The Global Studies major is a profoundly interdisciplinary experience for students who aim to develop problem-solving and leadership skills for a global career. Students learn to think critically about the complex interactions among global social, political, economic, environmental, and ethical phenomena with applications to all regions of the world. The major favors the understanding of diverse cultures by requiring significant coursework in foreign languages and an internship. At its core, it trains students in systems thinking, a modern approach to complexity that focuses on understanding the relationships among elements of a problem or situation to build solutions.
The Global Studies major is a springboard for careers in public, private, and nongovernmental organizations with a global or international focus. Sometimes after completing a graduate program, Global Studies students may find employment with the foreign service, with multilateral agencies (the UN, the World Bank, etc.), as international missionaries, as foreign aid workers, with international law and law enforcement agencies, teaching English abroad, in the international hospitality sector, or in global business.