BA in Global Studies
The BA in global studies gives students the opportunity to examine global issues from the perspective of several academic disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The program allows students the flexibility to pursue a general curriculum or to choose one or more of the below-listed thematic and regional areas of focus:
International Relations
International Economics and Business
Global Order and Organizations
Global Conflict and Peace
Global Cultures
Global Ethics and Social Justice
Global Health, Development, and the Environment
Global Art, Film, and Literature
Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
The College of Arts and Sciences requires that a minimum of 21 credit hours (7 courses) of any major, including the GLST major, be unique to that major and hence may not count toward any other major or minor. GLST allows up to 9 credit hours (3 courses) to fulfill the requirements of the GLST major and any other individual major or minor.
Upon completion of the program, global studies majors will be able to do the following:
Program Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the program, Global Studies majors will be able to do the following:
- Describe causes of or potential solutions to different contemporary global problems
- Synthesize geographical, cultural, or historical information from one or more world regions to support evidence-based arguments in global studies
- Analyze different modern political systems outside of North America
- Assess the significance and effectiveness of different international/global organizations
How do I declare a global studies major?
- If a student entered Loyola as a global studies major, he or she need not formally declare.
- All other students: please use LOCUS to change or declare a major. We strongly encourage you to meet with the director of the Global Studies Program after you declare the GLST major to discuss program requirements, career goals, and internship options.
Degree Requirements
The curriculum leading to a BA in global studies consists of 33 semester hours of coursework (11 courses) and the fulfillment of a language proficiency requirement. Courses completed to satisfy the language requirement do not count toward the 33 semester hours of coursework.
The major in global studies requires students to complete the following global studies core courses in addition to their GLST elective courses:
- GLST 101 Introduction to Global Studies
- ANTH 100 Globalization and Local Cultures
- PLSC 102 International Relations in an Age of Globalization
- TWO of the following GLST 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 309, 398, 370 (Internship: note that only 3 credits of GIST 370 can count towards the GLST major).
If a student enters Loyola as a global studies major, he or she need not formally declare.
Global Studies elective courses that are based in other schools or departments must be tagged with the GLST program. Courses taken abroad may be substituted for LUC GLST courses if they are pre-approved by the director of the GLST program. Elective coursework must be from at least two departments, and no more than four electives taken from any single department can count for the GLST major.
Survey Requirement
All graduating global studies majors must submit during their final semester responses to an exit survey. Communication about this requirement will be sent out by email two to three months before your scheduled graduation date. Students will be asked to submit the following:
- a personal statement describing the most important knowledge and skills gained as a global studies major as well as the courses and experiences you have found most helpful.
- the inclusion of a statement on the strengths and weaknesses of the Global Studies Program itself as you see it as well as any recommendations you would like to see made to the program.
December graduates should submit their portfolios by December 1st of their final semester; May graduates must submit their portfolios by May 1st of their final semester.
Language Requirement
The language requirement for the major in global studies may be satisfied in any of the following ways:
- Successful completion with a grade of "C" or better of a 104-level or higher course in one of the modern, foreign languages offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
- Completion of a language proficiency examination or the equivalent, administered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, demonstrating proficiency at the 104 level or higher of a modern, foreign language (one that is native to a country or region other than the United States). Please email CASLanguageTesting@luc.edu for information about Language proficiency.
- Determination by the director of the Global Studies Program, in consultation with appropriate specialists, that a student has at least a 104-level reading and writing proficiency in a language that is not taught or tested at Loyola.
English, American Sign Language, computer languages, and other US-based languages do not satisfy this requirement.
Please note: consultation with this website is not an adequate substitute for consultation with the program director and your college advisor when it comes to completion of the major requirements. Please make sure you consult these individuals if you are or intend to be a global studies major.
Please seek preapproval for courses taken abroad if you want them to count for the global studies major; courses that are not preapproved might not count.
