements

Students must complete a total of 1000 units (1200 units if a student chooses to write a BA thesis in order to pursue honors), a research activity, a final research paper/project/thesis, and a language requirement, broken down as follows: 

Global Studies I (Second Year)

All students are required to take GLST 23101 Global Studies I. This course is offered annually in the Autumn Quarter. Without exception, any student wishing to enroll in the BA Thesis seminar must have completed this course first.

Methods Course (Second/Third Year)

In their second or third year, students must take either a designated Methods course from a Global Studies instructor, or they may enroll in an approved Methods course in another program. This course may double-count with a second major when appropriate, but all students enrolling in the thesis seminar must have completed a Methods course suited to their proposed research methodology. Approved courses outside of Global Studies include: ANTH 21420 Ethnographic Methods, ARCH 28402 Spatial Analysis Methods in Geographic Information Systems, SOCI 20001 Sociological Methods, or STAT 22000 Statistical Methods and Applications.

Global Studies II (Third Year)

All students are required to take GLST 23102 Global Studies II. This course is offered annually in the Autumn and Winter Quarters. This course prepares students to undertake Global Studies research for either the thesis seminar or a Capstone project. Without exception, any student wishing to enroll in the BA Thesis seminar must have completed this course first. Students seeking to enroll in Global Studies II outside of the normal timeline must receive prior approval from the program.

Thematic Tracks (4 courses) 

Beginning in their second year, students select a major track that will help them to focus their coursework. These tracks are: Political Economy; Health, Environment, and Urban Studies; Law, Borders, and Security; and Race, Gender, and Religion. Students take a minimum of four courses from their major track.  These courses must come from the approved course list posted on the Global Studies website or may be selected in consultation with Global Studies faculty. Please note that this is the only official list of approved courses. We recommend that students do not rely on MyPlanner.uchicago.edu for this information as it may lack the most up-to-date information.

Political Economy

Recommended for double majors in Economics; Sociology; Political Science; Law, Letters, and Society; Public Policy Studies; and Anthropology

SAMPLE COURSES
GLST 25723	Does the Devil Wear Prada?": The Political Economy and Global Geographies of Fashion	100
GLST 25781	Vampire Money": The Politics of Big Philanthropy under Global Capitalism	100
PBPL 25550	Economic Development and Policy	100
PLSC 23501	International Political Economy	100

Health, Environment, and Urban Studies

Recommended for double majors in Environment, Geography, and Urbanization; Public Policy Studies; Anthropology; Sociology; Environmental Science; and History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine

SAMPLE COURSES
ANTH 25212	Treating Trans-: Practices of Medicine, Practices of Theory	100
CEGU 20506	Cities, Space, Power: Introduction to urban social science	100
CEGU 20700	Global Health, Environment, and Indigenous Futures	100

Law, Borders, and Security

Recommended for double majors or minors in Law, Letters, and Society; Public Policy Studies; Anthropology; and Human Rights

SAMPLE COURSES
GLST 25830	Of Pirates and Copycats: Piracy, Global Capital and the State	100
GLST 25850	No Justice, No Speech! Free Speech and the Place that Shall Not Be Named	100
HIST 29319	Human Rights: Philosophical Foundations	100
HMRT 21201	Policing, Citizenship, and Inequality in Comparative Perspective	100
LLSO 24701	Human Rights: Migrant, Refugee, Citizen	100

Race, Gender, and Religion

Recommended for double majors in Anthropology; History; Religious Studies; Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity; and Gender and Sexuality Studies

SAMPLE COURSES
EALC 25811	Foundations of East Asian Buddhism	100
EALC 27657	Rethinking Pilgrimage: Pop-culture Tourism and Religious Travel	100
GNSE 20125	Global Feminist and Queer Aesthetics	100
GNSE 21400	Advanced Theories of Gender and Sexuality	100
GLST 25245	Serious Play: Video Games and Global Politics	100
HIST 27408	Transatlantic Crossings: Everyday Race and Racism in the 20th Century	100
PLSC 25205	Racial Justice and Injustice	100
SALC 27305	Race, Religion, and Revolution in South Asian America	100

