Global Studies Program

The fundamental role of the Global Studies (GS) Program at Colby is to provide an anchor for the study of international issues. Crossing four core disciplines (anthropology, economics, government, and history) and drawing heavily on the efforts of the language departments (two language courses beyond the all-college minimum are required), global studies offers a rigorous yet flexible approach to international affairs. The program’s underlying philosophy is that transnational issues should be examined through the lenses of several disciplines, so as to highlight the interconnections between these issues’ economic, political, cultural, and social dimensions.

With over 150 majors in 2011-2012, global studies has become the college’s largest interdisciplinary major (about half of all interdisciplinary majors are GS majors), and the third largest major overall. For a program that began in only 1990-91, with just two seniors in the first year, this growth reflects both the interest of students in international issues and the importance of engagement with societies and cultures outside of the U.S.

A distinctive feature of the program is that the great majority of the faculty involved in GS have extensive international experience—from Europe to the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, and that both their teaching and research are internationally oriented. In and out of the classroom, GS faculty nurture student interest in the world beyond the United States.

The major requires students to become knowledgeable about more than one geographic area, and to gain an understanding of policy-making processes that affect the international arena. Classroom learning must also be tested and expanded by studying abroad for at least one semester. Our majors have studied in countries from Morocco to Chile, Brazil to China, Bolivia to Russia, and Japan to Cameroon. GS majors are also required to complete either a regional or policy concentration unless they have a double major or minor in anthropology, economics, government, history, Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, Latin American studies, environmental policy or studies, Russian, East Asian studies, or German. Students may propose an independent concentration.

As seniors, students enroll in a senior seminar or conduct a semester-long independent study project that ties together their areas of interest. Some undertake an honors project under the close supervision of one or two faculty members. Due to the generosity of a Colby alumnus, we have supported senior research projects in Russia, Germany, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, China, Venezuela, and elsewhere. Advanced students also often work with faculty members on research projects, exploring issues ranging from ecological change in Africa to economic reform in Latin America.

Global studies majors pursue careers in international business, public service, consulting, and academia. In recent years, Colby’s global studies seniors have been awarded competitive fellowships in international affairs, including the Fulbright, Watson, and Carnegie fellowships.