Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphasis In Global Studies

The Department of Global Studies hosts an interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphasis with a consortium of participating departments.  The Global Emphasis allows students to design a course of study focused on international and transnational issues, processes, and flows.  Ph.D. Emphasis students may receive guidance and mentoring from the Global Studies faculty as they prepare their dissertations, and the Global Emphasis is recognized within the student's transcripts when they are awarded the doctorate. The Ph.D. Emphasis is managed by the Graduate Program Director, Kai Thaler, and an emphasis coordinating committee comprised of directors from other participating departments. Please email Kai Thaler in Global Studies or the Staff Graduate Advisor (gd-global@global.ucsb.edu) with any questions. 

Eligibility

Doctoral students must be enrolled and in good standing in one of the following departments:

Course Requirements

The Global Emphasis requires five components: a gateway, three qualifying courses, and a capstone paper. The gateway seminar, GLOBL 201, reviews the perspectives, methodology, core works and essential issues of the field, and is currently offered winter quarter each year. Students take three qualifying courses: one in the student's home department, one in the Department of Global Studies, and one from a different participating department selected from the course list found below under the "Ph.D. Emphasis - Elective Courses" (this list is a partial list--other courses may qualify).

Committee Requirements

When the student constitutes a dissertation committee, at least one member of the committee should be a Global Studies faculty member, faculty affiliate, or member of the Global Ph.D. Emphasis Coordinating Committee. During the academic year the student completes the dissertation, s/he completes a Global Emphasis capstone paper in consultation with the Global Studies Emphasis Director. The capstone paper is an original paper with a 4,000 word minimum that relates the student's research to globalization.

Declaring

To declare your intention to pursue the Emphasis, please register with the Global Studies Graduate Program Advisor and download the Change of Degree Status Petition and follow the instructions below.

Ph.D. Emphasis Coordinating Committee

Current Director

Kai Thaler

Thaler@global.ucsb.edu

Former Directors

Javiera Barandiarán 

Paul Amar (2015)

Jan Nederveen Pieterse (2013 - 2015, 2016-2024)

Alison Brysk (2010-2013)

Mark Juergensmeyer (2007-2011)

Giles Gunn, Ex-Chair, Global Studies (ex-oficio member)

Department Representatives

Please contact your Graduate Program Advisor to learn who your Department Representative is.

Ph.D. Emphasis Instructions to Add

To officially add the Ph.D. Emphasis in Global Studies:

  1. Download "Change of Degree Status Petition" from the Graduate Division's website.
  2. Under "ADD the following Credential, Emphasis, or Certificate" list "Ph.D. Emphasis in Global Studies." Complete all required fields and sign form.
  3. Take completed change of status petition to your home department chair or faculty graduate advisor (not the GPA staff advisor) for approval and signature.
  4. Email Kai Thaler (Thaler@global.ucsb.edu) about your interest in completing the PhD Emphasis. He will then approve/deny and sign the petition as the Interdisciplinary Emphasis Advisor.
  5. International Students using a non-immigrant visa also need approval and a signature from the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) representative.
  6. Scan/copy the original approved, signed, and completed change of status petition, then bring (SSMS 2008) or email (gd-global@global.ucsb.edu) a copy to the Global Staff Graduate Program Advisor (GPA) for filing in Global Studies.
  7. Send the completed change of status petition to the Graduate Division (gradacademics@graddiv.ucsb.edu) for the final approval and signature, to officially add the global emphasis.

 

To complete the Global Studies Ph.D. Emphasis Checksheet:

  1. Contact the Global Staff Graduate Program Advisor (GPA) to acquire the Global Studies Ph.D. Emphasis Checksheet.
  2. Once all emphasis courses/requirements have been satisfied, fill out the emphasis checksheet. Email the Interdisciplinary Emphasis Advisor, Kai Thaler (Thaler@global.ucsb.edu) and cc-the Global GPA for approval if you want to use a course not listed within the “Ph.D. Emphasis – Elective Courses Offered” section.
  3. The Global GPA will forward the completed checksheet to Kai Thaler, for final approval and signature.
  4. Lastly, the Global GPA will scan the signed document and email a copy to the student, then forward to the Graduate Division for final processing (for the global emphasis to be added to your diploma).