Electives (3 courses)

Electives must be selected from the approved course list posted on the program website. These may include any course on that list, including additional courses from a student’s major track. Students may petition for the addition of courses in the social sciences or humanities and relevant to the themes pursued in Global Studies. These may include courses such as the European Civilization in Paris program or East Asian Civilizations in Beijing, as well as other courses that may not fit within the specific tracks, but may not double-count to fulfill College requirements. 

Language Requirement

Students complete the language requirement by demonstrating competence equivalent to six quarters of language instruction. Ways to demonstrate such competence include, but are not limited to:

·       Taking six quarters of language courses in a single language

·       Testing into a language course at a level beyond 203 or equivalent

·       A combination of the two points above (for example, testing into a 201-level course and taking three quarters of language courses)

·       Passing a proficiency exam

·       Demonstrating competency/fluency through other documentation (for example, high school diploma obtained in a country where the language of instruction is not English)

Research Activity Requirement

Students must have a supervised research experience before they graduate. Research activities include serving as a research assistant to a professor in any capacity, or participation in volunteer, employment, or internship opportunities relevant to the major. Students should work with the appropriate program adviser to identify opportunities and should have their activity approved ahead of the experience itself. Most activities should last no less than six weeks, though intensive programs of shorter duration may be considered. The research activity may be linked to the student’s BA thesis and ideally serves as an introduction to that topic. International experiences are encouraged for the completion of this requirement, but the requirement may be met with domestic projects dealing with global issues (for example, an internship with a domestic NGO or lawmaker).

Thesis or Final Paper/Capstone

Students have two options to complete the Global Studies major:

BA Thesis and Seminar

Students may opt to write a BA thesis organized around a contemporary global issue. Students opting to write the thesis must enroll in a two-quarter BA thesis seminar (GLST 29800 BA Thesis Seminar I and GLST 29801 BA Thesis Seminar II) in the Spring Quarter of their third year and Autumn Quarter of their fourth year. Enrollment in the seminar is contingent on successful completion of Global Studies I and II, and an approved methods course. The final version of the BA thesis is due by the end of the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate. Successful completion of the thesis requires a passing grade from the faculty reader. 

Students who hope to count their thesis for two different majors must first obtain written permission to do so from the directors of both programs; otherwise, they will be required to write two theses. Regardless of the requirements of the second major, students are required to complete 200 total units of credit of the thesis seminar. All students who plan to house their thesis in a BA/MA program such as MAPSS or CIR must enroll in the spring thesis seminar prior to joining that program.

The BA thesis and seminar are requirements for students to graduate with honors in the Global Studies major.

Final Paper/Capstone

Students may opt out of writing a thesis, and instead produce a shorter final paper (approximately 20–35 pages) or project such as a podcast, short film, artwork, or other multimedia project. These projects must be approved by the Associate Director of the program and/or the student’s program adviser. In the case of projects deviating from the standard paper format, students must demonstrate that they have the skills and/or training in their chosen medium. This paper or project should grow out of one or more of the student’s courses in the major track, and should be developed in coordination with that course instructor. This project is not required to rely on original research but must go beyond standard course assignments  to demonstrate a deep engagement with course themes as related to the Global Studies major. If students choose to write a final paper with a different instructor or separate from their coursework, they must sign up for an independent reading course with the instructor who will guide a final paper. Final approval of this paper or project should be sent in writing by this instructor. 

