The study of global affairs encompasses the political, economic and cultural interdependence of states, economies, societies and cultures in a rapidly changing world. The field includes research into globalization and its impacts, national security, diplomacy and foreign policy, global health, development and poverty issues, the rise of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and the relationship between climate change and world peace. Students in the major learn how to analyze and address these challenges by building a rigorous academic foundation with core courses and choosing from a range of thematic and regional concentrations.
In their capstone projects, small groups of majors apply their academic training to a specific real-world problem with an external partner. Past projects have included designing an international policy task force, developing a social-media campaign to promote the work of a public agency, and creating a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of foreign aid programs.
The major provides a firm grounding in international relations, history, political science and economics as well as global environmental and development policy. Students also take courses focusing on the impact of global trends and events on local communities, and explore contemporary debates in international politics, diplomacy, conflict management, terrorism and violent extremism, and foreign aid and development. In addition to the required courses, majors complete a senior requirement in either GLBL 4499 (the senior Capstone project), a seminar of their choice or GLBL 4500 (the global affairs senior essay course). Students who are interested in the major are encouraged to begin working toward the L4 language requirement as early as the fall of their sophomore year.