Academic Culture & Values

Supporting an Academic Culture of Excellence and Success in the Curriculum

Global Studies fosters an academic culture grounded in interdisciplinary rigor, open inquiry and close faculty mentorship. Drawing faculty from across the humanities and social sciences, the program integrates regional depth with global and comparative perspectives. Students engage complex questions about culture, politics, history, migration, race, environment and transnational exchange through coursework that spans multiple disciplines and methodologies. The curriculum emphasizes critical, evidence-based analysis and sustained engagement with diverse intellectual traditions. Each concentration introduces students to the historical and cultural specificity of a region or diaspora while situating local contexts within global systems and movements. Many concentrations require significant language study, reinforcing cultural fluency and primary-source engagement. All majors complete a senior capstone involving original research, and many pursue honors theses under close faculty supervision.

Mentorship is central to the program’s mission. Faculty provide individualized advising, supervise independent research, and support students applying for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. Students frequently receive recognition through Fulbright awards, Critical Language Scholarships and other international opportunities. Experiential learning—including study abroad, research labs, internships and community partnerships—extends learning beyond the classroom and deepens global engagement. Through conferences, speaker series, collaborative programming and research initiatives, Global Studies sustains a vibrant intellectual community committed to scholarly excellence and thoughtful dialogue across perspectives. The program prepares students to conduct rigorous research, think critically across disciplines, and engage responsibly in an interconnected world.

Supporting the Success of All Students

Global Studies supports the success of its majors and minors through rigorous interdisciplinary training, close faculty mentorship, experiential learning and strong professional pathways. The program attracts students with diverse regional interests and career goals and provides multiple avenues for intellectual, professional and civic growth. Global Studies students benefit from individualized advising and sustained faculty mentorship. All majors complete a senior capstone involving original research, and many pursue honors theses under close supervision. Faculty also mentor students in independent studies, collaborative research labs and externally funded projects. Students regularly present their work at campus and regional conferences, publish in student journals, and participate in interdisciplinary research initiatives.

Global Studies contributes substantially to the COLL curriculum, offering courses across all levels that combine accessibility with academic rigor. Faculty regularly design courses that fulfill general education requirements while modeling interdisciplinary inquiry and advanced research skills.

Experiential learning is central to student success. Faculty direct study abroad programs across Asia, Europe, Latin America and Eastern Europe, and students frequently participate in global internships, research exchanges and community-based immersion programs. Opportunities such as research collaborations, global internships and language-intensive study strengthen cross-cultural competence and career readiness. Global Studies students are highly competitive for national and international awards, including Fulbright Scholarships, Critical Language Scholarships, Boren Scholarships and other prestigious fellowships. These achievements reflect the program’s commitment to high academic standards and sustained mentoring.

Career outcomes for graduates are broad and impactful. Alumni pursue careers in government (including the State Department, NSA and Library of Congress), international NGOs, consulting, media, law, education and global research organizations. Others attend leading graduate and professional programs in the United States and abroad.

Student communities also contribute to a vibrant academic culture. Students participate in regional clubs, language newspapers, global music ensembles, conferences and social justice initiatives, fostering leadership and peer mentorship. Through integrated coursework, experiential opportunities, and sustained advising, Global Studies equips students with the analytical, linguistic and intercultural skills necessary to thrive in a globally interconnected world.

Supporting the Success of Faculty and Staff

Global Studies fosters a collaborative and intellectually vibrant environment that supports the professional success of faculty and staff at William & Mary. As an interdisciplinary nexus connecting scholars across more than a dozen departments, the program creates sustained opportunities for research exchange, mentorship and community engagement.

Global Studies faculty have demonstrated exceptional scholarly achievement. Over the past decade, faculty with formal appointments have produced numerous single-authored and co-authored books, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles, and they have received prestigious fellowships and awards from national and international organizations, including Fulbright, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Humanities Center, the Guggenheim Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies. Faculty without formal appointments in Global Studies have likewise secured major grants and fellowships, reflecting the program’s broad intellectual strength.

The program supports faculty success by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, sponsoring speaker series and conferences, and creating venues for sharing works-in-progress. Faculty regularly collaborate across concentrations and with units such as the Global Research Institute, the Charles Center and Swem Library. These partnerships generate research labs, digital humanities initiatives, study abroad programs, and externally funded grant projects, including multi-year federal grants.

Global Studies also encourages faculty-student collaborative research, providing opportunities for co-authored publications and experiential learning initiatives abroad. These activities enhance faculty scholarship while strengthening undergraduate education.

Staff success is equally important to the program’s mission. Global Studies works to create a supportive administrative environment, recognizing that program management is essential to academic excellence.

Through collaborative governance, shared programming, and a strong sense of intellectual community, Global Studies cultivates a professional culture that values innovation, mentorship, and sustained scholarly engagement.