Courses

This course provides a thematic introduction to global commerce, emphasizing the interrelationship of commerce and society. The particular topic and approach of the course will vary dependent upon the instructors’ choice, but students in all sections will explore the relationship of commerce and society from an interdisciplinary perspective, emphasizing the ways in which the economy and trade are connected to culture, social movements, and other global factors. Broad topics addressed include economic systems & institutions, money & value, markets, labor, commodities, and ethics & equity. GC 101 is required for all Global Commerce majors and is a prerequisite for Global Commerce 201.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

This sophomore-level course is required for all Global Commerce majors. In this half-credit course, students create their individually designed Global Focus. Steps in this process include classroom discussion, peer review, oral presentations, and consultation with the program director and assistant director. At the end of the course students submit the Global Focus proposal essay, in which they explain their goals as a GC major and propose a synthesis of coursework, an off campus experience (off-campus study and/or an internship), and language training that will allow them to develop a coherent area of focus within Global Commerce. The Global Focus must be approved by the GC Director, in consultation with the Global Commerce Program Committee as necessary, in order for a student to proceed in the major.

Prerequisite(s): GC 101.

Corequisite(s): GC 201.

For GC majors only. This sophomore-level course provides an introduction to the elements of global commerce approached through an examination of the roles and structures of corporations. Students gain an intellectual foundation to help them make sense of business issues in the present and think carefully about the wisdom, stakes, and consequences of managerial decision-making. The course also builds students' applied skills by introducing concepts including the language and forms of business, familiarity with accounting practices, and discussion of business ethics. Throughout the course, students will gain significant facility in spreadsheet development and manipulation. GC 201 is required for all Global Commerce majors and is a prerequisite for GC 301 and GC 401.

Prerequisite(s): GC 101.

Corequisite(s): GC 200.

The modern business environment requires the ability to analyze and summarize data, and to use statistical analysis for decision-making and problem solving. This course introduces Global Commerce majors to the fundamentals of statistics, and to the methods of collecting and analyzing data to solve practical problems in global commerce and social contexts. The primary objective of this course is to enable students to perform and understand statistical analysis of data, with the view of being able to interpret the limitations of statistical findings and to think critically about how statistics is used by others. Topics such as descriptive statistics, basic probability, data visualization, sampling methods, distributions of sample statistics, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and statistical inference will be discussed in the commercial, business and social contexts.

Prerequisite(s): GC 101.

This course explores the relationship among sex, gender, and labor from the industrial revolution to the present. Drawing on history, anthropology, and feminist theory, the course examines various kinds of labor—emotional labor, care work, bureaucratic white-collar work, and sex work, among others—to examine how sex and gender have shaped the perceived value, as well as the legal and social status, or different kinds of work.

Prerequisite(s): None.

This course will allow students to interrogate the historical connections between commerce and a variety of forms of war. Students will learn about the relationship between war and commerce through specific case studies in a historical context and will learn to identify turning points when disagreements over commerce turn into war. Students will also consider the perspective of companies and countries as they use commerce to influence other military, political, diplomatic, or economic outcomes.

Prerequisite(s): None.

A well-functioning financial sector is key in improving economic efficiency and producing high economic growth, but in the 21st-century, those goals cannot be achieved without considering both environmental and social sustainability issues. This course gives students a foundation in how sustainability issues (ESG: Environmental, Social and Governance) create challenges to businesses, economies and society, and the role of the financial sector in addressing environmental and social challenges. The course explores questions such as: what is sustainability and why does it matter, what are the challenges to corporations and the economy posed by sustainability, how to value financial assets and how integrated reporting can facilitate valuation and improve transparency. Applications on sustainable investment products such as green bonds, climate financing, and social impact bonds will also be discussed. Prerequisite: ECON 101 and ECON 102.

Open to intermediate students. These courses are offered in a variety of areas related to Global Commerce.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

This course explores the determination of exchange rates and global interest rates and how they can be affected by national monetary policies. The historical and institutional development of the global financial system is investigated with an emphasis on the differential effects of international finance on developed and developing countries. GC 301 is required for all Global Commerce majors and is a prerequisite for GC 401.

Prerequisite(s): ECON 101 and ECON 102 and GC 101 and GC 201.

Open to advanced students. These seminars offer topics in a variety of areas related to Global Commerce.

Prerequisite(s): GC 201 and ECON 102.

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

This course serves as the culminating experience of the Global Commerce major. Students will combine their research, writing, teamwork, and presentation skills with interactions with professionals from the business and non-profits sectors to produce their final senior project. In addition to significant teamwork, semester project will include a sophisticated reflective component that requires students to articulate the connections among the curricular and co-curricular elements of their major experiences. Final projects will incorporate students’ language skills, knowledge related to their global focus, and understanding of organizational strategies and cultures as developed through the GC core courses, co-curricular opportunities and off-campus experience. GC 401 is required for all Global Commerce majors.

Prerequisite(s): GC 101, GC 201 and GC 301.