Georgetown University Global Campus (GUGC)

TO SEARCH: Go to the Schedule of Classes for the Spring 2020 term In the “Subject” menu select all [Ctrl+A (PC) or Command+A (Mac)]. In the “Attribute Type” menu select “Georgetown Global Campus” Click “Class Search” 

TO REGISTER: Full registration instructions are available here.

All students are encouraged to consult with their advising deans to discuss options and possibilities. We are seeking the most flexible pathways forward for you, which makes advising and careful consideration all the more important to ensure you get full credit and make expected degree progress. 

Yes, by all means, this would be ideal. Many of our study abroad partners have been incredibly responsive and thoughtful in developing ways to sustain your academic experience and deliver full credit through this global challenge. We are grateful for their commitment to helping you complete your study abroad experience. For those programs offering instructional continuity, we encourage you to consider those options first. GUGC is an option for you, but not a requirement. 

Yes, GUGC is a compressed and condensed semester, but full-credit will be possible by combining various electives from the schedule, including the option of GUGC-301, Bringing Your Learning Home. This course is designed to absorb and build on the weeks of work you had already begun while abroad. Through additional inquiry and reflection in this portfolio and virtual studio format, we are salvaging that work for Georgetown credit. [For students already 3+ weeks into their programs.] 

We recognize that the modified options available to you now may not meet every curricular goal that you set out to fulfill abroad. We are making every effort to offer courses with the broadest appeal, prioritizing credits for overall degree progress, and courses that capture those aspects of the study abroad experience that are most deeply and widely shared among students. 

Yes. Again, we are inspired by the thoughtful options provided by our study abroad partners, and we do encourage you to consider those options first. Instructional continuity programs are designed to provide you with the most continuous learning experience possible, but we understand that there is a lot of variance in the quality and accessibility of those options at the moment, so Georgetown’s GUGC offerings are available to you. 

If your program allows you to withdraw from individual courses, and if you would like to replace those with GUGC courses, you may do so. Our goal is to provide you with the best opportunity to complete a full semester worth of credit. 

You may withdraw from your program if you no longer wish to be enrolled or earn credit. You may also consult with your dean about adjusting your schedule to part-time schedules if that is preferable. Refunds are not available, however, given the university calendar and the flexible options offering full credit for the semester. 

We are making every effort to fulfill the promises made to you upon enrollment, when you embarked on a semester experience for full credit. We’ve acted on the belief that abandoning credit would be students’ least desirable option, and thus we are striving to provide good options for students to complete the semester with full credit and no disruption to their degree progress. 

Our practice has always been to post study abroad semesters to the Georgetown transcript in the same form they are presented to us. Course titles and grades reflect exactly what the host institution posts on their own transcripts. In accordance with this practice, withdrawals from host institution courses will be reflected on your Georgetown transcript if they appear on the records they submit to us. 

We recognize that the GUGC options may not meet every curricular goal that you set out to fulfill abroad. We are making every effort to offer courses with the broadest appeal, prioritizing credits for overall degree progress, and courses that capture those aspects of the study abroad experience that are most deeply and widely shared among students. 

If the missing requirement makes the difference between you graduating on time or not, you should consult with your academic dean and your major advisor to assess other possibilities, including tutorials, summer courses, or other adjustments. Departments are prepared to exercise flexibility where possible, without compromising the integrity of the degree. Please understand, however, this flexibility extends to those who truly have no other options. In most cases, students will be able to postpone the requirement to fall 2020 or later.

Yes, but in order to do so you must contact your dean immediately in order to be readmitted to the university. Once you have been readmitted for the spring 2020 term you will be able to proceed with registration. 

Instructor: Daniela Brancaforte (and others) 

Meeting Times:  Tuesday 2:15-4:00 

This course is designed for students who are seeking to recuperate credits from study abroad courses that were discontinued without a viable opportunity for instructional continuity. It will engage students with 1-credit’s worth of work in order to earn 3 credits. Students will generate a short portfolio of work that draws and builds on the work that began in their academic classes abroad.  Students will have wide latitude in the format and media of the work they produce. The course will be highly-interactive and community-oriented in order to help students process the academic work they began while abroad and to distill that learning and consider its connections to prior and future academic learning. 

This course will be graded pass/fail.

