International and Global Studies

Major

International & Global Studies (IGS) is a multi-disciplinary major

for students interested in understanding and engaging the world in meaningful ways.

Majors & Minors

Program Name	Program Type	Tracks
International and Global Studies	Major Bachelor of Arts	Tracks Global Studies International Affairs Track

Why choose International and Global Studies?

A major in IGS will sharpen your critical thinking, reading, writing, and speaking skills. It will also enable you to apply a multi-disciplinary and global perspective to issues and policies.

Students who graduate with an IGS major are well prepared to pursue graduate work or bring a global perspective to careers in government service, nonprofits, or the private sector.

Why choose International and Global Studies at Gettysburg

Opportunities

Students can integrate their study abroad and on-campus experiences to inform their understanding of global interaction.

The new International & Global Studies major emphasizes a common multi-disciplinary set of core courses, a common expectation of global study and language learning, and the rigor of a methods course and senior seminar while allowing for the distinctive approaches of two tracks within the IGS major.

Community of Experts and Professors

Caring faculty help students determine how to unite their interests in global studies with career ambitions.

The major aligns with our liberal arts values and includes common expectations and two distinct tracks

Because the two tracks include some self-design, students must complete an application for the major working closely with one of the faculty members of the International & Global Studies Committee. Applications for the IGS Studies major must be submitted no later than fall of the junior year.

International Affairs

aligns with more traditional International Relations/Foreign Affairs majors at other institutions
prioritizes relations between nation-states
prepares students for graduate work/professions in Government/Foreign Service and multilateral organizations with its emphasis on Political Science and Economics

Global Studies

asks students to select a region and theme to focus on (such as global business, global health, social justice and human rights) allowing for some self-design
prioritizes global interactions and processes
prepares students for a variety of careers including NGOs, relief work, and international organizations and companies

Because the two tracks include some self-design, students must complete an application for the major working closely with one of the faculty members of the International & Global Studies Committee. Applications for the IGS Studies major must be submitted no later than fall of the junior year.

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International & Global Studies Major Global Studies Track

Fourteen courses and a semester abroad are required for the major.

Four Foundation Courses

ANTH 103 Intro to Cultural Anthropology.
ECON 104 Macroeconomics.
POL 103 Intro to International Relations or POL 104 Intro to Comparative Politics.
HIST 103 Europe Africa and Asia 1750-1900 or HIST 110 The Twentieth Century World.

Global Studies

Three courses pertaining to an identified Region.
One of the three Region courses must be at the 300-level.
Three courses pertaining to a chosen Theme.
One of the three Theme courses must be at the 300-level. Themes include: Conflict Studies, Development Studies, Global Health, Global Business, Social Justice & Human Rights, Global Environmentalism, Global Culture, or can be self-designed.

Four Courses of Language Study

Four foreign language courses are required for the IGS major. The first two courses should be in the same language to satisfy the Gettysburg College curriculum requirement. The additional two courses can be in the same language or two additional languages. Language courses can be taken on campus or in an approved program off campus.

Methods Course

Methods course approved by IGS committee. Must be taken prior to capstone course. Students choose the methods course most suitable for inquiry into their theme.

Semester Abroad

One Semester of study off-campus in a college approved program, preferably in region of focus. While studying off campus for one semester, a maximum of three courses can count towards the Region and Theme courses. A second semester abroad is optional. When studying off campus for two semesters four courses can count.

Senior Seminar

IGS 400 International & Global Studies Capstone. Offered Spring of senior year; students will complete a research project that builds on tracks, coursework and/ or study abroad experiences.

Notes

The IGS major includes some self-design and so student must complete an application form for the major working closely with one of the faculty members of the International & Global Studies Committee.
Application for the IGS major must be submitted no later than the fall of a student’s junior year.

International & Global Studies Major International Affairs Track

Fourteen courses and a semester abroad are required for the major.

Four Foundation Courses

ANTH 103 Intro to Cultural Anthropology.
ECON 104 Macroeconomics.
POL 103 Intro to International Relations or POL 104 Intro to Comparative Politics.
HIST 103 Europe Africa and Asia 1750-1900 or HIST 110 The Twentieth Century World.

International Affairs

ECON 251 International Economics.
One from POL 203, 242, 252, or 253.
Of the following electives two must be at the 300-level.
One Political Science Select Elective.
One History Select Elective.
Two additional electives from different disciplines. Cannot be Economics or Political Science courses.

Four Courses of Language Study

Four foreign language courses are required for the IGS major. The first two courses should be in the same language to satisfy the Gettysburg College curriculum requirement. The additional two courses can be in the same language or two additional languages. Language courses can be taken on campus or in an approved program off campus.

Methods Course

Methods course approved by IGS committee. Must be taken prior to capstone course. Students choose the methods course most suitable for inquiry into their track.

Semester Abroad

One Semester of study off-campus in a college approved program. While studying off campus for one semester, a maximum of three courses can count towards the International Affairs section of major requirements. A second semester abroad is optional. When studying off campus for two semesters four courses can count.

Senior Seminar

IGS 400 International & Global Studies Capstone. Offered Spring of senior year; students will complete a research project that builds on tracks, coursework and/ or study abroad experiences.

Notes

The IGS major includes some self-design and so student must complete an application form for the major working closely with one of the faculty members of the International & Global Studies Committee.
Application for the IGS major must be submitted no later than the fall of a student’s junior year.

First Year Advising and Registration recommendations

A multi-disciplinary, partially self-designed major for students interested in international affairs and global issues. Students must complete an application for the major in consultation with a faculty member appointed by the Chair.

Common first-year courses

Four foundation courses (complete by end of second year, any order)

ANTH 103 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ECON 104 Principles of Macroeconomics
HIST 103 Europe, Africa and Asia 1750-1900 OR HIST 110 The Twentieth Century World
POL 103 Introduction to International Relations OR POL 104 Introduction to Comparative Politics

200 Level

Quarter credit internship graded S/U.

400 Level

An intensive seminar experience in which students in the final semester of their IGS major will have an opportunity to interact, learn, and bond as a cohort. The capstone will meet once a week for 2.5 hours, during which time students will undertake a common core of coursework related to International & Global Studies as an interdisciplinary field of study. A major objective of the capstone is the completion of an individual capstone project or thesis which reflects a synthesis of the student’s regional studies, thematic tracks, study abroad experience, and capstone-related independent research. Students will be expected to present oral and written presentations of their work in a public forum.