Global Commerce
Program Guidelines & Mission
The Global Commerce major explores the globalized nature of modern commerce—the production and exchange of goods, services, ideas, money and capital—and how these elements of commerce have changed over time. The major provides an interdisciplinary examination of commerce and its relationship to markets, institutions, and culture.
Language study, at least to the intermediate level, is fundamental to the Global Commerce major. When students declare the GC major, they must identify their language of study to ensure that they will be in a position to use their developing language skills as they progress through the major. In addition to this language facility, throughout their GC major experience, students develop sophisticated analytical skills in assessing and engaging in a globalized society.
To that end, the major is built around 8 courses required of all majors: 6 "Commerce Core" courses that are unique to Denison, as well as ECON 101 - Introductory Macroeconomics and ECON 102 - Introductory Microeconomics. In the introductory GC 101 - Commerce and Society, students explore the relationships between commerce and society in different times and places, through a variety of humanities and social science lenses. In GC 200 - Global Focus Proposal for Global Commerce, sophomore majors design a “Global Focus” that will allow them to develop a deep understanding of a particular geographic area by studying its culture, history, social and political context, and language(s). The goal of this global focus is not to make the GC major a specialist in one region of the world but, rather, to develop their capacity to adapt to working in any global region by knowing what kinds of information are required to operate effectively in an unfamiliar society.
GC 200 - Global Focus Proposal for Global Commerce is paired with GC 201 - Elements of Commerce, which exposes students to a core of applied skills related to the areas of commerce, business, global organizations, and entrepreneurship (i.e., skills related to multiple workplace environments) and fosters students’ understanding of how the liberal arts underpin and support these skills. GC 202 - Quantitative Methods for Global Commerce, introduces students to the fundamentals of statistics, and to the methods of collecting and analyzing data to solve practical problems in global commerce and social contexts. Junior majors take GC 301 - Global Financial Markets, in which they examine the dynamics of global markets, market regulation, and financial institutions. GC 401 - Global Commerce Senior Seminar, the senior capstone course, requires students to articulate and apply their accumulated knowledge from their Global Commerce major experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, in part by producing a final semester-long, team-based assignment in which they create a team plan, collect and analyze data, and craft a proposal for a global commerce-related initiative.
In combination with our robust GC co-curricular program (Learn more about Global Commerce Outside the Classroom), these courses offer GC majors opportunities to interact with visiting speakers, including alumni and Columbus-area professionals, in conversations about the dynamics and challenges of globalized commerce.
Learning goals for the Global Commerce major include:
- the development of an advanced understanding of the complex ways in which commerce is connected to culture, history, social structures, political systems, financial institutions, and other global factors;
- immersion in the study of a particular geographic area—or the connections between multiple regions for the transregional option—emphasizing the study of culture, history, social context, and language;
- building well-developed cultural agility skills, including intermediate-level facility with at least one language other than English;
- honing analytical and communication skills;
- and developing an understanding of team dynamics and effective team leadership.
Through a combination of curricular and co-curricular experiences, students develop:
- a sound understanding of the various elements of commerce (both for-profit and not-for-profit), including familiarity with the language of business and with spreadsheet construction and manipulation;
- the ability to interpret financial reports and evaluate organizational performance;
- professional etiquette and networking skills.
Each student will also integrate a significant off-campus experience with the curricular study of commerce and cultural context.
Faculty
Director: Associate Professor John McHugh
Associate Director for Global Commerce Programming: Jane Palmer
Professors Ted Burczak, Karen Spierling; Associate Professors Jessica Bean, Regina Martin, John McHugh; Assistant Professors Jessica Burch, Son Dinh, Oksana Grabova, Leksa Lee, Julie Mujic
Academic Administrative Assistant
Monica Graffeo
Global Commerce Major
Required Components (16 courses - 60.5 credits total)
- 8-course Commerce Core: 6 GC Commerce Core, 2 Econ (28.5 credits)
- 2 intermediate language courses (i.e., two courses beyond the 112 level) (8 credits)
- 6-course Global Focus (24 credits)
- 1 Off-Campus Experience
Commerce Core
The Commerce Core is required of all majors. The Core consists of eight courses:
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ECON 101 | Introductory Macroeconomics |
| ECON 102 | Introductory Microeconomics |
| GC 101 | Commerce and Society |
| GC 200 | Global Focus Proposal for Global Commerce (prerequisite GC 101) |
| GC 201 | Elements of Commerce (prerequisite GC 101, co-requisite GC 200) |
| GC 202 | Quantitative Methods for Global Commerce (prerequisite GC 101) |
| GC 301 | Global Financial Markets (prerequisites ECON 101, ECON 102, GC 101, & GC 201) |
| GC 401 | Global Commerce Senior Seminar (prerequisites GC 101, GC 201, GC 202, GC 301) |
Language Courses
All Global Commerce majors are required to attain depth in a language other than English, typically by taking at least two language courses beyond the 112 level. Additional language study is strongly encouraged, and any additional language courses can apply toward the Global Focus–including introductory level courses in a third language relevant to the student's global focus region. If students are already native speakers of a language other than English, they must still fulfill the language requirement of the Global Commerce major by studying at least two semesters of a language other than English.
