Global and International Studies Program

Bard's Global and International Studies Program (GIS) is an interdisciplinary academic concentration which students complete as a complement to a primary divisional program (such as Political Studies, Anthropology, Economics or Biology). The program is divided into two tracks, Global and International Affairs and Global Public Health. The program's objectives are to:

1. provide a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum that outlines a clear path for the formal study of global and international affairs, including global public health;
2. give students the opportunity to obtain a formal qualification in the area of global and international affairs;
3. encourage students to have an international academic experience; and
4. link non-classroom experiences, including internships, lectures or extracurricular activities (such as Model United Nations), with an academic program which focuses on international issues.

• Entrance into the Program
• Program Requirements:
• Global and International Affairs Track (GISP/GIA)
• Global Public Health Track (GISP/GPH)
• Moderation
• Core Faculty
• Courses

Entrance into the Program

Entrance into the program takes place parallel to, or proceeding, moderation in a primary academic program (Political Studies, Economics, Anthropology, Human Rights, Biology etc.). Some students combine GIS with multidisciplinary studies (MDS), such as Middle Eastern Studies and Latin American and Iberian Studies. Under these circumstances, students moderate into GIS after their program of study has been approved by the Executive Committee. They should consult with the director of GIS prior to submitting their request to the Executive Committee.

Program Requirements

• Global and International Affairs Track (GISP/GIA)
• Global Public Health Track (GISP/GPH)

Global and International Affairs Track (GISP/GIA)

Students in the GIS/GIA track are required to take a total of 9 courses: seven from the areas outlined below and two semesters of senior project. Two, excluding the Senior Project, should come from the 300 level. Below is a list of program requirements and samples of courses that fulfill those requirements.

• A. International Relations Theory
  Sample Courses:
  • Introduction to International Relations
  • Power Politics
  • Realism Reconsidered
• B. Theories and Practice of Globalization
  Sample Courses:
  • Globalization and Citizenship
  • Politics of Globalization
  • The Spread of Democracy
  • BGIA Core Seminar on Global Affairs
• C.    US Foreign Policy
  Sample Courses:
  • Dreams of Perfectibility
  • History of the Cold War
  • The American Age
  • US/Latin American Relations

II. Economics: Two courses focusing on micro-economics, macro-economics, international economics, economic development, or international economic institutions. We particularly encourage students to take courses in international trade or finance. Please note that graduate schools in international affairs usually require a minimum of micro- and macro-economics. Students may substitute a statistics class for one economics class.

• Sample Courses:
  • Econ 101 Introduction to Microeconomics
  • Econ 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics
  • Econ 200 Money and Banking
  • Econ 202 Intermediate Macroeconomics
  • Econ 115 Economic Dimensions of Global Issues
  • Econ 221 Economics of Developing Countries
  • Econ 323 Topics in International Trade
  • Econ 3xx Topics in International Finance
  • Econ 3xx Topics in Economic Growth and Development

III. Geographic Requirements: Two area studies courses (excluding the study of the United States) in different geographic areas covered in the Bard curriculum. Courses may come from any of the social studies disciplines which offer area studies courses, including anthropology, history, politics, religion, economics and sociology.

• Sample Courses:
  • Chinese Politics
  • Latin American History, Culture and Society
  • African Encounters I: Culture, History and Politics in Africa
  • South Asia and the Ethnographic Imagination
  • European Politics and Society
  • History of Islam in the Modern Middle East
  • Economic History of Central Asia

IV. Senior Project: The two-semester senior project, based in the student's primary discipline, must address global and international themes by incorporating the interdisciplinary lessons students have learned during their GIS coursework.

V. Language requirement: GIS/GIA students are expected to demonstrate basic proficiency in one language in addition to English. Proficiency is determined according to the standards of the corresponding language program at Bard. (Such proficiency would normally be achieved through 12 or 16 credits of study or placement in a 200 level course. For students who study languages not offered at Bard, 12 credits will be sufficient.) Students who come to Bard with basic proficiency in a language other than English are not be required to take additional language study.

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Global Public Health Track (GIS/GPH)

Students in the GIS/GPH track are required to take a total of 10 courses: eight from the areas outlined below and two semesters of senior project. Three, excluding the Senior Project, should come from the 300 level. Below is a list of program requirements and samples of courses that fulfill those requirements.