Instructors:  Profs. Heidi Elmendorf (Department of Biology and Global Health Initiative), plus many more

Meeting times:  MW 12:00-1:45pm (plus two Fridays in the same timeslot to make up for lost Easter and Memorial Day Mondays)

Attributes: Core: Science for All

This course brings the power of multiple perspectives and disciplines to help us understand the intersection of infectious disease and society. More specifically, we will work together to closely examine the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 – the science of the virus and our responses to it, the public health strategies, the lessons of history, the role of government, cultural perceptions and behaviors of people that produce risk and transmission, and the political consequences of delaying action or ignoring public health. We use the terms ‘theory’ and ‘action’ intentionally to emphasize the importance of using our understanding to have a positive impact in our world. Beyond abstraction, theory is a mode of analysis and critical awareness about the world around us — more important than ever in a time of crisis and media frenzy. Praxis is the application of theoretical concepts and knowledge into action. Ideally, this course will allow students to synthesize interdisciplinary approaches to theory, as well as study of actions in history, to formulate and envision informed and caring action around a crisis.

The course will be team-taught by faculty representing different disciplines, and we hope to enroll students from across different schools and majors. This diversity and breadth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences will feed our exploration. The course needs you and your insights/curiosity/ideas/questions/provocations to reach our goals. Join us.

The course will meet virtually each week for two 90-minute classes (MW 12:00-1:45 pm) for a total of 10 weeks (March 30 – June 12). To prepare for class discussions, students will be required to watch a pre-lecture, taught by one of the course faculty, and read assigned texts (from both textbook and primary sources). Additionally, students will be expected to keep up with current events. Student assignments will consist of short online weekly quizzes drawn from information in the lectures and readings, required participation in online discussion boards and Zoom class discussions, and a final project, conducted with a multidisciplinary team of students.

This course has no prerequisites. This course counts toward the Science For All requirement. For majors in the Biology Department, this course counts in the 200-level category for the major.

Instructors: Prof. Meg Malone (Department of Linguistics)

Meeting Times:  TBD

Attributes:  Core: Diversity/Domestic, Core: Diversity/Global

You studied abroad and had to come home. You did not have the experience you expected, and we have re-developed our existing course (LING 222: Communication, Culture and Study Abroad) to help you reflect on your new reality through the lens of the compelling research and practice literature that already exists on study abroad. The course will cover the following topics: foundations of study abroad, study abroad for educational and practical implications, language learning and cross-cultural communication in study abroad contexts.. This course invites students who have been studying abroad and have to return who would like to process, share and gain from their experiences. Students enrolled in this course will reflect on pre-, during and post-study abroad experiences by viewing presentations from the course instructors, guest lecturers and former study abroad students. Course participants will engage with class readings and content through online discussions, presentations, short reflection essays, and by developing final paper or presentation on a study abroad topic of their choice, including their most recent experience. This course will be graded pass/fail.

Instructor:  Arik Levinson (Department of Economics)

Meeting Times:  TBD

 Environmental economics studies the market failure known as externalities—when consumers or producers don’t account for the full social costs of their actions. Examples: when a commuter drives to work in a car that emits carbon monoxide, or when a coal-fired power plant emits sulfur dioxide that causes downwind lakes to become acidic. The course has two parts: (1) placing a monetary value on those intangible, non-traded, environmental amenities like clean air and water, and (2) designing efficient and cost-effective public policies to correct those market failures. Applications include renewable resources, the new EPA plan to roll back regulations on mercury emissions from power plants, energy efficiency regulations, carbon taxes, cap-and-trade, and environmental justice.

Requirements: occasional problem sets, group projects involving writing case study memos and presenting analyses, and a final exam.

Prerequisite: ECON-001, Principles of Microeconomics.

