Global Studies
Why pursue a global studies degree at North Central College?
Go global with a cultural and politically enriching Global Studies major! Students studying Global Studies learn the skills necessary to build relationships and establish careers in other cultures. Global Studies provides the best of history, culture, politics and traveling, creating well-rounded individuals who are ready to thrive in any environment. At North Central College, you'll study three thematic areas: global power and security, culture and globalization and markets and development. Global Studies students are ready with the critical thinking skills to launch them into graduate school or roles in international business, global marketing, health, tourism, government and more.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
- Analyzing interactions between states, societies and cultures
- Tackling issues from a global perspective
- Understanding the dynamics associated with living and working abroad
then a degree in GLOBAL STUDIES might be for you.
Why study global studies at North Central College?
Coursework topics:
- Business and Economic Statistics
- Chinese History
- Comparative Political Systems
- Cultural Anthropology
- East Asian Thought
- Economics
- Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution
- Global History and Geography
- Globalization and Society
- Historical Methods
- Intercultural Communication
- International Business
- International Law
- International Relations
- International Politics
- Nature of Political Inquiry
- Research methods in social sciences
- Scope and Practice of Political Science
Beyond the Classroom
As a global studies major, you can:
- Apply for internships and jobs through robust faculty and alumni networks or the Center for Career and Professional Development.
- Present your own research projects at the Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research and other forums.
- Gain valuable practical experience in law and international relations through the faculty-led Mock Trial and Model United Nations organizations.
- Join the International Club, Asian Student Konnection, Korean Club, Japan Club, Chinese Club, Ecce, German Club, Le Cercle Français, Fusion Española or Raza Unida.
- Engage with global communities firsthand through study abroad.
Global Studies, B.A.
North Central College's global studies program operates on the premise that participation in a globalized world demands an understanding of the various issues that confront all the earth's citizens. In order to achieve this objective the global studies program brings together courses from a variety of disciplines so that students come to understand the diversity of our world, the problems that face us and the possible solutions from which we can choose. Students who major in global studies accept the idea that boundaries, both physical and intellectual, must be crossed. Upon completion of this major, graduates are prepared to serve in the public, private and non-profit sectors, whether at the international or national level, in the world of business or the world of global politics.
For additional information and courses in this program, see Global Studies.
Global Studies Minor
For additional information and courses in this program, see Global Studies.
The Global Studies minor requires 24 credit hours, including core and advanced electives within the program's three thematic areas: (1) Global Power and Security, (2) Culture and Globalization and (3) Markets and Development.
Core Courses
Global Power and Security
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POLS 102 - Introduction to International Relations
POLS 102 - Introduction to International Relations
4.00 credit hours
An introductory look at the variety of concepts, issues, debates, ideologies, and theoretical perspectives that have traditionally defined the discipline of International Relations. In particular, the course examines core issues such as international conflict, cooperation, globalization, international law, human rights, economic development, poverty, and terrorism. A great deal of time is devoted to exploring the dominant theoretical perspective of the field including realism, liberalism, Marxism, constructivism, and feminism.
Culture and Globalization
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HIST 150 - Global History and Geography
HIST 150 - Global History and Geography
4.00 credit hours
An exploration of themes in World History and Geography through the study of maps and their evolution through the pre-modern and modern eras. Topics include the role of maps in representing religious, political, and ethnic identities, patterns of pilgrimage and trade, and the increasing power of science in reshaping forms of knowledge and global political and cultural relations.
Markets and Development
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SBEN 100 - Globalization and Society
SBEN 100 - Globalization and Society
4.00 credit hours
An introductory course identifying the role of the business institution in our society, how business behavior is shaped and influenced by its stakeholders-managers, consumers, employees, government and community members. Key topics include: business systems, corporate governance, the business and society relationship, business and public issues, ethical dilemmas in business, corporate social responsibilities in relation to stakeholders, globalization, ecological and sustainability issues and the influence of technology on business and society.
Advanced Electives
Twelve credit hours, with one course from each area and at least two courses at or above the 300-level.
Global Power and Security
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GLST 366 - Global Power and the British Empire
GLST 366 - Global Power and the British Empire
4.00 credit hours
An upper-level survey of Britain's violent relationship with the world designed to introduce students to the depth and breadth of British power since the sixteenth century. The course focuses on the high point of imperial expansion from the nineteenth century to the post-WWI era and concentrates on why the British expanded into India, Africa and the Middle East and how they ruled/thought about their global empire.
