| GCOS 111 Introduction to Global Issues in Latin America |
| The Introduction to Global Issues in Latin America Seminar is a one semester 3-credit course required in the spring semester of the Foundation Year Program. The course introduces students to major global issues and the multidimensional phenomenon of globalization, with an emphasis on Latin America for concrete examples. The major global issues covered in the Seminar include 1) culture: the psychic unity of humanity and cultural diversity, 2) economics: poverty and development, 3) nature: environmental degradation and conservation, 4) politics: power and participation, and 5) epistemology: ideology and perspectives. We will study Globalization as a common thread that encompasses the expansion and intensification of major global issues. Students will experience many of these issues first hand by means of a short field trip in Costa Rica, a two-week trip to Panama or Ecuador, as well as a period dedicated to independent field work. In this course students will become aware of the challenges and opportunities that global issues and globalization present, and will better be able to understand and appreciate local responses and alternative perspectives to these issues. |
| GCOS 130 Global Education and Cross-Cultural Studies Seminar |
| This seminar is part of the yearly foundation year seminar. This course introduces students to some of the theoretical foundations of the program, as well as provides them with concrete tools and skills to begin their studies in this international, experiential program. In the fall semester, students explore issues and expectations associated with being a Global College student, initially including an examination of experiential education theory as well as health and safety issues and prevention. This seminar's main goal is to create an educational context, both in and outside of the classroom, to discover and discuss new relevant insights on the theoretical bases of cultural theory, cross-cultural adaptation and the experience of inter-cultural understanding based on exploring Costa Rican reality. Students develop and carry out a week long group service learning project to have first hand experiences related to the content and issues examined in the seminar. |
COSTA RICA CENTER (GCOS) COURSE DESCRIPTIONS - GCOS 102 Living Latin American Culture I |