Instructors:  Profs. Sarah McNamer (Department of English), and Francesco Ciabattoni (Department of Italian

Meeting Times: Tuesday 2:00-4:30

Attributes: Core:HALC – Hum, Art, Lit, Cul

Literature in the Age of the Black Death. How have literary artists responded to crises in the past? These paired courses — which can be taken sequentially (for 3 credits) or independently (1.5 credits for the Boccaccio section alone) — take the Black Death of 1348-49 — which decimated the population of Europe by 33% — as their starting point for exploring Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron and Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in their fourteenth-century contexts. Boccaccio’s description of the Black Death in the Decameron is the most vivid account we have of this pandemic. Casting his frame narrative as a series of tales told by youths who have taken to the hills around Florence to wait for the plague to subside, Boccaccio produces brilliant escapist fiction; but he also engages in a serious examination of contemporary social realities and how better possibilities might be imagined. In England, Chaucer, inspired by Boccaccio, crafted his Canterbury Tales in a way that seeks to capture the greater diversity of voices and perspectives in England as the repercussions of the Black Death called existing hierarchical social structures and notions of truth and authority into question. Like the Decameron, the Canterbury Tales is not only delightfully funny, but deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking. Both writers were keenly interested not only in the recreational value of storytelling, but in the power of the literary imagination to re-create the world. 

Class will meet once a week via Zoom. All readings will be in modern English; students will, however, gain some exposure to Boccaccio’s Italian and Chaucer’s Middle English. The chief focus will be on close readings of the literary texts in their historical and cultural contexts, but we will also attend to modern adaptations, including Passolini’s film version of the Decameron and Patience Agbabi’s contemporary spoken-word Chaucerian “remix,” Telling Tales.

Requirements:

• Weekly participation in Zoom virtual class; discussion format
• Weekly discussion papers and quizzes
• Midterm exam
• Final paper

Instructor:  Prof. Randall Amster (Environmental Studies Program)

Meeting Times: TBD

Attributes: Core: Diversity/Global

In a globalized and networked world, the linkages between social and environmental issues are becoming increasingly evident. From climate change and sustainability to resources and economics, scholars and practitioners alike have been bridging the divide between society and ecology. This connection has yielded an emerging perspective suggesting that environmental issues need not primarily be a source of conflict, but rather can offer a basis for promoting cooperation and peace. Environmental Peacebuilding is at the forefront of this transition, constituting both the ecological realm of peace and the peacemaking potential of ecology. Through various theoretical lenses, real-time case studies, and interactive experiences, we will explore this integrative paradigm in terms of its history, its present relevance in concrete settings, and its prospects for transforming the future.

Instructor: S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana Ph.D.

Meeting Times: Wednesday/Friday 2:15-4:00

What does gender have to do with international peace, security, and development? Research in peace and security fields over the last two decades have demonstrated the multiple ways gendered identities and power structures are central to the processes of war, peace and security. Importance of women’s empowerment to peace and prosperity has also been underlined by various international organizations such as the United Nations, and a series of landmark UN Security Resolutions. This course will examine theoretical and practical aspects of gender-sensitive approaches to international security, peacebuilding and development through lectures, videos and films, and guest-speakers, among others. Students will explore contemporary debates in the field and critically engage concepts like masculinity, femininity, human security, and militarization and apply them to frameworks pertaining to peace, security and development. Through a number of different case-studies, students will develop a deeper understanding of how gender norms, roles, identities and assumptions shape peace and security dynamics. The course will also cover pioneering international legal tools – such as Responsibility to Protect and UN Resolution 1325 – in order to examine their impacts on gendered power dynamics during conflicts as well as post-conflict transitions.

Instructor:  Prof. Meredith McKittrick (Department of History/SFS)

Meeting Times:  TBD

Attributes: Core: Diversity/Global, SFS/CORE History: Modern Reg, MSB/IB Area Course

This course examines the history of modern Africa from c. 1850 to the present. We will explore major political, economic, social, religious and environmental changes over this time, but we will also think about how historical knowledge is created and how historians assess evidence about the past. The course examines some of the major themes in Africa’s recent history: European conquest of the continent and African resistance to European domination; the political and economic impact of colonialism; how independence from colonialism was achieved and what it meant; and major cultural, social and religious changes of the 20th century. It also explores the historical context of some of the issues facing present-day Africa. Throughout the class, we will consider how Africans have acted to create their own history, within the context of larger global and historical forces they do not control. We also will examine the importance of dynamics of age, gender, class, and ethnicity within African societies themselves.But we’ll also ask how we know what we think we know. What do terms such as “African” and “European” mean in practice, and what do they obscure? How has “the West” created knowledge about “Africa,” and what are the implications of this?