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HIST 267 - Twentieth-Century East Asia: Industry, Empire and War
HIST 267 - Twentieth-Century East Asia: Industry, Empire and War
4.00 credit hours
This course explores how the forces of industry, empire and war have shaped modern East Asia, and how Cold War politics realigned diplomatic, economic and cultural relations in late 20th century Japan, Korea and China.
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HIST 285 - Twentieth-Century Europe: Hitler Versus Stalin
HIST 285 - Twentieth-Century Europe: Hitler Versus Stalin
4.00 credit hours
An examination of Europe since 1918 with special emphasis on the rise and fall of Hitler's and Stalin's regimes. This course suggests that Europe's interaction with the world in the twentieth history was defined by the experience and consequences of the Second World War. Major topics include the Holocaust, Decolonization, and the Cold War.
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HIST 385 - World Wars of the 20th Century
HIST 385 - World Wars of the 20th Century
4.00 credit hours
This research seminar analyzes historiographical debates over the causes of both World War I and World War II, and the consequences of mass destruction since 1945. Major topics include how each war was experienced globally through European imperialism, genocide, Nazi-occupied Europe and the Cold War. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.
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LEAD 350 - Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution
LEAD 350 - Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution
4.00 credit hours
Students discover the origins of and build a conceptual framework for understanding ethnic and religious conflict. The approach will be interdisciplinary and examine the central causes, consequences, and ultimately solutions for resolving ethnic and religious conflict. We will use numerous case studies to explore the key conceptual and theoretical areas and questions within the field. The reading is plentiful, but thought provoking, and should enable you to explore the dynamics of global conflict with greater rigor and precision. Come prepared for a stimulating academic experience.
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POLS 222 - American Foreign Policy
POLS 222 - American Foreign Policy
4.00 credit hours
This course offers a general introduction to the history, traditions and theories of American foreign policy. The course highlights the evolution of American foreign policy since World War II exploring the crucial decisions that shaped the current geopolitical environment. We will examine the ways domestic politics, public opinion, the media, presidential leadership and other factors have impact the conduct of American foreign policy. Specific emphasis is placed on contemporary challenges facing the United States, such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the rise of China, North Korea, and Russia.
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POLS 300 - Great Decisions in International Politics
POLS 300 - Great Decisions in International Politics
4.00 credit hours
A comparative case study analysis of the decision making process for three seminal events in international politics. The course explores the causal dynamics behind the origins of World War I, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 2003 Iraq War decision. Students learn the core components of qualitative research through the collection and review of archive research materials. The objective of the course is to develop the knowledge and skill set for evaluating foreign policy decision making in theory and practice.
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POLS 333 - International Law
POLS 333 - International Law
4.00 credit hours
An exploration of the basic concepts and problems of public international law and of the international legal system. The course will explore the central question of whether international law is useful for ordering the international system. Topics will include the sources and subjects of international law, the jurisdiction of states, the use of force, the relationship between international law and the internal law of states, the international law of human rights and international criminal law.
Culture and Globalization
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ANTH 325 - Indigenous Peoples, State and Order
ANTH 325 - Indigenous Peoples, State and Order
4.00 credit hours
Examination of the multi-dimensional clash of cultural values, attitudes and ideologies that commonly occurs in global encounters and relationships between state systems and native peoples. Topics include: colonial expansion, genocide, ethnocide and ecocide; the emergence of "indigenous" as a globalized category of identity; movements for cultural, political, economic and ecological autonomy and state responses.
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BUSN 301 - Leading in a Global World
BUSN 301 - Leading in a Global World
4.00 credit hours
An overview of globalization and its effects on leading successful multinational business and organizations. It explores systematically the theories and models of global leadership and explains social relationships and human behavior across cultural boundaries. It analyzes the relationships among individuals, communities and societies across the world. It provides a context expressing the cultural identities of leaders. It assists learners in developing key professional and personal competencies for effective global leadership and offers an integrated, practical and dynamic framework to think, act and mobilize people to develop global literacy.
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COMM 317 - Intercultural Communication
COMM 317 - Intercultural Communication
4.00 credit hours
A study of the basic components involved in intercultural communication. Topics considered include, but are not limited to: cultural biases, cultural determinants of experiences and backgrounds, social perception, verbal interaction, nonverbal interaction and opinion leadership.
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HIST 265 - Japanese History
HIST 265 - Japanese History
4.00 credit hours
An examination of the political and cultural evolution of Japanese civilization from prehistory to the present. Topics explored include the emergence of Japanese traditions within an East Asian context, the rise of samurai power, and Japan's development as a modern industrial power.
