With the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, DePauw announced the launch of its newest Fellows Program – the Global Studies Fellows Program. Preceded by the Environmental Fellows, Management Fellows, Media Fellows, and Science Research Fellows programs, the Global Studies Fellows Program (GSFP) is designed to provide students with the “cross-cultural skills needed to engage with critical 21st-century global issues.” 

The GSFP curriculum, made up of 7.5 credit hours, allows students to specialize in specific world regions and themes. Global Studies Fellows are required to complete the following credits: 

  • 2 core courses in “Translating Worlds” and “Introduction to Global Studies” 
  • 2 courses regarding a specific region
  • 2 courses in one of five GSFP themes
  • 1 200-level language course 
  • 1 half-credit senior seminar course

Global Studies Fellows are also required to complete a “Global Educational Experience” and attend a “Global Insight Event” each semester. Fellows enrolled in the program are also eligible for support in obtaining a passport and up to $4000 in study-abroad scholarships through the GSFP. 

Professor David Alvarez, the Director of the GSFP, describes the program as a means to “add a global dimension to [students’] education for any major at DePauw,” while also linking “a set of interdisciplinary courses to aligned co-curricular opportunities.” 

“Students in the program will gain knowledge about another part of the world, strengthen their language skills, learn how the history of globalization has shaped our present, and examine the social and political implications of a global economy,” Alvarez shared. 

Along with Alvarez, a team of five faculty members helped bring GSFP’s vision to life. Professors Harry Brown, Farah Ali, Carrie Klaus, Pauline Ota, and Tim Cope make up the Steering Committee, which will help to shape and plan the program in the years to come. Furthermore, sixteen faculty and administrators were involved in the planning process for the GSFP. 

The Global Studies Fellows Program is open to all students of any majors at DePauw, although Alvarez did note that “it might not be possible for seniors and juniors to complete the GSFP requirements.” The program is available to students from all three colleges, as well. 

Alvarez shared his excitement about the program, stating, “I am most excited about how this program highlights DePauw’s existing global learning strengths, particularly in the humanities.” He also expressed his hope that the GSFP will bring together domestic and international students, while also allowing them to create connections with faculty and alumni. 

Students interested in applying for the Global Studies Fellows Program should visit DePauw’s Global Studies Fellows Program page on the DePauw website. From there, they can access more information and the application link. For more specific questions, students should email Professor David Alvarez at davidalvarez@depauw.edu.

Image courtesy of DePauw Global Studies Fellows Program web page.