Center for Global & International Studies

Major in Global and International Studies

Academic Director: Mike Wuthrich, Assistant Director, Center for Global and International Studies. mwuthrich@ku.edu.
Academic Advisor: Laura Leonard, laleonar@ku.edu.To make an advising appointment please call 785-864-3500

The Major in Global and International Studies was established on August 1, 2010. Students no longer have the option of declaring the Co-Major. Students who declared the Co-Major prior to August 1, 2010 and need information regarding requirements major should click here.

Why study global and international studies?

A major in Global and international studies will give you the tools to understand the rapid and profound changes that are occurring internationally and transnationally throughout the world and across various regions. Global and international studies at KU offers an interdisciplinary program in which faculty and students think critically about some of the most fundamental transnational and trans-regional issues facing societies today: population growth, politics and governance, migration, the global economy, poverty and inequality, religion, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, peace and conflict, and climate change. Through an investigation of these topics, majors in global and international studies acquire an enriched understanding of the world today, which is not only a desirable end in itself but also a useful background for professionals whose careers may involve them in different geographical and cultural areas. A major in global and international studies is helpful for careers in journalism, foreign service, business and industry, education, law, politics and government, and social service agencies.

Ideally, students who choose to major in global and international studies should have a trans-regional focus in mind for their educational goals. KU is also host to a number of excellent international Area Studies Centers that provide the best opportunities and resources for those students whose international interest is predominantly located in a particular region.  Students in our major, while gaining a measure of expertise in a particular region of the world, are expected to take a majority of their courses for the major on other regions or the international or transnational context. For those who want to take additional courses beyond the regional concentration within the GIST major, we recommend one of the three following options: (1) Do a minor in the area studies of interest (such as European Studies, African-African American Studies, East Asian Languages and Cultures, Latin American Studies, or Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies) along with a GIST major, (2) do a major in the regional area and a minor in GIST, or (3) double-major in the area studies of interest and GIST. Since our major includes 9 credit hours which can easily double up as general or core requirements in the first two years (and count toward the degree requirements in the areas studies programs), the opportunity and flexibility to do a double-major or an additional minor with your GIST major is quite strong and highly encouraged.

Bachelor of Arts in Global and International Studies

First- and Second-year Preparation. To complete the requirements for the degree in four years, prospective majors are strongly urged to complete all general education and language requirements no later than the end of the fall semester of the junior year and the general requirements for the major from the options listed below. For more information on majoring in global and international studies, contact the center's advising specialist in 318 Blake.

Admission to the Major. Students are admitted to the major by application. Applications are available in 318 Blake Hall. There are two steps to applying for the major:

• Step 1: Complete the minimum requirements to apply for the major.
  

  Admission Course Requirements:

  4th Semester Proficiency Language Course (or demonstrated proficiency).

  Any three of the following General Requirements for the Major:

  • ANTH 108/109 or 308 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • ABSC 150 Community Leadership
  • ECON 104/105 Introductory Economics or ECON 144/145 Principles of Macroeconomics (as of Spring 2013, ECON 142/143 Principles of Microeconomics is no longer an option, though it is accepted for those taking it in Fall 2012 or earlier)
  • GEOG 100 World Regional Geography or GEOG 102/103 Principles of Human Geography
  • HIST 308 Key Themes in Modern Global History
  • POLS 150/151 Introduction to Comparative Politics or POLS 170/171 Introduction to International Politics
  • REL 106 Living Religions of the East or REL 107 Living Religions of the West (new option as of Spring 2013)
  • SOC 130/131 Comparative Societies

  Global and International Studies Major Admission GPA: minimum 2.70

  Admission GPA calculation will include all admission courses determined. Admission GPA may NOT include all KU coursework. University course repeat policy will apply to GPA calculation. If a student has taken more than the minimum number of course options in the Application Term (defined below), grades received in any designated admission course requirement up to and including that term may be computed in the GPA for admission consideration. Only course grades from repeated lower-level courses, meeting the standards of the University course repeat policy, will be removed from the GPA calculation.

• Step 2: Apply for the major.
  

  Application Process:

  1. Complete the application form and attach a current ARTS form.

  2. Submit the completed application to the Center for Global and International Studies, 318 Blake Hall, by the deadline. Students are strongly urged to complete all admission requirements and apply to the major by the beginning of their junior year.