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HIST 270 - India Since 1750
HIST 270 - India Since 1750
4.00 credit hours
An examination of the history of India from 1750 to the present. Topics include British rule in India, the nationalist movement, issues of race and gender and India-Pakistan since independence.
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HIST 330 - East Asian Thought
HIST 330 - East Asian Thought
4.00 credit hours
This research seminar examines the East Asian intellectual tradition based on the reading of primary sources in translation and focusing on the cross-pollination of ideas between the three major intellectual traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.
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PHIL 225 - Environmental Ethics
PHIL 225 - Environmental Ethics
4.00 credit hours
After a brief examination of philosophical ethical frameworks, the following will be considered: the history of environmental ethics; the problem of the "moral status" of nonhuman animals and other aspects of nature: the environment and "the good life," ethical issues related to population growth, sustainability, diminishing/vanishing resources and the use of cost benefit analysis in environmental policy.
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PSYC 310 - Cultural Psychology
PSYC 310 - Cultural Psychology
4.00 credit hours
An examination of how definitions of culture shape knowledge about topics in psychology, such as human development, self-concept, and mental illness. The focus is on psychological and anthropological approaches to studying culture.
Markets and Development
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BUSN 201 - Global Business, Ethics and Politics
BUSN 201 - Global Business, Ethics and Politics
4.00 credit hours
Explores the dynamics of global business operations within the context of power structures, geopolitics and ethics. An overview of international business operations, ethical theories and how to apply them internationally, global power structures (i.e. WTO, EU) and their influence on global business. It explores the impact of moral concerns on the norms, institutions and practices of international business. It analyzes the relationship between business and power with a particular emphasis on income inequality and environmental impact. It explores how economic wealth and power affects people around the world.
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ECON 240 - Introduction to Environmental Economics
ECON 240 - Introduction to Environmental Economics
4.00 credit hours
Environmental Economics primarily examines the impact of economic activity on the environment and the shortcomings of the market system in valuing environmental costs and benefits. The focus of the course is the recent development and application of new and potential economic instruments to improve environmental quality.
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ECON 340 - International Economics
ECON 340 - International Economics
4.00 credit hours
The theory of international trade and the behavior of international institutions. Examination of how trade, trade restrictions and international monetary systems affect domestic business and economic prospects.
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ECON 375 - International Political Economy
ECON 375 - International Political Economy
2.00 credit hours
Analyses of the problems and prospects challenging the global community at a time of political and economic change through the study of the roles of industrialized countries, former socialist bloc states and the Third World. Attention is given to the interplay of political and economic power as components of planetary well-being.
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HIST 260 - Chinese History
HIST 260 - Chinese History
4.00 credit hours
An examination of China's transformation from the "traditional" society of the dynastic period (c. 2000 BCE to 1911) into the "modern" nation that has emerged in the twenty-first century.
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HIST 370 - Asia's Rapid Industrialization
HIST 370 - Asia's Rapid Industrialization
4.00 credit hours
This research seminar examines the phenomenon of rapid industrialization as it has been experienced by East Asian societies, with a special focus on Japan, Korea and China. The course considers the roots and consequences of Japan's modern economic growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the ways in which both Korea and China have more recently emerged as important global economic powers in their own right. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.
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POLS 221 - Comparative Politics
POLS 221 - Comparative Politics
4.00 credit hours
An introductory look at the concepts, ideologies, and methodology that define the field of Comparative Politics. The course will provide a comparative analysis of the various institutions of governance around the world and how those institutions structure state behavior. Comparative Politics seeks to understand different forms of government by comparing them to one another. We will also investigate key topics such as the state, political culture, ethnicity, nationalism, authoritarianism & totalitarianism, democracy, development, globalization and political violence.
Global Studies Internships and Jobs
A North Central education integrates career preparation with rich academic study. Our faculty encourages you to refine and apply your knowledge in an interconnected world. Here you'll learn to think independently and work internationally to solve global challenges and lead.
Internships
- Coleman Group, consulting firm, Chicago
- Non-government organizations (NGOs)
- International business
- Service and ministry work
- Government
- International relations
- Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
Graduate Schools
Recent graduates in global studies have been accepted to graduate study programs at:
- University of Minnesota
- Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government and Public Service
- Yale University
- Northwestern University
- Marquette University
Careers
Career opportunities in global studies include:
- International businesses
- Non-profit organizations
- Non-governmental organizations
- Global health
- Global marketing agencies
- Human justice organizations
- International governing agencies
- Mass communication
- Travel and tourism
- U.S. government offices and agencies
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