The first year's courses introduce the issues, problems, and prospects for globalization from different disciplinary perspectives, and then explore one substantive issue area in detail. These courses are designed to introduce students to theories of globalization and its effects, and help them understand the global connections that are part of many of the issues we face today. The courses include simulations, group projects, writing assignments, and guest lectures.

The broad issue area for 2012 will be “Global Food”—looking at how food is produced and consumed today and in the past, exploring issues of food security, technology and agricultural development, and the cultural practices surrounding food.

In their second year in the program, students are required to take an experiential learning course and a colloquium/ capstone seminar to integrate experiences in the classroom and in the field. We offer three different options for the experiential component, in order to enhance the flexibility of the program—short-term study abroad courses led by UMD faculty, an internationally-oriented internship, or a specially designed service learning course in the local immigrant community.

The program as a whole is overseen by an Academic Advisory Group composed of faculty from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, who help develop the interdisciplinary content of the courses, guest lecture in the class, and oversee its progress and development.