
Want to explore the world and still make it to class?
Thinking about a career in international development, international humanitarian work or foreign service?
Or just interested in learning more about the world?
The Global Politics major has been developed within the Mount’s social justice framework with a strong basis in engaging course work, undergraduate research training, and exciting opportunities for high impact course trips.
We hope to challenge you to think deeply about the historical, social, political and environmental contexts that affect us all. Can we understand political struggles through comparisons across countries? Can we predict the rise and fall of democracies? How do we explain the differences in the lives of women and children across the globe? How does a policy decision around clean water in one country affect the rest of the globe? These are just some of the topics discussed in our classes.
Our most popular courses includes Health and Human Rights, Terrorism and Political Violence, Women and Development, the Politics of Globalization, and Revolutions and Social Movements.
Our graduates are empowered leaders prepared for international jobs in areas such as international development, humanitarian work, public policy, public health, and foreign service. The unique design of this major requires a global learning experience that can be a study abroad semester, an internship abroad, a research experience with one of our Mount faculty or a local internship focused on global issues. Our students have worked in communities across the globe helping to provide access to clean water or helping with after school programs for children or evaluating access to health services all while working towards an undergraduate degree.
Our faculty led course trips involving hands on projects with communities in Mexico, South America, Africa and our MSMU house in France. Our students graduate with truly unique experiences, and strong research and leadership skills.
Be sure to ask about our Global Women’s Studies Concentration, our GWSTEM Honors Program, and upcoming course trips!
Dr. Lia Roberts
Department Chair, Advisor for the Global Politics Major
Department of History and Political Science
Degree Requirements
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Global Politics+-
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Global Politics Course Requirements (Total 39 units)
Requirements:
Political Science 2 World Politics (3units)
Language:Global Politics majors are required to take one semester of language above the Mount general studies requirement.(3units)
PLUS
Section A : Theory : (9 units)
GLP/POL 131 International Relations Theory (3 units)
GLP/ POL 128 Globalization and Interdependence (3 units)
GLP/ POL 151 Humanitarian Intervention (3 units)
GLP 193: Current Topics in Globalization (3 units)
GLP 194: International Organization/Diplomacy (3 units)
GLP/ POL 148 Refugees and International Migration (3 units)
Section B: Special Topics and Regional Studies** (15 units)
POL 143 Terrorism and Political Violence
POL 154 U.S./Mexican Relations
POL U.S./Latin American Relations
POL 125 U.S. Foreign Policy
POL 147 Women and Development
POL 132 Political and Economic Development
POL 137 Ethnic Conflict and Civil War
POL 138 International Law
POL 122 Middle East Politics
POL 123 African Politics
POL 124 Latin American Politics
POL 126 Politics of the former Soviet Union
POL 136 Revolutions in World History
POL 144 Politics of Europe and European Union
POL 145 Politics of South East Asia
POL 152 A Politics of China
POL 152 B Politics of Japan
POL 138 - International Law
HIS 112 Economic History of Europe
HIS 25 - Cultural and Historical Geography
ECO 2 Macroeconomics
CUL 107 - Theory and Practice of Culture
RST 161 - World Religions
PHI 180 - Chinese Philosophy
**Students who do study abroad can apply 3-9 units taken at host institution towards Section B; must be pre-approved by Global Politics Advisor.
Section C: Methods and Experiential Learning: ( 9 units)
GLP/ POL 101 Research Methods (3 Units)
GLP 199a: Global Politics: Learning in Global Context (3 units): Students are required to complete study abroad/experiential learning trip/internship and complete a research paper analyzing their experience within the framework of the their academic coursework
Learning in a Global Context:
- Learning in a Global Context must be either a Study Abroad experience, a local or national internship, or an international experiential trip abroad.
- All internships must be for a group/organization/government office with some focus on a global issue or topic
- All study abroad/internships/course trips or international experiential trips must be pre-approved by the director of the Global Studies major advisor.
- Approved course trips currently include
- US/Mexican Relations Border Trip
- Global Brigades Ghana/Honduras/Panama
- Study abroad/exchange programs though Mount St Mary's University are approved for the Learning in a Global Context course credit. If students choose to transfer courses from host institution for the Global Politics major, pre-approval by Global Politics Advisor is required.
GLP 199b: Senior project: Independent research project (3 units)
Senior project course designed with the goal of creating interest in research related fields, deepening critical thinking skills, demonstrating an mastery of the theoretical approaches in the field, and connecting theory and policy. This is a capstone seminar.
Global Women's Studies Concentration Only
A Global Women's Studies Concentration is available to students interested in focusing their studies on women and politics from a global perspective.
GWS students must complete: Total 39 units
- Political Science 2 (3 units)
- One language course beyond the MSMU general studies requirement. (3 units)
- Section A from Global Studies (9 units)
- Section C** from Global Studies (see above) must be completed with a focus on Women Studies. (9 units)
- Section D as listed below (15 units)
**Work in Global Research Methods, international experiential learning component and senior project must focus on an issue(s) related to women.
D) Required: 6 units from below
GLP/POL 147 Women and Development
GLP /HIS 109 Global History of Women's Movements
GLP /HIS 110 History of Political Feminist Theory
GLP/HIS 187 Gender in a Global Context
GWS 194 Current Topics in Women's Studies.
Plus, 9 units of approved electives. Electives may come from the following list or other courses approved by the program coordinator. Up to 6 units may be transferred from Study Abroad host institution if the student chooses the Study Abroad option from Learning in a Global Context.
POL 102 Women and the Law
HIS 107 History of Women in the Middle Ages: Finding a Voice
HIS 192 Women of Color in the US
CUL 117 Women's Literature in Translation / ENG 123 Women Voices in Literature
RST 135 Women and Christianity
RST 23 Spiritual Journeys of Women
BUS 140 Women's Issues in Business and Economics
Global Women in STEM and Policy (GWSTEM)
The Global Women in STEM and Policy Undergraduate Research Training Honors Program (GWSTEM URTP) trains cohorts of undergraduate women to conduct basic and applied research in both the sciences and social sciences with a focus on global and interdisciplinary approaches. This program is a reflection of the Mount's mission and strategic plan to empower women, engage in a global environment, and to increase undergraduate research opportunities. Take courses in Policy and STEM. Engage in Summer Research Abroad!
Open to Majors in:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- History
- Healthcare Policy
- Global Politics