Global Interdisciplinary Studies

Director: Dr. Maghan Keita
Offices: 443 St. Augustine Center
Website: http://www.villanova.edu/artsci/global/ 

The Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies is rooted in and committed to the Augustinian and Catholic tradition of an inspired intellectual community, oriented by a quest for justice and peace. In a world beset by crisis, the mission of the Institute is to train a dedicated cadre of students who see themselves as problem-solvers and advocates for justice and peace worldwide.

MAJOR: The Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies provides a unique and dynamic course of study that consists of 10 courses comprising 36 credit hours for the completion of the major. The 10-course sequence has as its center a five-seminar core that consists of the Proseminar: Introduction to Global Interdisciplinary Studies; the Junior Research Seminar; and the Senior Capstone Colloquium.

These courses are mandatory. In addition to these three, the student will choose two other seminars to complete the core. All seminars will be team-taught and capped at 15 students. Seminars are open to the University population at large; however, Global Studies majors will receive priority. The remaining element of the IGIS curriculum will be satisfied by the selection of five more courses, seminar and/or lecture-discussion in areas of the student’s choosing, which correspond to the designed plan of study. Currently, there are approximately 200 courses from which a student might choose.

All students majoring in Global Interdisciplinary Studies must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences language requirement of proficiency in the language of their choosing at the intermediate level. Language choices for Global Interdisciplinary Studies majors will complement their selected areas of studies. The choice of language, along with the overall course of study, will be augmented by a mandatory semester abroad that will focus on language and cultural immersion.

Student initiative and responsibility are central to the design and the completion of a successful course of study as an Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies major. In conjunction with the Institute director and a faculty mentor of each student’s choosing, the student will create her/his own major. The major will be tailored to the interests of the individual student. Students will be in ongoing consultation with the director and their mentor to refine the course of study.

MINOR: While the Institute offers no minor per sé, minors are possible within the area of Critical Language and Cultural Studies for Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. Information concerning the requirements for these minors can be found on their respective pages. In addition, students interested in minoring in those areas should consult their websites. These can be accessed through the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies website.

Acceptance: Admission to the major for Global Interdisciplinary Studies is open to all students of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who are in good standing. Students must fill out the application and complete its essay prior to admission.

See the website address above for more information.