  Application Term:

  Application to the International Studies Major should occur in the term in which designated admission requirements will be initially completed. Application to the major should occur in the term in which all designated admission course requirements have been initially completed. If student does not meet established admission GPA criteria or neglects to apply for admission in this term, the student must petition the department for permission for late application. The department, as part of an approved petition, will determine late admission requirements (including GPA and course requirements) and the final deadline for admission.

Requirements for the B.A. Major. The major requires a minimum of 33 hours, 18 of which must be numbered 300 or above, distributed as follows:

• General requirements (15 hours)

  3 core courses (9 hours) from the following options (or their honors equivalent):

  • ANTH 108/308 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • ABSC 150 Community Leadership
  • ECON 104 Introductory Economics or ECON 144 Principles of Macroeconomics (as of Spring 2013, ECON 142 Principles of Microeconomics is no longer an option, though it is accepted for those taking it in Fall 2012 or earlier)
  • GEOG 100 World Regional Geography or GEOG 102 Principles of Human Geography
  • HIST 308 Key Themes in Modern Global History
  • POLS 150 Introduction to Comparative Politics or POLS 170 Introduction to International Politics
  • REL 106 Living Religions of the East or REL 107 Living Religions of the West (new option as of Spring 2013)
  • SOC 130 Comparative Societies

  1 foreign language course (3 hours) beyond the CLAS Bachelor of Arts degree requirements (300 level or above). Students with native proficiency in a language other than English may take one course in a third language or one upper-division language course (300 level or higher) taught in their native language. In the case of languages not offered beyond the fourth semester at KU, an additional semester course addressing the culture and society of the region in which the language is spoken satisfies the requirement.

  GIST 698 Seminar in _____, or GIST 699 Seminar in ____, Honors (3 hours), the capstone research seminar.

• Regional Expertise (9 hours)

  Students must take 3 courses on one of the following regions of the world: Africa; the Middle East; Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; Western Europe; and Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Of these 9 hours, a minimum of 6 must be at the 300 level of above. 6 hours from a KU or KU-affiliated study-abroad program may be counted toward this requirement provided students obtain prior approval from the undergraduate advisor. A list of the courses which satisfy this requirement by region is available at the Center for Global and International Studies in 318 Blake. Additional courses may be appropriate to fulfill the Regional Expertise and the Substantive Specialization requirement if approved by the Center for Global and International Studies.

• Substantive Specialization (9 hours)

  Students must take 3 courses in one of the following specialization fields: comparative political and social systems; the global economy; community health and development; culture, ethnicity, and belief systems; gender and sexuality in the global context; and the global environment. Of these 9 hours, a minimum of 6 must be at the 300 level of above. A list of the courses which satisfy this requirement by area of specialization is available at the Center for Global and International Studies in 318 Blake. Additional courses may be appropriate to fulfill the Regional Expertise and the Substantive Specialization requirement if approved by the Center for Global and International Studies.

  Students must fulfill prerequisites for enrolling in upper-level coursework whether or not they count toward the major. Students may not use the same class to fulfill both a regional expertise and a substantive specialization requirement. Not all courses which satisfy the regional expertise and substantive specialization requirements will be offered every year. Students may petition to have a junior-senior level course not on the list count toward the regional expertise or substantive specialization requirements. Petition forms are available at the Center for Global and International Studies in 318 Blake and should be submitted to the undergraduate advisor at the center.

  Suggestions for completing the major in a timely manner can be found here.

   

Honors. To graduate with honors in global and international studies, students must complete the requirements for the major plus GIST 699 Seminar in ____, Honors. The honors seminar helps students write their theses and allows them to learn from each other in a small-group setting. To enroll in the program, students must have a 3.5 grade-point average in the courses making up the global and international studies major and a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average, both of which must be maintained throughout the final years of enrollment. In addition, students must obtain approval of their research topic by a faculty member affiliated with the Center for Global and International Studies who will serve as their thesis director. Each student who completes an honor's thesis must defend it in an oral examination before a thesis committee of three faculty members. The student's thesis director chairs and chooses the committee in consultation with the student and the center director. A copy of the thesis is deposited at the center. Applications for the global and international studies honor's program are available in 318 Blake Hall.

• Requirements Checklist
• Global & International Studies Major petition form (Last updated 12/3/2012)
• Menu of Global & International Studies Courses (Last updated 4/19//2013)

Academic Advisor: Laura Leonard, laleonar@ku.edu.To make an advising appointment please call 785-864-3500