Summary of Requirements for Students Completing the Final Paper/Capstone

GLST 23101-23102	Global Studies I-II	200
One methods course		100
Four courses in one thematic track		400
Three elective courses		300
Language requirement		-
Research activity		-
Total Units		1000

Summary of Requirements for Students Completing the BA Thesis

GLST 23101-23102	Global Studies I-II	200
One methods course		100
Four courses in one thematic track		400
Three elective courses		300
Foreign language requirement		-
Research activity		-
GLST 29800	BA Thesis Seminar I	100
GLST 29801	BA Thesis Seminar II	100
Total Units		1200

Honors

Students with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher and a major GPA of 3.5 or higher will be eligible for honors. To be awarded final honors, students must have an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher, a major GPA of 3.5 or higher, complete both quarters of the BA thesis seminar, and write a BA thesis judged "high pass" by the faculty reader.

Advising

Students should select their courses for the Global Studies major in close consultation with the Global Studies faculty. Students are assigned to a Global Studies program adviser based on their year in the College. The Global Studies program publishes a list of courses approved for the major each quarter.

Students are required to meet with their Global Studies program adviser annually to go over their Degree Program Worksheet and to be sure they have fulfilled all requirements based on their plans for completing the Global Studies Final Paper/Capstone or the Global Studies BA Thesis. Students who do not declare the major and/or who do not meet with their program adviser by the end of Autumn Quarter of their third year may be at risk of missing important deadlines and being ineligible for honors.

Grading

Students who are majoring in Global Studies must receive quality grades in all courses meeting the requirements of the degree program (i.e., they cannot use Pass/Fail or audited courses for major requirements).

Global Studies Courses

The following is a sample of courses recently offered or cross-listed by Global Studies. Please check the course search for the most up-to-date listings.

