Global Studies and International Relations

Overview

Our world is smaller than ever. Economies in developing nations directly impact the world's economic health; multi-national corporations operate across the globe; and complex cross-cultural problems demand solutions. 

This interdisciplinary program provides students with interactive exposure to the diverse field of Global Studies and International Relations and prepares students for internationally focused positions in the U.S. or abroad. Study global issues from government, private, and nonprofit viewpoints, and develop practical expertise in one of the world's six major regions.

You'll study alongside students from more than 20 countries and from more than 30 states, providing rich opportunities for discussion and debate on international perspectives. Learn from faculty with decades of experience as ambassadors, foreign service officers, diplomats, international consultants, higher education consulting experts, human rights workers, and experts in development policy. 

Classes focus on the actual work you do in the field, from analyzing the investment portfolios of developing nations to staging mock debates to learning the art of speechwriting from top embassy officials, and prepare students for a leadership role in areas like nonprofit management, business and industry, education, banking, consulting and foreign service.

What You'll Learn

• Specialized Knowledge: Incorporate foundational global and intercultural knowledge, theories, research methods, and approaches to investigate global issues from government, private, and nonprofit viewpoints.

• Broad and Integrative Knowledge: Frame and evaluate global challenges in international political, economic, security, or diplomatic areas in the selected region or concentration, drawing on perspectives and methods from diverse fields of study.

• Applied and Collaborative Learning: Apply the advanced knowledge gained in the field of global studies to a practical challenge, articulate in writing the insights gained from this experience, and assess approaches, scholarly debates, or standards for professional performance applicable to the challenge.

• Civic and Global Learning: Assess and develop a position on a contemporary social issue from a socio-historical perspective and from multiple viewpoints of the stakeholders.

• Experiential Learning: Synthesize and transfer learning to new, complex situations within course work or beyond the classroom.