Instructor:  Prof. Shareen Joshi (School of Foreign Service)

Meeting Times:  N/A

Attributes:  Core: Diversity/Domestic, Core: Diversity/Global

All across the world, the first question asked upon the birth of a child is generally the same: “Is it a boy or a girl?” Gender, one of the most fundamental aspects of human identity, forms the foundation of our economic, political and social systems. This course examines some important aspects of gender and family structure across the world. We will employ several analytical lenses: biology, economics, psychology, and politics/power. Using these lenses the course will examine some fundamental questions about how men and women have interacted over the ages, and what this means for the design of policies today, particularly right now, in this moment of upheavel. We will also explore compare gender inequality to other forms of social exclusion, and examine the issue of intersectionality of identity. Throughout the course, the importance of context, culture and historical trajectory will be highlighted. Though the content will be entirely on-line independent student research will be encouraged and supported. Students will pick a program or policy of interest to them, write a paper and also present their findings with their peers. We will develop some basic research skills and learn to incorporate evidence (quantitative or qualitative) into the final paper.

Instructor: Prof. Britt Peterson (Journalism Program)

Meeting Times: Mon/Wed 9:45 to 11:30

During the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve seen both the best and the worst of our country’s media. Journalists and media personalities have amplified misinformation, fearmongering, and racism. And yet the vast majority of journalists, from local papers to the New York Times and far beyond, have been invaluable, life-saving resources for their communities and the world — all while covering a virus that traditional reporting tools put them at a high risk of contracting. How do journalists approach a story so vast and so personally risky? How can they work to be empathic in their story-telling and obsessively accurate — because lives depend on it — in their reporting? How do they care for themselves, both physically and mentally, so they can continue doing their jobs? In this class, we’ll discuss these questions at length, examining historical precedents going back to coverage of the 1900 bubonic plague outbreak in San Francisco and the 1918 Spanish flu. We’ll spend the majority of our time treating coverage of the current outbreak like a journalism masterclass in what and what not to do. The class will be heavily focused on writing, from regular diary entries to a final reported paper that tackles some aspect of coronavirus, anything from a sports story to a culture story to a politics story and everything in between. We’ll be cautious in our reporting — all reporting will be done remotely — and creative in our approaches, with a heavy emphasis on using writing and storytelling to make sense of the nonsensical times we are all living through.

Instructor:  Prof. Michael O’Leary (McDonough School of Business, Management Area)

Meeting Times:  Tu/Th 9:45- 11:30 AM

Effective leadership is always important, but that’s especially true in times of crisis. This course will start with an introduction to the most widely used models of leadership and then devote the remainder of the course to understanding effective leadership in crises. To do so, we will examine a range of past crises and how they differ in terms of degree of impact, primary impact areas, scope, causality, novelty, timing, etc. Then, we will use historical examples, case studies, simulations, and “live” case examples from the evolving coronavirus crisis to examine the elements of effective leadership in turbulent times. Along the way, we will consider other public health and economic crises, as well as crises caused by natural disasters, accidents, confrontations, etc.

Fulfills the integrated writing requirement for MSB students.

Instructor:  Prof. James Olsen (Department of Philosophy)

Meeting Times: N/A

Arributes:  Core: Philosophy/Ethics, Core: Philosophy/General

An introduction to philosophical thought by way of foundational questions and texts in several areas of philosophy, including philosophical ethics. This course will satisfy either of the Main Campus Core requirements in philosophy (Core: Philosophy/Ethics or Core: Philosophy/General), but not both.

Instructor:  Prof. Andrea Boior (Department of Psychology)

Meeting Times:  T/TR 2:15 to 4 pm

This class explores the whole range of DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) psychological disorders. We seek to understand the symptoms, etiology, and treatment of various groups of disorders, and develop an empathetic and compassionate understanding of the human beings whose lives are affected by them. We also discuss the history and conceptualization of “abnormal” behavior, along with a discussion of the cultural factors that contribute to the etiology and perception of these disorders.

Instructor:  Prof. Gina Malagold (Department of Spanish and Portuguese)

Attributes:  Core: Diversity/Domestic, Core: Diversity/Global

U.S. Latinx Literature and Culture will focus on contemporary U.S. Latinx writers of the 21st century. We will place emphasis on similarities and differences in the experiences among Latinxs in the United States, across varying cultural landscapes. We will discuss topics such as the construction of identity in terms of race, gender, sexuality, and class; the experiences of the ‘immigrant’ and the colonial subject; the marketing of a Latina identity; and the relationship of the Latinx writer to their communities.