GLST 20150	Sustainable Urban Development	100
GLST 20160	Cities on Screen	100
GLST 21001	Climate Change, Environment, and Society	100
GLST 21002	The Politics of Environmental Knowledge	100
GLST 21025	Climate Crossroads: Policy, Diplomacy, and the Global Future	100
GLST 21100	Basque Culture and Society	100
GLST 21301	(Re)Branding the Balkan City: Comtemp. Belgrade/Sarajevo/Zagreb	100
GLST 21352	Youth! A History from Modern India	100
GLST 21600	Francophone Caribbean Culture and Society: Art, Music, and Cinema	100
GLST 21601	Catalan Culture and Society: Art, Music, and Cinema	100
GLST 21900	Race, Science and Empire	100
GLST 21950	Dark Stairways of Desire": Lusting beyond the Norm in Contemporary Catalan Literature	100
GLST 22101	Disease, Health, and the Environment in Global Context	100
GLST 22312	Cities, Nature and the Planet	100
GLST 22700	Diaspora(s)	100
GLST 22707	Afghanistan in Global History	100
GLST 22710	Diasporic Literature and Modern Islam in the Imperial Core	100
GLST 22770	Que otros sean lo Normal": Pertinencia y otredad en la literatura trans en español	100
GLST 22826	Commodities and Consumption	100
GLST 23101	Global Studies I	100
GLST 23102	Global Studies II	100
GLST 23111	Black Theology: Hopkins Versus Cone	100
GLST 23129	Transnational Queer Politics and Practices	100
GLST 23150	Capitalism and Doing Good?	100
GLST 23151	Global Studies 1 in Hong Kong	100
GLST 23152	Global Studies 2 in Hong Kong	100
GLST 23153	Qualitative Research Methods	100
GLST 23304	Abolitionist Theologies	100
GLST 23310	Modern Ukraine Through Culture	100
GLST 23456	Comparative Politics of the Middle East	100
GLST 23500	Alone in the Mountains: Tales of Freedom and Violence in Contemporary Catalan Literature	100
GLST 23507	Power and Responsibility in the Anthropocene	100
GLST 23526	Race, Decolonization, and Human Rights in the 20th Century	100
GLST 23825	Human Rights in the Middle East	100
GLST 23900	The Art of Revolution	100
GLST 23907	Gandhi and His Critics	100
GLST 24002	Is Religion Bad for Women?	100
GLST 24010	Ecocide: Reckoning with Environmental Destruction	100
GLST 24202	Justice in an Unjust World: Theories of Justice	100
GLST 24406	Sovereign Rights: Decolonization and the Cold War in Image and Word	100
GLST 24424	Invasion Culture: Russia through its Wars	100
GLST 24500	The Just War	100
GLST 24501	French for Global Studies and Economics	100
GLST 24506	The Rights of Immigrants and Refugees in Practice	100
GLST 24550	Major Trends in Islamic Mysticism	100
GLST 24633	Sex(uality) and the City	100
GLST 24700	Introduction to Basque Culture	100
GLST 25151	Environmental Histories of the Pacific	100
GLST 25209	Jews, Arabs, and Others: Nations from the Nile to the Jordan	100
GLST 25245	Serious Play: Video Games and Global Politics	100
GLST 25310	Extinction, Disaster, Dystopia: Environment and Ecology in the Indian Subcontinent	100
GLST 25316	Making a Home in the Colonial City: Insights from Literature, Films, and History	100
GLST 25474	Crossing Boundaries: Virtual Reality, Embodiment, and the Reimagining of Social Space	100
GLST 25540	Introduction to Critical Development Studies	100
GLST 25630	Religious Violence	100
GLST 25673	Non-Violence: Gandhi, Mandela, and MLK	100
GLST 25701	Anthropology of Borders	100
GLST 25707	Contested Concepts: "Indigeneity" and Ecological Thought	100
GLST 25709	The Tempest and the Tide: Ethics in the Climate Age	100
GLST 25723	Does the Devil Wear Prada?": The Political Economy and Global Geographies of Fashion	100
GLST 25724	Yes, but make it fashion!" Fashion, Culture, and Identity	100
GLST 25766	Climate Justice	100
GLST 25781	Vampire Money": The Politics of Big Philanthropy under Global Capitalism	100
GLST 25830	Of Pirates and Copycats: Piracy, Global Capital and the State	100
GLST 25850	No Justice, No Speech! Free Speech and the Place that Shall Not Be Named	100
GLST 25945	Settler Colonialism: Epistemologies	100
GLST 26003	Introduction to Art, Religion, and Spirituality	100
GLST 26322	Healing Traditions	100
GLST 26380	Indigenous Politics in Latin America	100
GLST 26382	Development and Environment in Latin America	100
GLST 26383	Mapping Global Chicago: Venezuelans in the Crosshairs	100
GLST 26388	Food Justice and Biodiversity in Latin America	100
GLST 26635	Liberatory Violence	100
GLST 26661	Global Pentecostalism	100
GLST 26674	The Global Black Panther Party	100
GLST 26801	The Global Urban	100
GLST 27305	Race, Religion, and Revolution in South Asian America	100
GLST 27321	Legal Borderlands: Spaces of Exception in US History	100
GLST 27600	Beyond Ferrante: Italian Women Writers Rediscovered and the Global Editorial Market	100
GLST 27601	Women and Islam	100
GLST 27656	Pilgrimage, Voyage, Journey	100
GLST 27659	Parties and Feasting in/as Religion	100
GLST 27713	Israel and American Jewry: Peoplehood, Religion, and Politics	100
GLST 27721	Jewish Civilization III: The Jewish Question and the Color Line	100
GLST 28319	Iconophobia: The Prohibition and Destruction of Religious Images	100
GLST 28447	It's the End of the World as We Know It: Apocalypticism and Religious Thinking about the End Times	100
GLST 28612	The Global Revolt Against Liberalism	100
GLST 28900	The U.S. - Mexico Borderlands	100
GLST 28980	There's an App for That: Religion in the Digital Age	100
GLST 29091	Law and Political Economy	100
GLST 29301	Digital Geographies of Climate Justice	100
GLST 29700	Reading/Research: Global Studies	100
GLST 29800	BA Thesis Seminar I	100
GLST 29801	BA Thesis Seminar II	100
GLST 29900	BA Thesis: Global Studies	100
GLST 29998	BA/MA Thesis Workshop	100