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Getting Started in Global Studies

In Global Studies, you will choose to study one of five distinct regions: Asia and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Islander AmericansEurope, Latin America, and the region that includes Russia. The first thing you need to do to be a student of Global Studies is to choose the region in which you want to focus your degree.

You will learn about your region's history, religion, language, arts and politics. Ours is an interdisciplinary program, so you will take courses in several different disciplines.

In general, all GBST majors

  • Take a core course that provides an overview of regional issues. This course is a great place to start your exploration of your region of interest. We think you should take this course even if you are still unsure if you want to get a degree in Global Studies. Not only will this course give you a good idea of what it's like to study the discipline, it counts as a COLL 200.
  • Take language courses that go beyond the W&M foreign language requirement. If you need to catch up on the language requirement, you should start on that as soon as possible.

There are a lot of differences in how the individual program areas structure their degree requirements. It is is important to work closely with your advisor to select courses that will meet all degree requirements as well as your individual goals.

First Semester Course Guide by Major