We will explore representations of identity and difference through literary theories and cultural studies approaches. We will draw knowledge from diverse cultural texts such as literature, popular music, folklore, journalism, media, visual culture, and performance arts.

A comparative analysis will contribute to a more precise understanding of complex regional differences and dynamics of the U.S. Latinx experience. The student will develop cultural competency, as well as critical thinking skills, by way of digital presentations and discussions of controversial and relevant topics, with the aim to establish connections between a student’s own culture and the Latinx world. Active and diligent participation in the online course discussions and activities are crucial for success. This course will be offered in Spanish.

Instructor:  Prof. Kerry Danner (Department of Theology)

Meeting Times:  TBD

Attributes:  Core: Theology

How do we become courageous but not reckless? Maintain hope in a world full of despair? This course addresses the virtues of courage, hope, and justice and its religious, psychological, and social dimensions. We will explore physical, moral, and spiritual courage, hope, and justice through the lives of individuals, such as Colin Kaepernick, and communities, such as the protestors of the Dakota Access Pipeline. We will look at how courage and hope manifest in everyday life—in addiction, in financial stress, and even on playgrounds and Healy Lawn. Special attention will be given to how religious practices and music sustain courage, hope, and justice. While there is an emphasis on Christian ethics, readings and discussion are not limited to Christian approaches.

Offered first session 

Instructor:  Prof. William Jack (Department of Economics) 

Meeting Times:  N/A

Economic development is a process of trial and error, innovation and experimentation, success and failure.  Given the right institutions, some not unfavorable resource endowments, and a bit of luck, incomes can grow, health can improve, and human development can flourish; other times, things don’t turn out so well.

In light of the urgency of development challenges, it is imperative that we learn quickly from our mistakes and build robustly on our successes.  The hope is that by understanding what kinds of innovations and policies “work” to improve the lives of the deprived and vulnerable, and how they work, we might be better placed to accelerate the process of development more generally.  But how can policy makers and development practitioners be sure they’re “making a difference?”

To that end, this fully online course will provide an overview of empirical methods and analytical techniques for assessing the impact and effectiveness of development innovations at both the product and policy levels.

Check out this 1-minute trailer.  Password: newdesigns

Offered both sessions

Instructor:  Prof. Christian Wagner (School of Foreign Service)

Meeting Times:  TBD

This course provides students with the scientific background to understand the processes of infections (viruses, bacteria), public health concerns, vaccination principles and methods and highlights the relevant principles of immuno-biology that illustrate our bodies defense against infections. It helps students to assess health risks as they arise in encountering new environments or new health challenges.

Offered first session

Instructor:  Prof. Betsi Stephen (School of Foreign Service)

Meeting Times:  N/A

This innovative on-line course will utilize a multidisciplinary approach to explore the meaning and experience of borders and related security concerns throughout the world, with an emphasis on our current global pandemic of COVID-19. Most of this class will occur at a time of your choosing. In addition you will be “meeting” with a discussion group on-line.

This is a 1.5-credit course because it will meet across 6 weeks. The weekly workload is that of a 3-credit course, not half the work.

We will analyze historical and modern forces that shape borders, and then study how borders affect the economic, social, and political fabric of countries. Critical writing is emphasized in the course. We will discuss border and security issues in a virtual space. We utilize a variety of disciplines—political science, geography, ethics, history, and demography—to examine issues of national, regional, and local identity in relation to the changing international context.

If you would like this course to count toward a Certificate or a minor, please contact me in the first week and we will work together to tailor the course to meet the necessary requirements.

Offered second session

Instructor:  Prof. Betsi Stephen (School of Foreign Service)

Meeting Times:  N/A

We will explore the intersections of politics and sports, using a variety of lenses (cultural, political, demographic, economic) with an emphasis on the Middle East, East Asia, and the United States. For instance, we will examine how power operates in the Middle East and in the United States to create our sports world in relation to race, gender, and birthplace.

The interactive course will utilize the upcoming Olympics in Japan as a case study to better understand the effect that globalization has had on international sports, and in particular organized sports such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

This course is asynchronous; it will be your responsibility to keep up with the readings and assignments on a weekly basis. Most weeks you will post a response to a prompt in the discussion board, as well as complete additional exercises. This is a 7-week course, thus the 1.5 credits.