Global and International Studies (BA Program)
Jacqueline Holler, Professor and Chair
Paul Bowles, Professor
Heather Smith, Professor
Tristan Pearce, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Cumulative Impacts of Environmental Change
Gabrielle Daoust, Assistant Professor
Jason Lacharite, Assistant Professor
Ami Hagiwara, Senior Instructor
Paul Bowles, Professor
Heather Smith, Professor
Tristan Pearce, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Cumulative Impacts of Environmental Change
Gabrielle Daoust, Assistant Professor
Jason Lacharite, Assistant Professor
Ami Hagiwara, Senior Instructor
Website: http://www.unbc.ca/international-studies
Our world is rapidly globalizing, bringing exciting opportunities and daunting challenges. Global and International Studies, hereafter referred to as Global Studies, seeks to tackle this brave new world in all its complexity. We train students to be global citizens, global thinkers, and global problem-solvers, and prepare them for global careers in academia, business, government, and the non-profit sector, among others. A unique feature of our program is that we train students in foreign languages. Language is the entry-point for understanding the world’s cultures and equips students for studying and working abroad.
Global Studies is a holistic and timely field of study whose scope is the whole Earth and whose eyes are on the future, aiding a global transformation toward healthy, just, peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable societies for all. The focus of our program is on the ‘big picture,’ international to global. Using multi-disciplinary, multi-perspective, local-to-global, and critical ways of thinking, students emerge from our program with knowledge of the macro-level structures, actors, processes, ideas, issues, and events shaping our planet and its societies.
The curriculum is organized around four themes:
• Global environment and sustainability
• Global cultures and diversity
• Global governance and social justice
• Global political economy and development.
Students take courses in each theme, learn to integrate across themes, and can focus on one or more themes if they so choose. Special attention is given to British Columbia’s immediate international neighbouring regions: Asia-Pacific, Circumpolar North, and the Americas.
Major in Global and International Studies (BA)
Joint Major in Economics and Global and International Studies (BA)
Joint Major in Global and International Studies and Political Science (BA)
Minor in International Studies
Major in Global and International Studies
The Global and International Studies major requires 63 credit hours of Global and International Studies coursework of which 21 credit hours are at the lower-division, 30 credit hours are at the upper-division, and 12 credit hours are in foreign language study.
The minimum requirement for completion of a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Global and International Studies is 120 credit hours.
Program Requirements
Lower Division Requirement
100 and 200 Level
The minimum requirement for completion of a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Global and International Studies is 120 credit hours.
Program Requirements
Lower Division Requirement
100 and 200 Level
INTS 100-3 | Introduction to Global Studies | |
INTS 210-3 | Globalizations |
Global environment and sustainability theme
INTS 225-3 | Global Environmental Challenge: Sustainability |
Global cultures and diversity theme
ANTH 213-3 | Peoples and Cultures |
Global governance and social justice theme
POLS 202-3 | Canada in Comparative Perspective |
Global political economy and development theme
ECON 101-3 | Macroeconomics | |
or INTS 220-3 | Global Economic Shifts |
Note: Students intending to take upper-division courses from the global political economy and/or global environment themes are strongly encouraged to take ECON 205-3 Statistics for the Business and the Social Sciences in their first or second year.
Language and Regional Studies Requirement
Students majoring in Global and International Studies must complete four language courses (12 credit hours) and one lower-division regional studies course. The ideal sequence is to take all four language courses in a single language and a regional studies course corresponding to that language. This sequencing is not required; however, at least two courses must be in one language.
Regional Studies
One of the following:
GEOG 220-3 | World Regions: Latin America and the Caribbean | |
GEOG 222-3 | World Regions: Russia | |
HIST 281-3 | Republican Latin America | |
INTS 200-3 | Contemporary Russia | |
INTS 204-3 | Contemporary China | |
INTS 207-3 | Contemporary Latin America | |
INTS 240-3 | Contemporary Circumpolar North |
International Languages
Note on Languages: Language courses offered by the Department of Global and International Studies are not designed for native speakers. A native speaker is defined as a person who is able to read and carry on conversations related to simple, daily topics or whose language ability is equivalent to a middle school graduate in that language. Students who have prior knowledge of the language for a given course must consult with the instructor, must complete a language skill evaluation, and must receive the permission of the instructor before being allowed to register for the course.
