Academic Itinerary

ACADEMICS

Students complete the Global Studies degree through four years of coursework and integrated field experience undertaken as they travel eastward around the world‐‐from Latin America to Europe and North Africa, Australia/Pacific, and finally to the United States. Students begin with the Global Studies foundation year in Central America. Next, they travel to Europe and then to China or Australia/Asia in their second and third years. Finally, in the first semester of their senior year, they are placed in an international internship and carry out independent research, followed by the final Capstone Semester in New York City, where they complete their senior thesis and a second internship. Students acquire the knowledge, skills, and perspectives necessary to provide leadership in an increasingly globalized world through their travels.

The Global Studies curriculum is composed of three kinds of coursework:

Area Studies courses and fieldwork delivered at each LIU Global College center or program. Drawing on LIU Global’s decades of engagement with partners and communities around the world, these courses deepen students’ knowledge of the countries, languages, and cultures of the region in which the center or program is located. The area studies courses combine classroom work with integrated field experiences and travel. (Consult the Program Locations page for details about each program.)
Global Studies core courses and fieldwork that build academic knowledge and skills across the program’s four years. This sequence of required courses, distributed systematically around the world, equips students with disciplinary lenses, as well as critical thinking, communication, and research skills. The sequence culminates in a set of upper division courses in the last three semesters that include two senior‐year internships and the completion of a senior thesis.
Minors in International Relations, Entrepreneurship, and Arts & Communications. Students are able to complete selected minors through a combination of area studies and elective courses.

Four-Year Academic Itinerary¹

	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
Year One: Costa Rica	Global Studies Core Foundations of Global Studies: Environment & Ecology Joining the Conversation: The Argumentative Essay Foundation Year Orientation Seminar Required Area Studies Latin American and Caribbean Studies Seminar Communicative Spanish Language	Global Studies Core Foundations of Global Studies: Governance Exploring Questions: Writing the Research Paper Engaging the Field: Introduction to Research Methods Required Area Studies Communicative Spanish Language Minor & Elective Courses Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship Introduction to Strategic Communications
	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
Year Two: Europe (Spain & Italy)	Global Studies Core (Spain & regional travel) Foundations of Global Studies: Culture Approaching Answers: Writing the Research Paper Required Area Studies (Spain & regional travel) The Emergence of the Modern Nation State: From European Roots to Global Dominance Minor & Elective Courses Spanish Language Spanish Culture and Civilization Contemporary Spain Through Film History of Spanish Painting International Business: Communication and Culture Service Learning in a Bilingual Context	Global Studies Core (Italy & regional travel) Foundations of Global Studies: Economics Required Area Studies (Italy & regional travel) Comparative Politics and the European Ideal: National Governments and the European Union Conversational Italian and Culture Video and Digital Reporting International Careers and Leadership: An Introduction Minor & Elective Courses Intensive Italian The Italian Renaissance Video and Digital Reporting New Practices in Language, Type and Publishing
	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
Year Three: China or Asia-Pacific Australia	Global Studies Core (China & Asia-Pacific) Global Studies Seminar: Theories, Issues, Solutions Required Area Studies, Minor & Elective Courses (China) Modern Chinese History Intensive Mandarin Chinese Women's Leadership in Social Innovation The Arts and Society in Contemporary China Chinese Martial Arts Required Area Studies, Minor & Elective Courses (Asia-Pacific) Political Economy and Ecology in the Asia-Pacific Region Innovative Encounters with Nature and Knowledge Australia's First Peoples Introduction to International Development	Global Studies Core (China & Australia) Junior Research Seminar Required Area Studies, Minor & Elective Courses (China) Ethnic Minority Studies Topics in Chinese Society and Change Intensive Mandarin Chinese Measuring Social Impact and Performance for Innovators and Entrepreneurs Chinese Martial Arts Required Area Studies, Minor & Elective Courses (Australia) Culture, Politics and Identity in Australasia Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainable Development Climate Change, Marine Conservation and Coastal Management Multimedia Storytelling for an Interconnected World Australia's First Peoples
	Fall Semester: International Research & Internship	Spring Semester: Capstone
Year Four: International Research and Internship Semester (IRIS)² & NYC Capstone Semester	Global Studies Core Senior Thesis I International Internship Minor & Elective Courses Special Topics in Global Studies, International Relations, Arts and Communications, Entrepreneurship Studies in World Languages Classical Theories and Contemporary Issues in International Relations	Global Studies Core Senior Thesis II Global Studies Capstone Seminar New York City Internship Minor & Elective Courses Current Issues in Global Governance: The Role of International Organizations LIU Brooklyn elective courses to fulfill LIU Global minors

^1. The International Research and Internship Semester (IRIS) is carried out at any of the LIU Global Centers or at approved LIU Global partner sites.

^2. Program itinerary is continually updated based on external factors and program improvements.