The curriculum, approved recently by the Faculty Senate, will be available to freshmen and sophomores who want to enhance their international exposure. The program combines eight credits of advanced foreign language study with 24 credits in cross-disciplinary courses that have a global studies designation. Students from any school or major will be eligible to pursue the concentration. H. Stephen Straight, associate provost for undergraduate studies and education, acknowledged that completing the requirements may be difficult for students pursuing tightly structured degrees like engineering. But, he said, every effort will be made to allow double counting of courses.
All schools are on record saying that they want to internationalize their curricula.
The global studies program is the latest in a range of options available to students at Binghamton University to gain international experiences. Since 1996, Binghamton has increased its study abroad participation 100 percent, from 200 to 400 a year and the number of study abroad programs has increased by more than 500 percent from 6 to 30 Binghamton-based programs. Katharine Krebs, director of the Office of International Programs, said the increase was due to the strong support of numerous faculty and programs who prepare students before they go and enhance their experience after they return. They also can chose from programs that allow them to pursue curriculum requirements for their major while abroad. In addition to the study abroad, students can use foreign language skills in specially designated Languages Across the Curriculum classes that encourage the use of non-English resources or they can obtain a international studies certificate that stresses a cross cultural experience.