Alexis Lam, Contributing Photographer

Yale’s global affairs major has adopted a new set of course requirements to take effect in fall 2025.

Students accepted to the major starting next academic year will be required to complete 13 courses, a non-English language course designated L4 and either a one-semester senior thesis or a one-semester senior capstone project. 

Within the 13 courses, students will now be required to take two classes each in both history and political science. The new curriculum will replace two core courses on international security and development — which have received some of the lowest student reviews on Yale Course Evaluations in the past several years — with a single core course. Required economics courses have been expanded to include game theory and qualitative methods and the number of required electives has decreased from four to three. 

Previously, the major required 12 courses, a non-English language at L5 and a one-semester senior capstone.

“The reformed curriculum will better reflect the multidisciplinary nature of the major and give students some added flexibility around advanced courses and the senior project to better support the range of their interests and goals,” Bonnie Weir, assistant dean for undergraduate education at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, wrote to the News.

Weir also highlighted that the Jackson School has added new course offerings and programming, such as new certificates in human rights and a series of research workshops, to serve “areas of intense student interest.”

The changes are the result of a review process spanning the current academic year that involved input from students and faculty. 

As part of the process, Weir conducted a formal survey of student perspectives of the major and analyzed course-taking trends in global affairs from recent years. She also convened a committee of senior faculty members in economics, history and political science to evaluate course offerings in global affairs.

According to Weir, the review found that beyond security and development, students were also interested in areas such as human rights, peacebuilding, climate, technology and regime dynamics.

The changes come three years after the Jackson School was formally dedicated as Yale’s newest professional school in fall 2022.

Ethan Chiu ’26, a junior majoring in global affairs, wrote to the News that the new course requirements in history and political science increase flexibility for students, though he also expressed hesitance at the newly decreased language level requirement.

“I think not having students required to take L5 may decrease readiness for international affairs careers, especially because L5 seems to be more intermediate level anyways,” Chiu wrote.

Owen Setiawan ’27, who majors in global affairs, said that he also regrets to see the L5 language requirement go.

Setiawan said that the expansion of the intermediate economics requirement to include game theory and any approved qualitative methods course may diminish the understanding of global affairs.

“Having taken intermediate macroeconomics,” he said, “I feel like it’s very relevant to understanding things related to global affairs and having a strong understanding of the macro economy.”

In contrast, David Yun ’28, a prospective global affairs major, welcomed the changes, which he says will allow him to choose a wider variety of courses within international affairs.

The Jackson School of Global Affairs was founded in 2010.