Global Culture and Thought Major
College of Arts and Humanities
3215 Jiménez Hall
Phone: 301-405-4025
https://sllc.umd.edu/fields/global-culture-and-thought/major
Global Culture and Thought is an interdisciplinary program in the humanities that fosters multilingual study of the cultures of the globalized world through classroom and experiential learning. The major enables students to explore and interpret the histories, institutions, values, practices, varieties, and intersections of global culture and thought as they are produced and received across national and regional boundaries. Combining a strong focus on social justice with an emphasis on cultural theory, the major provides students with a solid background in the terminology and interpretive methods of humanities disciplines and cultivates the critical skills necessary to understand and analyze global movements and literary, cultural, and media texts, as well as an appropriate level of proficiency in at least one language other than English. Courses offered by this program may be found under the prefixes GLBC, SLLC, ARAB, CHIN, CINE, FREN, GERS, HEBR, ITAL, JAPN, KORA, PERS, PORT, RUSS, and SPAN.
Program Director: Hester Baer, Ph.D.
Advisor: Dr. Federica Soddu, fsoddu@umd.edu
To review the academic plan for this major, go to: https://arhu.umd.edu/academics/advising/academic-plans
Global Cultures is an interdisciplinary program in the humanities that fosters multilingual study of the cultures of the globalized world through classroom and experiential learning. The major enables students to explore and interpret the histories, institutions, values, practices, varieties, and intersections of global cultures as they are produced and received across national and regional boundaries. Combining a strong focus on race, equity, and justice with an emphasis on cultural theory, the major provides students with a solid background in the terminology and interpretive methods of humanities disciplines and cultivates the critical skills necessary to understand and analyze global movements and literary, cultural, and media texts, as well as an intermediate-range level of proficiency in at least one language other than English. Courses offered by this program may be found under the prefixes GLBC, SLLC, ARAB, CHIN, CINE, FREN, GERS, HEBR, ITAL, JAPN, KORA, PERS, PORT, RUSS, and SPAN.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate knowledge of the histories, institutions, values, practices, varieties, and\ intersections of global cultures as they are produced and received across national and\ regional boundaries.
- Use the terminology and interpretive methods of humanities disciplines, including\ cultural theory, to interpret and analyze global movements and literary, cultural, and \ media texts.
- Critically analyze issues of power related to gender, sexuality, class, race/ethnicity,\ and/or mental and physical disability with attention to differences across time,\ geography, and culture and with critical awareness of one’s own worldview, values, and biases.
- Critically interpret literary, cultural, and media texts reflecting a diversity of \ perspectives in a variety of genres with specific attention to their social, historical, and \ linguistic contexts, and formulate original arguments with reference to appropriate \ evidence and secondary sources.
- Communicate effectively in written, oral, and digital forms, with the academic community and with the broader public.
- Demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in at least one language other than English.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 6 | |
| Global Movements (Global Movements) | ||
| Cultural Theory in a Global Age (Cultural Theory in a Global Age) | ||
| Language Study 1 | 12 | |
Select 12 credits at the 200-level or above in one language | ||
OR Select 6 credits at the 200-level or above in each of two languages | ||
| Experiential Learning 2 | 6 | |
This requirement may be satisfied through approved education abroad; domestic or international internships; and/or participation in on-campus learning communities, including the Language Partner Program or the Language House Living-Learning Program. | ||
| Upper-Division Electives 3 | 15 | |
Select 15 credits at the 300-level or above in one SLLC program | ||
OR Select 9 credits at the 300-level or above in one SLLC program AND 6 credits at the 300-level or above in another SLLC program | ||
| Translation in a Global Context (Translation in a Global Context) 4 | ||
| Total Credits | 39 | |
- 1
Language study may be undertaken in courses offered under the following prefixes: ARAB, CHIN, FREN, GERS, HEBR, ITAL, JAPN, KORA, PERS, PORT, RUSS, SPAN.
- 2
Students will determine which option(s) to pursue in consultation with the program advisor.
- 3
Electives are to be selected from the existing course offerings of one, or a maximum of two, SLLC programs offered under the following prefixes: ARAB, CHIN, CINE, FREN, GERS, HEBR, ITAL, JAPN, KORA, PERS, PORT, RUSS, and SPAN.
- 4
May substitute any of the SLLC Upper-Division Elective courses and will be strongly encouraged.
The major consists of 39 credits. Besides taking the two core courses GLBC200 and GLBC360, students majoring in Global Cultures are required to take 12 credits in Language Study, 6 credits in Experiential Learning, and 15 credits in Upper-Division Electives. The same course cannot be counted towards different requirements of the program (e.g., students are not allowed to overlap credits for the Experiential Learning and Upper-Division Electives categories); however, the same course can count towards the requirements of two different programs (e.g., for a student double majoring in Global Cultures and Spanish, the same courses in can be counted for credits in both programs). One- credit "microcourses" may be used to offer supplemental language instruction (tied to a course held in English); as standalone short or block-format courses related to current events or relevant topics; as practicums focused on skills and professionalization; and as service-learning opportunities, among other possibilities. Students will be allowed to take microcourses for credit toward the Experiential Learning and Upper-Division Elective requirements.
Click here for roadmaps for graduation plans in the College of Arts and Humanities.
Additional information on developing a graduation plan can be found on the following pages:
- http://4yearplans.umd.edu
- the Student Academic Success-Degree Completion Policy section of this catalog
Undergraduate Research Experiences
The School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has implemented an Annual SLLC Undergraduate Research Forum which allows its outstanding juniors and/or seniors to display their research projects. The forum takes place in late April in the Language House (St. Mary's).
Internships
Annual Language Career and Internship Fair
Each fall semester, SLLC organizes a Language Career and Internship Fair in conjunction with the UMD Career Center. For more information, see the SLLC website: http://sllc.umd.edu.
Student Societies and Professional Organizations
Individual SLLC departments hold annual induction ceremonies for students who are eligible for honor society membership.
Scholarships and Financial Assistance
The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) administers a variety of federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs, and, in cooperation with other university offices, participates in the awarding of scholarships to deserving students. For information, visit: http://financialaid.umd.edu.
Awards and Recognition
The UG Committee organizes an annual awards ceremony to celebrate SLLC students who have earned SLLC, campus and/or national scholarships, and academic achievement awards. The awards ceremony takes place in conjunction with the annual SLLC UG Research Forum.
Study Abroad
For information on study abroad programs see the program advisor and/or the Education Abroad website http://globalmaryland.umd.edu/offices/education-abroad/.