Ph.D. Emphasis - Elective Courses Offered

Anthropology

  • ANTH 204 World Agriculture, Food and Population [Cleveland]
  • ANTH 226 Religion, Media, and Culture [Hancock]
  • ANTH 222 Ethnicity and Race in the Americas [Roe]
  • ANTH 250JP Ethnology in Agriculture, Farm Labor and Rural Communities [Palerm]

Communication

  • COMM 222B Macro Organizational Communication [Stohl]
  • COMM 594 Understanding Terrorism through Interpersonal, Organizational and Media Communication [Stohl]

Comparative Literature

  • C LIT 200 Seminar in Comparative Literature: Specific Topics/Titles Will Vary
  • C LIT 200/FRENCH 231F World Literature/Littérature Monde [Prieto]
  • C LIT 210 Prosem in COMP LIT 
  • C LIT 220 Critical Approaches to Comparative & World Literature
  • C LIT 236 Media History Theory 
  • C LIT 237 Literature and the Sacred [Hecht]
  • C LIT 253 Techno Theory 
  • C LIT 260 Translation theory 

East Asian Languages & Cultural Studies

  • CHIN 263 World Literature and Modern China [Hangping Xu]
  • CHIN 264 China in the World [Hangping X
  • CHIN 267 Queer China, Crip China [Hangping Xu]
  • CHIN 270 New Taiwan Cinema [Staff]
  • CHIN 274 Hong Kong Cinema [Staff]
  • CHIN 241 Issues in Contemporary Chinese Society [Yang]
  • CHIN 242 Anthropology of China [Yang]
  • CHIN 238A Special Topics in Taiwan Studies - Humanities [Staff]
  • CHIN 238B Special Topics in Taiwan Studies - Social Science [Staff]
  • EACS 200AS Great Books in East Asian History [Zheng]
  • EACS 215 Topics in Modern East Asian Cultural Studies [Staff]
  • EACS 218 The Art and Theory of Translation [Staff]
  • EACS 228 Religious Environmentalism in the Anthropocene [Yang]
  • EACS 268 Religion, Modernity, and Asia [Yang]
  • EACS 271 Buddhism and Local Cults in Asia [Rambelli]
  • EACS 276 Buddhist Political Thought and Institutions [Rambelli]
  • EACS 278 Buddhist Geography [Rambelli]
  • JAPAN 226 Japan Modern [Fruhstuck]
  • JAPAN 235 Representation in Japanese & European Drama [Saltzman-Li]
  • JAPAN 236 Transnational Japanese Studies [Ikeuchi]
  • JAPAN 237 Anthropology of Japan [Ikeuchi]
  • JAPAN 262 Representations of Sexuality in Modern Japan [Fruhstuck]
  • JAPAN 263 Modernity and the Masses of Taisho Japan [Fruhstuck]

Education

  • ED 209G Ethnic Identity [Hudley]
  • ED 210G Cross-Cultural Psychology [Ho]
  • ED 272 Global Education, Local Issues: Traditional and Western Education [Cook-Gumperz]
  • ED 276 Immigrant Education & Literacy Development [Duran/Romo]

English

  • ENGL 236 Genealogies of the Postcolonial [Ghosh]
  • ENGL 274A American Cultures and Global Contexts [Gunn]
  • ENGL 274C American Cultures and Global Contexts [Gunn]
  • ENGL 235 Fanon [Scott]
  • ENGL Transatlantic Identities and Asia Pacific [Raley]
  • ENGL 236 Globalization in the Contemporary Moment [Raley]
  • ENGL 274B American Cultures and Global Contexts [Gunn]
  • ENGL 234 B Tarrying with Specters: Studies in Contemporary Fiction [Ghosh]
  • ENGL 243 Studies in Twentieth Century Literature: Cityscapes: Mobility, Transience, Flows [Maurizia Boscogli]

Feminist Studies

  • FEMST 210 Labors [Boris] 
  • FEMST 215 Intersectional Perspectives
  • FEMST 220 Gender and Sexualities [Rupp] 
  • FEMST 240 Transnational Feminisms
  • FEMST 250 Feminist Theories
  • FEMST 260 Feminist Research Methods
  • FEMST 270 Feminist Epistemology

Film and Media Studies

  • FM 249 Postcolonial Media
  • FM 268 Paradigms of Globalization
  • FM 242FP Film Philosophy & Aesthetics
  • FM 262AA-ZZ Special Topics in Film and/or Media Globalization
  • FM 226 National Cinemas
  • FM 232 Post-Nafta Media
  • FM262 GM Global Media
  • FM 262LI Life
  • FM 232AA-ZZ Special Topics in Film and Media History

Geography

  • GEOG 288AA-ZZ: Special Topics in Geography
  • GEOG 288 Population, Development and Environment [López-Carr]
  • GEOG 288 Human Dimensions of Global Change [López-Carr]
  • GEOG 109 Economic Geography [Sweeny]
  • GEOG 141/241 Population Geography [López-Carr]
  • GEOG 288 Food Security, Food Systems, and Global Change [López-Carr]
  • GEOG 211C Seminar in the 4 T's in Life: Time-Use, Transportation, Technology, and Telecommunications [Goulias]
  • GEOG 109 Economic Geography [Sweeney]
  • GEOG 150 Geography of the United States [Montello]
  • GEOG 155/255 Geography of Latin America [López-Carr]

