World Studies Program
- Admission to the World Studies Program
- Curriculum Overview
- International Expertise
- Internship Process
- Assessing Readiness for Internship
- WSP Plan of Concentration
- Language Requirement
Admission to the World Studies Program
Students gain admission to the World Studies Program by submitting an essay in the fall semester of their first year on campus. Students complete the essay in November at the end of a one credit course - the World Studies Colloquium - that introduces new students to the program courses, goals and requirements. In the essay students describe how they intend to fulfill the goals of the program and how those goals coincide with their own for international work and study. Students who transfer into Marlboro in their sophomore year and Marlboro students who wish to transfer in the program in their sophomore year are also required to take the colloquium and submit an essay. In addition to the goals essay these students will be required to explain their plans for meeting all the WSP requirements. Transfer juniors into Marlboro will be required to take a non-credit-bearing tutorial with the Director World Studies before submitting their essay.
Curriculum Overview
World Studies Program students are expected to gain a general education through the liberal arts and to develop skills as international citizens. These general goals include:
- an introductory knowledge of world history and cultures;
- an understanding of contemporary issues of global significance;
- competence in cross-cultural communication, including proficiency in a second language, recognition of differences in cultural values, and experience working and learning in another culture;
- a basic knowledge of one world region (geography, economic and environmental systems, culture, and history);
- a grasp of one or more academic disciplines, and an ability to apply the concepts and methods of these disciplines to a particular problem or issue;
- an integration of academic and experiential learning, with practical application of academic learning as part of an internship;
- an ability to communicate clearly in writing and speaking.
International Expertise
Students in the World Studies Program also seek international expertise as a part of their undergraduate education. Their studies include:
- An introduction to work in international fields, through the World Studies Colloquium and other events;
- Knowledge of world history, differences in cultural values, and global issues. An introductory background is offered in the WSP Freshman and Sophomore Seminars (Twentieth-Century World and Topics in Human Understanding). Students may pursue further work in a wide range of courses.
- Knowledge of a world region. The goal is to learn how to develop a functional knowledge of a region and how different disciplines contribute to an understanding of the multiple dimensions of a single region. Skills in learning about any region can be applied to the area where an internship is located.
- Contemporary issues of global significance. Students are expected to develop an understanding of contemporary issues and phenomena which have global impact, at least in the area of the student's individual interest. Faculty sponsors of senior year work are encouraged to include in the final evaluation process some exercise insuring that the student considers the global context of his or her work.
- Second Language Proficiency. Languages are essential to international work, and WSP students are encouraged to pursue language study throughout their education to discover the significance of language, to learn the skills of language acquisition, and to develop proficiency. Students are required to achieve functional proficiency in at least one language other than their native language (measured by an oral proficiency test). In applying for Plan work, students will review progress in language acquisition with the Plan sponsor and plan any additional language study to prepare for internship, Plan work, and the language proficiency requirement.
- Access to an international campus. WSP students take a graduate-level course at the School for International Training with permission of the instructor. They are also encouraged to study less commonly taught languages through SIT's Guided Self-Instruction program, and to participate in networking, social, and extra-curricular academic activities on this internationally oriented campus.
The Internship Process
The WSP internship, which comprises a major part of the Plan of Concentration, is the means by which ideas and theories studied in the classroom are put to the test of practice and experience in the "real" world. The internship is required of all WSP students and is normally undertaken during the second semester of the junior year. Students live and work in a culture other than their own for 6-8 months. Interns work beside the people of the host country and learn first- hand about their cultural values. At the same time, they develop a greater understanding of themselves as cultural beings. They gain professional skills, improve foreign language proficiency, and gain field experience to incorporate into their academic work during the senior year.
Students design their own internships to fit their individual needs. They conduct the internship search with guidance from faculty and staff. They generally seek positions with organizations doing work in a field related to their academic discipline and to the career they hope to pursue.
Preparation for the internship usually begins in the second semester of the sophomore year, with the selection of an academic discipline and Plan sponsor. The student-sponsor relationship is the keystone for a successful internship. Working in close cooperation the student and sponsor begin to identify long-term learning goals, needed skills and academic preparation for field work and a Plan of Concentration in the chosen discipline.
Two required courses, Finding an Internship and Designing Fieldwork, provide the basic preparation for internship. Finding an Internship includes self- assessment of skills and interests, resume writing, interview skills, identification of potential overseas employers, setting goals that grow out of intellectual interests, and writing proposals to fund overseas study.
In the semester before internship students must work closely with faculty sponsors in pre-internship tutorials. This requirement can be met in one of two ways:
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A one-credit tutorial with the primary faculty sponsor focusing on internship goals and projects and background readings on the internship site.
- One credit's worth of work on internship goals, projects, and background readings folded into an existing tutorial with the primary faculty sponsor. The faculty sponsor must so notify the Associate Director of World Studies.
In Designing Fieldwork the student writes an internship proposal demonstrating a solid knowledge of the area of the world and the academic discipline in which the student expects to work. Working closely with the Plan sponsor and the Associate Director of World Studies, the student establishes learning objectives, designs field projects, and chooses appropriate methodologies to support academic, personal, and professional goals.
While abroad, interns produce independent study projects for which they receive a semester's worth of credit (12-18 per semester). They are expected to keep in touch with faculty sponsors through monthly submissions of work in progress. In addition, they mail back to the Associate Director of World Studies three self-evaluations.
Assessing Readiness for Internship
In addition to an approved Internship Proposal, the following factors demonstrate a student's readiness to take on the unique challenges that present themselves on internship:
- good academic standing,
- awareness of how to maintain health, safety, and well-being,
- history of working well independently and meeting deadlines,
- successful completion of internship preparation courses,
- written job description or some other form of demonstrated understanding by host organization of intern's role there,
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adequate orientation to the host country including:
- knowledge of the language
- familiarity with the cultural values
- familiarity with current political and social issues as seen from within the culture
- interview of a "cultural mentor"
The Program may recommend postponing the internship for the student who needs more time to meet the above criteria.
WSP Plan of Concentration
Like all Marlboro students, WSP students pursue advanced study in a discipline and independent work addressing a particular issue or set of issues in a field. A WSP Plan of Concentration follows Marlboro guidelines, with these distinctions:
- A Plan topic with an international or cross-cultural dimension.
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An internship in another culture, usually for the second semester of the junior year. Internships are intended to provide experiential learning in relation to the general direction of the student's Plan of Concentration, with these additional guidelines:
- The internship situation must involve frequent contact and cooperative work with host-country nationals.
- The internship situation should involve structured activity and some supervision by a resource person in the student's field of interest.
- The internship situation ideally includes some contribution or service to the host community.
Re-entry from internship to academic work in the senior year is addressed in a seven-week Senior Seminar. Among the tasks of the seminar is the completion of a statement reconciling the differences between the internship proposal and what the student actually accomplished and documenting the achievement of program goals with respect to the internship. WSP seniors are strongly encouraged to offer a public lecture to build their own presentation skills and to contribute to education on international affairs in the community.
World Studies Program students earn a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree in International Studies, awarded by Marlboro College in association with the School for International Training.
Language Requirement
Competence in a foreign language is an integral part of the World Studies Program. Students expecting to graduate from the Program are required to demonstrate oral proficiency in at least one foreign language by achieving an ACTFL rating of "intermediate" or "advanced" or better in that language. Students must pass the oral proficiency exam one month prior to their graduation date. Testing is arranged through the language faculty by request of the student. Scores are included on a student's transcript.