International Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that enables a student to gain a global perspective on current social, cultural, economic, political and environmental issues.
"The rationale for this new minor is that we now live in a time of increasing interconnectedness among nations, and therefore should provide our students with an opportunity to gain an informed sense of citizenship in the world," explained Dr. Mahalik, Director of Academic Affairs at Worthington Scranton.
"Students in this program will be prepared to contribute to understanding the larger world in the twenty-first century, in their respective fields," he added.
Dr. Richard Fitzsimmons, Penn State Worthington Scranton Librarian, took the lead in putting together the proposal for the new minor program and worked with Dr. Mahalik during the submission and review process.
The addition of the International Studies minor will enrich and broaden the campus's existing curricular offerings and strengthen the intellectual growth of its students. Students participating in the International Studies Minor program will be challenged to address issues such as the civic implications of living in an interdependent world. This will require them to reflect on their personal relationships across local, national and international venues.
The International Studies curriculum will include coursework that helps students examine environmental, social, political, economic and cultural manifestations, in correlation with their academic major, making their chosen field more meaningful and useful in relation to the global society in general.