Students majoring in Global and International Studies are required to complete a total of 10 GIS or GIS cross-listed courses and two semesters of the Senior Project; obtain competency in a foreign language; and study abroad or at the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program in Manhattan. Two of the courses, excluding the research design/methodology course, must be at the 300 level. A single course may not fulfill more than one requirement.
Prior to or concurrent with Moderation, a student must have taken at least four GIS courses, including one core course; identified their primary thematic field; and made progress toward the language requirement. To moderate into GIS, students are required to submit a one-page plan of study to the program directors and Moderation board that demonstrates a coherent vision of their academic interests within Global and International Studies, and how they relate to their Senior Project. The plan should address how the study of different disciplines would benefit the student’s research interests and Senior Project.
Moderation Requirements
Prior to or concurrent with Moderation, a student must have taken at least four GIS courses, including one core course; identified their primary thematic field; and made progress toward the language requirement. To moderate into GIS, students are required to submit a one-page plan of study to the program directors and Moderation board that demonstrates a coherent vision of their academic interests within Global and International Studies, and how they relate to their Senior Project. The plan should address how the study of different disciplines would benefit the student’s research interests and Senior Project.
In addition to completing the required courses for moderation, students should submit the following written material:
Short papers: copies of the two short papers—one retrospective and one prospective—required by the registrar for Moderation.
Requirements worksheet: a completed requirements worksheet that includes all coursework the student has completed for the GISP major, identifies the primary thematic field, the language used to fulfill the language requirement, and regional focus. Students who have questions about completing the requirements worksheet should email Michelle Murray at mkmurray@bard.edu.
Writing sample: a 5–7 page paper written in response to an assigned article. Details on the article and instructions for the paper will be distributed at least four weeks prior to the scheduled Moderation.
Senior Project proposal: a one-page, single-spaced Senior Project proposal. The proposal should describe a topic that might be the basis for the student's Senior Project, and should include a possible research question(s), explanation of how the project is interdisciplinary in its approach, and list of potential faculty advisers. Students contemplating more than one idea for a Senior Project should feel free to include more than one in their proposal. Instructions for what should be included in the proposal will be distributed at least four weeks prior to the scheduled Moderation.
Joint majoring with other interdisciplinary programs, with the exception of stand-alone area studies programs, is discouraged and will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the program director.
Senior Project Requirements
The two-semester Senior Project must address a global and international problem or question and incorporate the interdisciplinary lessons and approaches students have learned in their GIS coursework. An example of a recent Senior Project topic in Global and International Studies is “The Origins of the Chinese Communist Party’s Early Marriage Laws.”