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Global Studies

Since 2005, students enrolled in Penn State Berks' Global Studies baccalaureate degree program have been at the forefront of the University's effort to globalize the curriculum and make students more aware of international issues. Penn State Berks students have studied and worked across the globe as part of the degree requirements.

"What we do here within the University is cutting edge," says Dr. Kirk Shaffer, associate professor of Latin American studies and co-coordinator of the Global Studies program. "What distinguishes us from other international studies and international politics programs is that we actually require students to both study abroad and complete an international internship."

"The nature of the degree requirements attracts some of the most interested and dedicated students," Shaffer continues. "Somebody who wants to complete this program has to come in with a solid commitment. I think our students are somewhat unique in that."

Since the program inception, students have completed study abroad experiences in Argentina, Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Guatemala, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, and Venezuela.

Internships have taken students to Colombia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Spain, and the Ukraine. Student internship experiences include working at a rural vocational school for homeless children in Rwanda under the supervision of Dr. Randall Fegley, assistant professor of history and politics and co-coordinator of the Global Studies degree program. Fegley has been conducting research on governmental solutions to ethnic conflicts, particularly in Africa, for the last twenty years.

Global Studies students have worked in a diverse array of situations to complete their internships.  For instance, one student studied in France while working with an Indian non-governmental organization in Web site design and communications. Another student is teaching English in Colombia, while another is teaching English in the Ukraine and working in a micro-financing firm. Students have also completed internships based in the United States with a global relevance. For example, one student has worked at the El Centro Hispano Daniel Torres/Hispanic Center in Reading and another student with an Arabic social issues organization in Washington D.C.

 "I feel that the goal of the major is to prepare students to deal with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds by not only teaching us about different parts of the world but also by helping us to understand the whys and hows of intercultural interaction." says Amanda Ketchum, a recent graduate of the college who completed an internship in Rwanda in July 2006.

Since Penn State Berks began offering the Global Studies degree program, student enrollment has increased. There are currently approximately forty students pursuing the degree. Program-based scholarships to subsidize study abroad and international internship expenses are also increasing.