French
INTS 171-3 | Beginning French I | |
INTS 172-3 | Beginning French II | |
INTS 271-3 | Intermediate French I | |
INTS 272-3 | Intermediate French II |
Japanese
INTS 121-3 | Beginning Japanese I | |
INTS 122-3 | Beginning Japanese II | |
INTS 221-3 | Intermediate Japanese I | |
INTS 222-3 | Intermediate Japanese II | |
INTS 321-3 | Japanese Conversation and Composition I | |
INTS 322-3 | Japanese Conversation and Composition II |
Spanish
INTS 181-3 | Beginning Spanish I | |
INTS 182-3 | Beginning Spanish II | |
INTS 281-3 | Intermediate Spanish I | |
INTS 282-3 | Intermediate Spanish II |
Other
INTS 151-3 | Beginning International Language I | |
INTS 152-3 | Beginning International Language II |
Upper Division Requirement
300 and 400 Level
At the upper-division level, students must take INTS 310-3, INTS 490-3 (our 'global capstone' course), four INTS upper-division courses and four non-INTS upper-division courses.
INTS Upper Division Courses (18 credit hours)
INTS 310-3 | Origins and Evolution of Our Globalizing World | |
INTS 490-3 | Global Capstone | |
any four additional INTS upper-division courses (12 credit hours) |
Non-INTS Upper Division Courses (12 credit hours)
Students must take four courses (12 credit hours) from the list of courses below. The courses are organized by Global Studies theme; however, students are not required to take a course in each theme. They are free to take any four courses of their choosing from this list.
Note: Some of these courses have prerequisites that are not met by INTS lower-division required courses. Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any course.
Global environment and sustainability theme
Global cultures and diversity theme
Global governance and social justice theme
Global political economy and development theme
Elective and Academic Breadth Requirement
Electives at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, including any additional credits necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University.
(see Academic Regulation 15)
Students must take four courses (12 credit hours) from the list of courses below. The courses are organized by Global Studies theme; however, students are not required to take a course in each theme. They are free to take any four courses of their choosing from this list.
Note: Some of these courses have prerequisites that are not met by INTS lower-division required courses. Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any course.
Global environment and sustainability theme
ANTH 312-3 | Human Adaptability and Environmental Stress | |
ANTH 413-(3-6) | Environmental Anthropology | |
ECON 305-3 | Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy | |
ECON 425-3 | Trade and the Environment | |
ENVS 306-3 | Human Ecology | |
ENVS 309-3 | Gender and Environment | |
ENVS 414-3 | Environmental and Professional Ethics | |
FNST 304-3 | Indigenous Environmental Philosophy | |
GEOG 305-3 | Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making | |
GEOG 307-3 | Changing Arctic: Human and Environmental Systems | |
GEOG 401-3 | Tenure, Conflict and Resource Geography | |
GEOG 420-3 | Environmental Justice | |
HIST 360-3 | An introduction to Environmental History | |
NORS 311-3 | Lands and Environments of the Circumpolar North 1 | |
NORS 312-3 | Lands and Environments of the Circumpolar North 2 | |
NREM 303-3 | Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management | |
NREM 306-3 | Society, Policy and Administration | |
ORTM 403-3 | International Dimensions of Recreation and Tourism | |
POLS 344-3 | Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources |
Global cultures and diversity theme
ANTH 305-3 | Circumpolar Ethnography | |
ANTH 404-3 | Comparative Study of Indigenous Peoples of the World | |
ANTH 414-3 | Religion, Ideology, and Belief Systems | |
ENGL 350-3 | Comparative Literature | |
ENGL 493-(3-6) | Cultural Studies | |
FNST 303-3 | First Nations Religion and Philosophy | |
FNST 416-3 | International Perspective | |
GEOG 301-3 | Cultural Geography | |
GEOG 403-3 | First Nations and Indigenous Geographies | |
GEOG 426-3 | Geographies of Culture, Rights and Power | |
HIST 390-3 | History of Indigenous People of Canada | |
NORS 321-3 | Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World 1 | |
NORS 322-3 | Peoples and Cultures of the Circumpolar World 2 | |
ORTM 306-3 | Indigenous Tourism and Recreation |
Global governance and social justice theme
ANTH 406-3 | Feminist Perspectives in Anthropology | |
ANTH 410-3 | Theory of Nation and State | |
ANTH 420-3 | Races, Racism, and Human Biology | |
ECON 301-3 | Women and the Economy | |
ENGL 340-3 | Postcolonial Literature | |
ENGL 410-3 | Contemporary Women's Literature | |
ENGL 440-3 | Special Topics in Postcolonial Literature I | |
FNST 306-3 | Indigenous Women: Perspectives | |
HIST 311-3 | History of Feminism | |
HIST 312-3 | An Introduction to the History of Gender | |
HIST 335-3 | Global History of Public Health | |
NORS 331-3 | Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar North 1 | |
NORS 332-3 | Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar North 2 | |
POLS 303-3 | Democracy and Democratization | |
POLS 309-3 | Politics and Society in China | |
POLS 370-3 | Political Philosophy: Early Modernity to Post-Modernity | |
POLS 372-3 | Theories of Justice | |
POLS 405-3 | Topics in Society and Democracy | |
POLS 413-3 | Democracy and Diversity | |
POLS 414-3 | Comparative Federalism | |
POLS 427-3 | Ethics and Public Affairs | |
WMST 302-3 | Women and the Contemporary World | |
WMST 306-3 | Indigenous Women: Perspectives | |
WMST 311-3 | History of Feminism | |
WMST 312-3 | An Introduction to the History of Gender |
Global political economy and development theme
COMM 303-3 | Introduction to International Business | |
COMM 432-3 | Cross-cultural Workplace Practices | |
COMM 441-3 | International Marketing | |
ECON 308-3 | International Economic Relations | |
ECON 321-3 | Economics of Developing Countries | |
ECON 404-3 | Poverty, Inequality and Development | |
GEOG 306-3 | Critical Development Geographies | |
POLS 415-3 | Comparative Northern Development |
Elective and Academic Breadth Requirement
Electives at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, including any additional credits necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University.