Global Studies

  • Any 200-level Global Studies Course

History

  • HIST 200DH Theories and Practices of Digital History [staff]
  • HIST 200WD Historical Literature: World [staff]
  • HIST 200WO World History: epistemologies and methodologies [Méndez]
  • HIST 201 AF Historical Literature: Africa [Miescher]
  • HIST 201AS Historical Literature: Asia [Roberts]
  • HIST 201AW Advanced Historical Literature: Atlantic World
  • HIST 201C Seminar in Comparative History [Miescher]
  • HIST 201E  Debating Imperial Britain: 1600-present [Rappaport]
  • HIST 201G Advanced Historical Literature: Gender [staff]
  • HIST 201ME Advanced Historical Literature: Middle East
  • HIST 201OH Advanced Historical Literature: Oral History [Miescher, Jacobson]
  • HIST 201S Topics in the History of Science [Aronova]
  • HIST 201SA Advanced Historical Literature -- South Asia [Chattopadhyaya]
  • HIST 202E Epistemology, Power, Archives [staff]
  • HIST 210RA/B Race, Religion, & Revolution [Ware]
  • HIST 250B Foundations of Latin American History [Méndez]
  • HIST 250C Foundations of Latin American History [staff]
  • HIST 282E Empire and Decolonization [Chattopadhyaya]
  • HIST 282G Global South Asia [Chattopadhyaya]

Linguistics

  • LING 20 Language and Linguistics (take as LING 297 for graduate credit; this course or the equivalent is a prerequisite for graduate coursework in linguistics) [Robinson]
  • LING 223 Languages in Contact [Mithun] 
  • LING 227 Language as Culture [Du Bois] 

Political Science

  • POLS 225 International Relations [Coggins]
  • POLS 272 International Organizations [Morse]
  • POLS 594SC State Capacity [Singh]
  • POLS 594MP Military and Politics [Ahuja]
  • POLS 594GS Environment in the Global South [Martinez-Alvares]

Religious Studies

  • RGST 110L LGBT Religious History (both UG & Grad seminar) [Perez]
  • RGST 200-SC Secularism [Blankholm]
  • RGST 200-PO Religion and Politics [Yang]
  • RGST 202A Muslim Diasporas and Law [Moore]
  • RGST 204 Anthropology of Religion and Modernity [Yang]
  • RGST 206J Seminar on Contemporary Issues in South Asian Religions [Staff]
  • RGST 206K Visuality in Traditions of South Asia [Elison]
  • RGST 206L Seminar on Subaltern Traditions and Counter-Traditions in South Asia [Elison]
  • RGST 208 Religion and the Senses: Affect, Embodiment, Materiality [Perez]
  • RGST 211A Religion and Ethnography: Theory, Praxis, Experience [Perez]
  • RGST 215 Proseminar in Islamic Studies [Staff]
  • RGST 217 Religion and Sexuality in the Middle East [Afary]
  • RGST 228 Religious Environmentalism in the Anthropocene [Yang
  • RGST 268 Religion, Modernity, Asia [Yang]
  • RGST 269 Religion and the Media [Yang]
  • RGST 275 Law and Religion [Moore]
  • RGST 293B Religion and Healing in Global Perspective [Wallace]

Sociology

  • SOC 212A Seminar in Comparative-Historical Sociology
  • SOC 213 Critical Ethnography [Bhavnani]
  • SOC 232 Marx Seminar
  • SOC 265G Sociology of Globalization [Wm. Robinson]
  • SOC 265GS Global Political Economy
  • SOC 265LA Sociology of Latin America
  • SOC 265W Women, Culture, Development [Bhavnani]

Theater & Dance

  • THTR 270B African Theater and Drama [McMahon]
  • THTR 256 Dancing the Diaspora: Tracing the Africanist Presence in Afro-Caribbean and American Worlds [Bennahum]
  • THTR 220 Corporealities: Global Theories of the Dancing Body [Bennahum]
  • THTR 271A Asian Theatre and Drama [Staff]
  • THTR 271B Asian Performance Studies [Staff]
  • THTR 272A European Theatre and Drama [Cabranes-Grant, Williams]
  • THTR 273A Theater and Drama of the Americas [Cabranes-Grant, Morton, King]

*Please note that courses not on this list may be petitioned to the Emphasis Director (currently Kai Thaler) for approval. Petitions should include a copy of the course syllabus and an argument for why the course is global in nature and relevant to your project.