Global Focus
The Global Commerce major seeks to integrate the study of commerce with a deep understanding of the cultures and societies of a geographical region beyond North America. Courses in the Global Focus are drawn from the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Majors choose one of the following geographic areas as a Global Focus:
- Africa/Middle East
- Asia
- Europe
- Latin America/Caribbean
The Global Focus consists of six courses (a list of qualifying courses is available from the Global Commerce office each semester), at least four of which must address the particular region of study. Two of the courses can be cognates that relate to global commerce generally, but do not necessarily focus on the student’s selected region. Up to three of the Global Focus courses may be taken off-campus. Any exceptions must be approved by the Global Commerce Director in consultation with the Global Commerce committee. Students will develop a cohesive curricular plan for their Global Focus in the sophomore seminar class, GC 200 - Global Focus Proposal for Global Commerce.
Transregional Option
The Global Focus component of the major also can be fulfilled through a “transregional option.” In this option, students focus on the flow and exchange of a variety of elements—such as information, goods, services, or labor—between two or more geographic regions. The proposal must make a clear case for the pursuit of the transregional option and for the coherence of their six proposed Global Focus courses. Students electing to pursue the transregional option must still meet the Global Commerce language requirement.
Off-Campus Study
An off-campus experience is required of Global Commerce majors. Ideally, the off-campus experience occurs in the geographical region of the Global Focus or is tied to the Global Focus in terms of topics of study. In the GC 200 - Global Focus Proposal for Global Commerce proposal assignment, students are required to indicate and explain the rationale supporting their choice of an off-campus experience. The types of experiences that would fulfill the Global Commerce off-campus requirement include:
- Semester (or summer) of participation in a Denison-approved Off-Campus Study program.
- A Denison Seminar or other academic course with a travel component.
- An off-campus internship. This may be an international internship or a domestic internship where the student learns about the global connections of a U.S. business or organization.
Courses
GC 101 - Commerce and Society (4 Credit Hours)
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.
GC 180 - Ethics and Politics of Organizations (4 Credit Hours)
This is a special topics course.
GC 199 - Introductory Topics in Global Commerce (1-4 Credit Hours)
A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.
GC 200 - Global Focus Proposal for Global Commerce (0.5 Credit Hours)
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.
GC 201 - Elements of Commerce (4 Credit Hours)
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 business ethics, which includes examining the wisdom, stakes, and consequences of managerial decision-making. The course also builds students' applied skills by introducing them to business vocabulary, accounting practices, and financial reports. Throughout the course, students will gain significant facility in spreadsheet manipulation to learn how to present data effectively. Coursework may require attending co-curricular events. 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.
GC 202 - Quantitative Methods for Global Commerce (4 Credit Hours)
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. Throughout the course, students will gain significant facility in spreadsheet manipulation to learn how to present and analyze data effectively. Coursework may require attending co-curricular events.
Prerequisite(s): GC 101.
GC 210 - Sex, Gender & Work (4 Credit Hours)
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.
GC 211 - War and Commerce (4 Credit Hours)
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.
GC 212 - Global Sport and Profit (4 Credit Hours)
This course will explore how profit is created, consumed, and distributed in global professional sports. We will examine soccer and tennis in-depth, weaving discussion of other global sports in with guest speakers and activities. The global sports analyzed in this class generate significant financial gain in public and private forms. Specifically, students will look at the relationship between organizational structures, leagues, community partnerships, and personal investment to interrogate how sports contribute to the economic, social, political, and cultural aspects of nations and peoples.
GC 220 - Sustainable Global Finance (4 Credit Hours)
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.
GC 250 - General Topics in Global Commerce (4 Credit Hours)
Open to intermediate students. These courses are offered in a variety of areas related to Global Commerce.
GC 299 - Intermediate Topics in Global Commerce (1-4 Credit Hours)
A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.
GC 301 - Global Financial Markets (4 Credit Hours)
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. Throughout the course, students will gain facility in spreadsheet manipulation. Coursework may require attending co-curricular events.
Prerequisite(s): ECON 101 and ECON 102 and GC 101 and GC 201.
GC 350 - Seminar in Global Commerce (4 Credit Hours)
Open to advanced students. These seminars offer topics in a variety of areas related to Global Commerce.
GC 361 - Directed Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
GC 362 - Directed Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
GC 363 - Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
GC 364 - Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
GC 399 - Advanced Topics in Global Commerce (1-4 Credit Hours)
A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.
GC 401 - Global Commerce Senior Seminar (4 Credit Hours)
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’ foreign language and spreadsheet 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. Coursework may require attending co-curricular events.
GC 451 - Senior Research (4 Credit Hours)
GC 452 - Senior Research (4 Credit Hours)