About the Concentration

“We can either emphasize those aspects of our traditions, religious or secular, that speak of hatred, exclusion, and suspicion or work with those that stress the interdependence and equality of all human beings. The choice is yours.”– Karen Armstrong, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

International and Global Arts and Belief Systems is an interdisciplinary “Functional Studies” concentration at the major level (only) of the Special Program in Liberal Studies/International & Global Studies (SPLS/IGS).  It is intended for undergraduate students who seek to understand and engage international issues and the differences and commonalities among world societies in terms of their multifaceted cultural elements, particularly as they relate to their philosophical perspectives on life, customs and traditions, scientific and religious views of the cosmos, and distinctive and shared art forms (plastic, literary, cinematic, and performance-based). Internationally and globally focused course work on modern-day philosophical and religious systems, cultural anthropology, intercultural communication, modern world literatures, and the analytical and historical studies of contemporary art, film, theatre, music, and dance is particularly suitable for this major.

Major in SPLS/IGS with a concentration in International and Global Arts and Belief Systems (A&BS). Students pursuing the major-level concentration in A&BS complete 30 semester hours of course work to include:

• 6 s.h. at the 300-level or higher of a modern foreign language;
• 6 s.h of IGS core courses:  IGS 200: “Introduction to International and Global Studies” (preferred) or IGS 210: “Introduction to Asian Studies” or IGS 213: “Introduction to Russian Studies”; and IGS 400: “Capstone Seminar in International and Global Studies*;
  * Students with this concentration will focus their end-of-major capstone research project for IGS 400 on a topic inspired by an issue impacting the arts, belief systems, and/or cultures of societies beyond US borders or across the world at large.
• 18 s.h. of Additional Course work on international and/or global topics, to include 15 s.h. of course work whose content focuses 51% or more on international and/or global arts, belief systems, and/or cultures.  This work, of which at least 9 s.h. must be at the 300-level or above, will therefore be selected from IGS’s “Arts and Literature” and “Belief Systems and Cultures” categories**; the remaining 3 s.h. will be selected from options at the 200-level or above in either of IGS’s two remaining categories:  “Society and Politics” or “Economics and Development.”
  ** To ensure category breadth, no more than 9 s.h. may come from a single category; after that, no more than 6 s.h. may come from the other category (e.g., 9 s.h. of A&L + 6 s.h. of BS&C, or the reverse).
• International/Global Experience Requirement:  Starting fall 2014, new majors must complete a qualified study abroad experience by the end of their studies.  International and Global Affairs and Development majors may complete this requirement at any site approved by the International Programs Center (alternative experiences are subject to approval by the Director).

Second major in SPLS/IGS with a concentration in International and Global Affairs and Development.  The second major must meet the same requirements as the Major, with at least 12 s.h. taken outside the student’s first major.