In fall 2009, Miami University's department of political science introduced a new major, diplomacy and global politics (DGP) to replace a political science favorite diplomacy and foreign affairs (DFA).
Adeed Dawisha, distinguished professor in the department of political science, will be teaching classes for the DGP major.
"The department has been debating whether we should have a major called foreign affairs without having students going to a foreign place," Dawisha said.
A change was then decided after much discussion and was approved fall 2008.
"That's why we could only get our first intake of students in fall 2009," Dawisha said.
The new major emphasizes two specific requirements — students must study abroad for one semester or at least 12 credit hours and complete six hours of a foreign language at the 300 level.
"(This is) signaling students that we really want them to be overseas for a continuous and intellectual period spent abroad," Dawisha said.
According to Dawisha, the department decided that a name change was necessary to reflect the shift of major requirements and expertise in the department.
According to Claudia Scott-Pavloff, assistant dean of the CAS, DGP went through strategic decision processes and the College of Arts and Science (CAS) is confident in the major's success.
"Miami is moving in a direction where we are trying to have a curriculum that is very internationalized," Scott-Pavloff, said. "This has been an emphasis over the last years and is one of the many changes that will be occurring."
However, current DFA majors and sophomores and juniors who transfer to political science still have the option to graduate with a DFA major.
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"If a student is a sophomore or junior that wants to transfer, he or she can choose between the two," Dawisha said. "Any incoming students can only register for DGP."
Sophomore Elijah Santiago, DFA major, feels Miami is losing something unique by eliminating DFA.
"Miami was the only school that offered this kind of major," Santiago said. "If global politics is like political science, international studies or international relations, Miami has lost something. It's kind of redundant."
With the new requirements, DGP may resemble many majors dealing with politics internationally, as the department is trying to advocate the importance of globalization and being interconnected.
"Don't change a major to make it like another major," Santiago said. "If I wanted an ITS major, I would be studying ITS. I love my major for what it is, because I'm not required to study abroad so I don't miss out on classes here. This major is unique to Miami and it will help me out with law school."
However, sophomore Tim Model, DFA major, sees the new major as a good opportunity that will be beneficial to future students pursuing a career in international politics.
"It's good they are changing (DFA), because it's impossible to understand politics and other people from what you just learn in a book," Model said. "You have to go immerse yourself in another culture to understand how that culture works. There is only so much a lecture can teach."
The department of political science is excited for the future of DGP as it was welcomed by the CAS.
"It's a move in the right direction," Dawisha said. "It's a new major. We have only had it for literally half a semester. We haven't had any evidence that there are problems or that we should change anything. We need three to four years before we can reassess the major."
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