Global Affairs (B.A.)

Faculty

Dr. Allen Pietrobon, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs (program chair)
Dr. Mercedez Callenes, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs
Dr. Erin Carriere-Kretschmer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science
Dr. Kimberly Monroe, Assistant Professor of Global Affairs
Dr. James Stocker, Associate Professor of Global Affairs
Dr. Joshua Wright, Associate Professor of Global Affair

Faculty representing diverse disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences collaborate with and contribute to the Global Affairs Program.

Description

Trinity’s Global Affairs major equips students with the skill set to navigate, serve, and lead on a global scale. The Global Affairs major integrates and builds on Trinity’s outstanding programs in history, political science and international affairs, while also including courses from sociology, languages, business, economics and other programs to teach students how to interpret and understand the world through an interdisciplinary lens.

The Trinity Global Affairs program is distinguished by four areas of concentration that focus on several of the most career-relevant fields in today’s global society. Students select one of these concentrations:

  • Africana Studies
  • Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and Security
  • Global Economics and Business
  • Latin American Studies

Global Affairs majors take foundational and methodology courses, language and cultural studies classes and a senior seminar. The foundational courses lay the groundwork essential to understanding the contemporary world and students are introduced to a wide range of topics including economics and trade, political organizations, and social justice issues.

Two career-focused mentorship courses provide Global Affairs majors engaging opportunities to explore career paths, connect with mentors and develop professional skills for successful careers both in the U.S. and internationally.

Trinity’s Global Affairs major prepares graduates for a variety of careers including journalists, policy analysts, legislative assistants, diplomats and researchers. This major also provides an excellent foundation for law school or graduate school in international affairs, political science, history, and public policy.

The major in Global Affairs is offered to students in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Global Affairs program also offers a major in History and minors in Global Affairs, Africana Studies and Environmental Justice. The three minors are available to students in all major program of study in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Major Requirements

Foundational Courses (15 credits)

GLBL 201 Intro to Global Affairs
GLBL 250 Human Geography Seminar
ECON 102 Macroeconomics I
POLS 231 Introduction to Comparative Politics
HIS XXX – *Any 200-Level or above, non-U.S. focused history class not being used to fulfill a concentration elective

Methodology Course (3 credits)

SSC 350 Interdisciplinary Research Methods

Language and Culture Studies Courses (6 credits beyond the General Education Curriculum)

Trinity’s Global Affairs major recognizes the importance of the ability to communicate effectively in more than one language and across cultural divides. Students will take courses that demonstrate their ability to do so, selecting from the following three options:

Option 1:  The completion of two semesters of language instruction beyond the Gen Ed (e.g., SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish for Communication and SPAN 202 Spanish for Professional Communication), or their equivalent through language placement testing or an alternate demonstration of language competency

Option 2: The completion of one semester of language instruction beyond the Gen Ed at the 200-level, followed by another course that deepens knowledge of the importance of language and culture. For example, after completing the 201-level course in a second language, students then could take a course such as COM 225 Intercultural Communication Intercultural Communication, or another literature, cultural studies, or history course dealing with region(s) in which this language is prominent.

Option 3: The completion of two courses that deepen their knowledge of culture, as well as the Gen Ed requirement for language.

Mentorship Courses (2 credits)

GLBL 221 Global Affairs Mentorship I should ideally be taken in the second semester of sophomore year or first semester of junior year; GLBL 222 Global Affairs Mentorship II should ideally be taken in the second semester of junior year or first semester of senior year.

GLBL 221 Global Affairs Mentorship I
GLBL 222 Global Affairs Mentorship II

Senior Seminar (3 credits)/ Capstone Project (no credit):

The capstone project must be substantially completed during Senior Seminar; however, students will then present a revised version of their project to fulfill the presentation requirement (this is normally done the semester after Senior Seminar – if a student take senior seminar in their final semester before graduation, they must present it before the end of the semester.)

GLBL 499 Senior Seminar: Global Affairs
Capstone Project

Areas of Concentration (15 credits)

Global Affairs majors must select five courses in one of four areas of concentration, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and Security, Global Economics and Business, Africana Studies, and Latin American Studies. Courses counted toward an area of concentration must be in addition to foundational courses (i.e., the same course may not fulfill multiple areas of the major).

Three credits must be fulfilled through experiential learning, either in the form of an internship or study abroad.

Foreign Policy, Diplomacy and Security (FPDS) Concentration

Required Course (3 credits)

POLS 343 United States Foreign Policy I

Electives (9 credits)
HIS 314 Modern Latin America
HIS 317 The Cold War and Its Legacies
HIS 358 The Modern Middle East
HIS 371 Modern Africa
POLS 244 Law, Justice and Human Rights
POLS 303 The U.S. Presidency and National Security
GLBL 331 International Diplomacy
GLBL 322 Nuclear Weapons & Arms Control
GLBL 331 International Diplomacy
GLBL 382 Energy and Global Affairs
GLBL 411 Model Assembly of the Organization of American States
CJUS 388 International and Domestic Terrorism

Experiential Learning Requirement (3 credits)
Choose from one of the following:

GLBL 491 Internship: Internship
Trinity partnership experience
Study Abroad

Global Business and Economics Concentration

Economics Courses (6 credits)
Choose two of the following:

ECON 253 Economic Development
ECON 241 Money and Banking
ECON 252 Comparative Capitalist Systems
ECON 351 International Trade
ECON 353 International Finance

Business Courses (6 credits)
Choose two of the following:

BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?
BADM 221 Financial Accounting
BADM 223 Managerial Accounting
BADM 307 International Business
BADM 320 International Management Global Leadership
BADM 330 Sustainability, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
BADM 350 Understanding Global Institutions

One additional course (3 credits) , either from the two previous lists or from the following:

ITEC 100 Introduction to Data Analytics
BADM 352 Managing a Diverse Workforce
BADM 325 Business Financial Management
BADM 423 International Accounting
ECON 321 Microeconomics II: Managerial Economics
ECON 322 Macroeconomics II
GLBL 382 Energy and Global Affairs
PHIL 353 Business Ethics: Corporate Social Responsibility
SOCY 321 Inequality and Society
SOCY 333 Women and the Developing World

Experiential Learning Requirement (3 credits)
Choose from one of the following:

GLBL 491 Internship: Internship
Trinity partnership experience
Study Abroad

Africana Studies Concentration

Foundational Course (3 credits)

AFST 200 Intro to Africana Studies

Elective Courses (9 credits)
Choose three of the following:

ENGL 271 Literature of the African Diaspora
ENGL 475 Immigration, Identity, and Politics
SOCY 333 Women and the Developing World
HIS 314 Modern Latin America
HIS 339 African American History
HIS 343 20th Century African American Liberation Movements
HIS 344A African American Women's History
HIS 345 The Civil Rights Movement in the Twentieth Century
HIS 371 Modern Africa
GLBL 310 Global Hip Hop: NYC to the World
POLS 337 Comparative Politics: Africa
HIS 349 The History of Immigration

Experiential Learning Requirement (3 credits)
Choose from one of the following:

GLBL 491 Internship: Internship
Trinity partnership experience
Study Abroad

Latin American Studies Concentration

Elective Courses (12 credits)
Choose four of the following:

GLBL 411 Model Assembly of the Organization of American States
HIS 314 Modern Latin America
ENGL 475 Immigration, Identity, and Politics
SOCY 231 International Migration
HIS 317 The Cold War and Its Legacies
HIS 349 The History of Immigration
POLS 338 Latin American Political Economy

Experiential Learning Requirement (3 credits)
Choose from one of the following:

GLBL 491 Internship: Internship
Trinity partnership experience
Study Abroad

Minor Requirements

The Global Affairs minor requires 18 credits

Required Courses 

GLBL 201 Intro to Global Affairs
GLBL 250 Human Geography Seminar
ECON 102 Macroeconomics I
POLS 231 Introduction to Comparative Politics or POLS 241 Introduction to International Relations
HIS 211 World History: Industrialization to Globalization

One 300-level course from GLBL, HIS, or POLS with an international focus
(This course cannot be counted twice for another major or minor. It may include the GLBL 491 Internship internship.)

The Global Affairs program also offers a minor in Africana Studies and Environmental Justice.

Program Policies

Advanced Placement Policy:
As an interdisciplinary program, the Global Affairs Program follows the policies of its disciplinary components on issues applicable to this major. Please refer to the statements of the appropriate program for policies on credits earned through advanced placement examinations.

CLEP Policy:
The Global Affairs Program follows the program policies of its component disciplines for credits earned through CLEP examinations.

Grades in Major Courses:
Students are required to maintain an average of “C” (2.0) or better in the major and minor. All courses for the major or minor require a “C-“ or better.

Pass/No Pass:
With the exception of internships, courses fulfilling a major or minor requirement may not be taken pass/no pass.

Senior Seminar:

The Global Affairs senior seminar is an interdisciplinary course designed to support students in the process of completing their senior capstone project, a research paper of 25-30 pages. A successful defense of the capstone research project fulfills the comprehensive exam requirement for the major. Students are encouraged to pursue a project that relates to their plans for after graduation, whether attending graduate school or entering the workforce. Students are also required to present the results in a public forum, such as Spring Research Day.

Comprehensive Examination:

To complete their comprehensive examination requirement, students will present their senior project (written during the Senior Seminar) before two professors. Generally, the student will briefly present their research question, arguments, evidence, and conclusions, then will respond to questions from the professors and other students present. In addition, students are highly encouraged to present their research at Research Day and in other public forums, including conferences on undergraduate research. With guidance from Global Affairs faculty, they may also wish to submit their work to undergraduate research journals.

TELL Policy:
The Global Affairs Program follows the program policies of its component disciplines for TELL credits applicable towards the major. TELL credits may count towards the major if the student is able to document active participation in an event, movement, or issue that has shaped contemporary history. 

Transfer Credits:

Transfer credits may be used to fulfill major requirements, as long as they are from courses that are substantially similar in rigor and content to relevant Trinity courses. At least 18 credits in the major must be taken at Trinity, including GLBL 499.