(see Academic Regulation 15)
Joint Major in Global and International Studies and Political Science (BA)
The minimum requirement for completion of a Bachelor of Arts with a joint major in Global and International Studies and Political Science is 120 credit hours.
Lower Division Requirement
ECON 100-3 | Microeconomics | |
ECON 101-3 | Macroeconomics | |
or STAT 240-3
|
Statistics for Business and the Social Sciences
Basic Statistics
|
|
INTS 100-3 | Introduction to Global Studies | |
INTS 210-3 | Globalizations | |
POLS 100-3 | Contemporary Political Issues | |
POLS 200-3 | Canadian Government and Politics | |
POLS 202-3 | Canada in Comparative Perspective | |
POLS 230-3 | International Relations | |
POLS 270-3 | Political Philosophy: Antiquity to Early Modernity |
Upper Division Requirement
INTS 310-3 | Origins and Evolution of Our Globalizing World | |
INTS 490-3 | Global Capstone | |
POLS 303-3 | Democracy and Democratization | |
POLS 370-3 | Political Philosophy: Early Modernity to Post-Modernity |
One of the following:
POLS 305-3 | United States Politics | |
POLS 309-3 | Politics and Society in China | |
POLS 311-3 | Russian Politics and Society | |
POLS 314-3 | European Politics and Government | |
POLS 315-3 | Contemporary Issues in the Circumpolar World | |
POLS 380-3 | Law and Indigenous Peoples |
One of the following:
POLS 405-3 | Topics in Society and Democracy | |
POLS 414-3 | Comparative Federalism | |
POLS 415-3 | Comparative Northern Development | |
POLS 480-3 | Law and Politics in the Arctic |
Nine additional credit hours of upper division Global and International Studies (INTS) courses.
Six additional credit hours of 400-level Political Science (POLS) courses.
Six additional credit hours of 300- or 400-level Global and International Studies (INTS) or Political Science (POLS) courses.
Language and Regional Studies Requirement
One of the following:
Six additional credit hours of 400-level Political Science (POLS) courses.
Six additional credit hours of 300- or 400-level Global and International Studies (INTS) or Political Science (POLS) courses.
Language and Regional Studies Requirement
One of the following:
GEOG 220-3 | World Regions: Latin America and the Caribbean | |
GEOG 222-3 | World Regions: Russia | |
HIST 281-3 | Republican Latin America |
INTS 200-3 | Contemporary Russia | |
INTS 204-3 | Contemporary China | |
INTS 207-3 | Contemporary Latin America | |
INTS 240-3 | Contemporary Circumpolar North |
Twelve credit hours of Global and International Studies (INTS) language courses. At least 6 credit hours must be in one language
Elective and Academic Breadth Requirement
Electives at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, including any additional credits necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University (see Academic Regulation 15).
Minor in International Studies
Students must complete a total of 18 credit hours of Global and International Studies course work, of which 6 credit hours are INTS 100-3 and INTS 210-3.
Students must complete:
Students must complete:
INTS 100-3 | Introduction to Global Studies | |
INTS 210-3 | Globalizations |
Twelve (12) additional credit hours of upper-division Global and International Studies (INTS) courses.
A maximum of two courses (6 credit hours) used to fulfill the requirements for a major (or another minor) may also be used to fulfill the requirements for the minor in Global and International Studies.
There is no language requirement for the minor.
Updated: July 8, 2022