The Program

To complete the concentration, students must take a section of Global Studies 101; fulfill the requirements of a track; and complete a senior exercise.

Global Studies 101

All students wishing to pursue the concentration should take a section of Global Studies 101 early in their careers. The topics and regions covered will vary and be selective, but all will be designed to place cultural, political, economic and technological issues in conversation with one another to illustrate the necessity of cross-disciplinary and comparative perspectives. On occasion, students may petition to substitute a course equivalent in scope to Global Studies 101 to meet this requirement.

Area or Thematic Tracks

After taking Global Studies 101, students are asked to select a track that will structure their global studies curriculum. There are two types of track. The first focuses on a particular region of the world or a contact zone where multiple communities encounter one another. The second type is organized thematically and permits students to explore a cultural, political, economic or technological issue globally and comparatively. Each track is administered by faculty teaching in that track in consultation with the advisory committee. At present the program consists of the following tracks:

Area Tracks
African Studies
East Asian Studies
Latin American Studies
Middle Eastern Studies
Russian and Eurasian Studies
South and Southeast Asian Studies

Thematic Tracks
Borders, Exile and Diaspora Studies
Economic Development Studies
Urbanizing World

To fulfill the requirements of a track, students must complete three approved courses from at least two disciplines, take a comparative course (i.e. a course that might not cover material directly dealing with the track, but would enrich a student’s engagement through comparative inquiry), and address their track in their senior exercise. Faculty in each track may set an additional requirement of a level of language competency for its concentrators. Students may petition to use courses completed on approved study away programs to fulfill elective requirements. Students may not count a course toward more than one requirement in the track.

For a full listing of courses available for each track in 2015-2016, please consult the course catalog or the courses page of this website.

Senior Exercise

All concentrators must complete a senior exercise. The senior exercise will be a substantial piece of writing (20-25 pages) that draws together concentrators’ disciplinary skills and their expertise in their track. It might be work done in the context of a senior capstone course in a relevant department or in the context of a shared seminar sponsored by the Global Studies program. Concentrators will present their final senior exercise in class or in the Global Studies Colloquium.

Study Abroad & Internships

Although not a requirement, study away, research and or relevant internships are an essential component of Global Studies. Where relevant to the curriculum plan of concentrators, the program Chair, in coordination with the Study Away Advisor and the Career Center, will advise students on opportunities in these areas.

Global Studies Colloquium

Concentrators are expected to attend the periodic Global Studies colloquia in their senior year, and are urged to do so throughout their careers at Williams. The colloquium features faculty, students, CDE fellows and outside speakers addressing issues of interest to Global Studies concentrators and faculty.

For a listing of Global Studies related events on campus, please see the public calendar. 

Honors

A candidate for honors in Global Studies must maintain at least a B+ average in the concentration and be admitted to candidacy by the program faculty. An honors candidate must complete their project in a semester (and Winter Study). An honors candidate will prepare a forty-page thesis or its equivalent while enrolled in the senior thesis course, 491 or 492 (and Winter Study). This course will be in addition to the courses required to fulfill the concentration. A student wishing to become a candidate for honors in Global Studies should secure a faculty sponsor and inform the program chair in writing before spring registration of her/his junior year.