I. Social Dimensions of Health: One course in the social dimensions of public health. Courses may come from any of the social studies disciplines which offer health courses, including anthropology, philosophy, political studies, and sociology. The best course for this requirement is Global Public Health offered as a part of the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City which is recommended to all students in the program.

• Sample Courses:
  • Global Public Health
  • Anthropology of Medicine
  • Disease, Medicine, and Power
  • Sociology of AIDS
  • Sociology of Health and Illness
  • Global Change and Human Health
  • The Global Context of Public Health

II. Science: Three courses: one in subcellular biology, one in organismal diversity, and one in the biology of health or disease.

A. Subcellular Biology

• Sample Courses:
  • From Genes to Traits
  • Subcellular Biology

B. Organismal Diversity

• Sample Courses:
  • Organismal Biology
  • Biodiversity

C. Biology of Health or Disease

• Sample Courses:
  • Biology of Infectious Disease
  • Genetics
  • Physiology
  • Biology of Non-infectious Disease
  • Comparative Anatomy

III. Political Studies (and related disciplines): Two courses: one on theories of international relations and one on theories and practice of globalization (in some cases students can substitute a second course in theories and practice of globalization for a course in theories of international relations). While the majority of courses that fulfill these requirements are listed in political studies, courses from other disciplines, such as history and anthropology, may also fulfill GIS requirements.

A. International Relations Theory

• Sample Courses:
  • Introduction to International Relations
  • Power Politics
  • Realism Reconsidered  

B. Theories and Practice of Globalization

• Sample Courses:
  • Globalization and Citizenship
  • Politics of Globalization
  • Globalization and Its Critics

IV. Economics: One course focusing on macro- or micro-economics, international economics, economic development, or international economic institutions. Note: If students place out of the foreign language requirement (see below), two courses in economics are required.

• Sample Courses:
  • Introduction to Macroeconomics
  • Economic Dimensions of World Issues
  • International Economics
  • International Trade and Finance

V. Statistics: One course in statistics.

• Sample Courses:
  • Biostatistics
  • Statistics for Social Sciences

VI. Senior Project: The two-semester senior project, based in the student's primary discipline, must address global and international themes by incorporating the interdisciplinary lessons students have learned during their GIS coursework.

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Moderation

Students moderating into either track of GIS should normally have taken three GIS courses prior to moderation. Entrance into the program takes place parallel to, or proceeding, moderation in a major academic concentration (Political Studies, Economics, Anthropology, Human Rights etc.). To moderate into GIS, each student is required to submit a plan of study to the program director (Jonathan Becker—jbecker@bard.edu) that demonstrates a coherent vision of global and international studies within his/her academic program. The plan should include a list of potential courses the student would take over his or her remaining time at Bard, address plans for possible study aboard/study at the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City, and explain how the study of different disciplines would benefit the student's research interests. Students will meet with the program director and will be considered moderated into GIS when their program of study is approved by Professor Becker and they have successfully moderated into a major academic program.

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Core Faculty

Amy Ansell (Sociology); Jonathan Becker, Director (Political Studies); Sanjib Baruah (Political Studies); Jonathan Cristol (Politics); Sanjay DeSilva (Economics); Michael Donnelly (Sociology); Omar Encarnacion (Political Studies); Felicia Keesing (Biology); Tamar Khitarishvilli (Economics); Mark Lytle (History); Pierre Ostiguy (Political Studies); Yuka Suzuki (Anthropology); Elaine Thomas (Political Studies);

Associate Faculty

Tom Keenan (Human Rights); Greg Moynahan (History) Catherine O'Reilly (Biology); Michael Tibbetts (Biology).

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Courses

Recommended Courses

The following are recommended, but not required, for students in GISP:

• A course in social sciences method or statistics (In some cases this can be substituted for another requirement.)
• Model United Nations
• Introduction to Human Rights
• Global History courses
• Students are encouraged to develop oral and written competence in at least one language in addition to English.
• Students should study abroad and/or in the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program. Some experience in a culture outside of the United States is particularly encouraged. GISP may also offer study tours during intersession and vacations.
• Students should seek internships and/or practical experiences that will help them to contextualize their learning. Bard offers a number of internship possibilities through its Career Development Office, Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program, and the Human Rights Project.
• Students in GISP are encouraged to participate actively in all program activities.

Current Courses

Courses Fall 2009