The College’s Global Studies Program is off to a strong start in its first year.

Eighteen students—14 freshmen and four sophomores—have declared majors within the new interdisciplinary program and several others have expressed interest in becoming majors, according to Dr. Nuria Alonso-Garcîa, associate professor of Spanish and interim director of the program.

Teaching-wise, the program involves faculty members from a variety of disciplines including finance, history, political science, and sociology. “One of the strengths of the Global Studies Program is the richness and variety of the backgrounds of those involved—faculty and students alike,” Alonso-Garcîa said.

She likened the degree program to an international relations major, with a focus on helping students gain greater insight into global issues such as poverty, morality, and religion.

“The global studies major provides students with an opportunity to explore the complex social, political, and economic threads that intertwine the tapestry that makes up today’s global society,” said Alonso-Garcîa. “The interdisciplinary nature of the program is designed to provide students with the tools to function as sensitive, understanding, and productive citizens of the world.”

Students in the Global Studies Program are required to take Introduction to Global Studies—a course that explores global theories and concepts—as well as a variety of other courses including Comparative Politics, International Business, and a Moral Leadership ethics class. They will ultimately pursue a humanities or economics and business concentration, focusing their attention on a particular region of the world.

Ideally, in their junior year, students will study abroad in the country of their focus and complete the program with a two-semester capstone course during their senior year, said Alonso-Garcîa.

Alonso-Garcîa, who will teach Spanish language and linguistics courses within the program, is in the process of submitting a proposal for a Special Topics course in the Global Studies Program. The course, she said, would enable students to engage in a detailed study of a theoretical issue or current controversy in international affairs.