Starting in the fall of 2016, GLOA will be offering a Global Affairs Capstone (GLOA 400) for the very first time. A capstone course is intended to give students an opportunity to explore an issue from a variety of perspectives and to synthesize and refine the skills they have learned during their time at Mason. GLOA majors are allowed to use the GLOA capstone to fulfill the synthesis requirement of the Mason Core.
Why should I take this course and not one of the other synthesis courses?
The GLOA Capstone is tailored to GLOA students. Our program is unique and our students bring a unique set of prior coursework to the table. Our students' interests span the entire world, literally, and we thought it important to develop a capstone experience that reflects the scope and uniqueness of the major.
In addition, it is a great opportunity to re-connect with fellow GLOA students, some of whom you may have never met before and others you may not have seen since GLOA 101, ECON 385, or other core courses.
Will it be all global affairs students?
The class will be almost all global affair students. It is possible for a non-GLOA student to take the class, but for them it would simply be an elective. Only a GLOA student can take it to fulfill the synthesis requirement of the Mason Course.
What can I expect in the class?
Generally speaking, capstone classes are aimed at juniors and seniors. You can expect quite a bit of reading and writing, but also some intense discussion and the opportunity to draw upon all the different things you have studied as a Global Affairs student to understand the topic under consideration. The class is also limited in size to 30 students.
Will the topic of the capstone be the same every semester?
No. We plan to offer two sections of the capstone every semester, and the topics will switch. This fall, the capstone topics are Globalized Sports (GLOA 400-001) and Global Media (400-002). The capstone will use this particular topic as a lens through which we study and analyze global politics, economics, culture, etc. You don't have to have a particular interest in sports or media to enjoy the course. Next semester, the capstone will have a different topic, but the underlying principle will be the same.
May 20, 2016