Geographic Focus
Students must take a minimum of 12 credits in their area of geographic focus (e.g., Africa, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, or Southeast Asia). Students who earned their undergraduate degrees from institutions outside the United States may substitute an additional 12 credits in the professional concentration for the 12 credits of geographic focus. Students are encouraged to choose a geographic focus outside their home region.
International Education Focus
For students interested in careers in the many growing areas of International Education, Global Studies offers students the option of a focused MA track, with coursework individually tailored to each student’s professional goals and drawn from departments and divisions across campus. In addition to their graduate core in Global Studies, students may register for relevant coursework in management, program evaluation, educational leadership, intercultural communication, counseling, conflict resolution, budgeting and grant writing – all skills that are essential for professionals in international education, and which will give students a competitive edge in employment opportunities.
Professional development and practical training opportunities are available through Oregon’s Office of International Affairs, the umbrella unit which encompasses Global Education Oregon Study Abroad and International Internships, International Student and Scholar Services, and Oregon’s Global Studies Institute, providing a broad array of opportunities for internships and graduate employment positions.
A unique strength of Oregon’s International Education track is that students cultivate professional skills tailored to their personal career aspirations through hands-on learning opportunities, in addition to honing the writing and critical thinking skills which are foundational for the evaluation, reporting and proposal writing required by effective, high quality educational programs. They also have the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor on an original research project on a topic of their choice; recent thesis topics for students focused on International Education have included a critical program evaluation of an international speaker's bureau, an analysis of opportunities and obstacles for students with disabilities in study abroad programs, and an analysis and recommendations regarding the gender imbalance among students who choose to study abroad.
Alumni of the Global Studies Department have gone on to successful careers as rogram coordinators, international education administrators, advisors and graduation specialists, among other positions, in international exchange and study abroad programs representing higher education institutions, private providers, and K-12 school systems in the US and abroad.
Diplomacy and International Relations Focus
This graduate focus provides students with insights and tools to become practitioners, policymakers and analysts in areas that concern relations between governments, states and global diplomatic networks. Students will have the opportunity to examine different perspectives on political, social, economic, and environmental concerns within the international arena, providing a rich, interdisciplinary focus for understanding the inherent possibilities, priorities and challenges of working for governments in the diplomatic corps. They will learn about the ways states understand and assert their global relationships and priorities, the increasingly important role played by official development assistance (ODA) in doing so, and the role of international organizations, states, and other stakeholders involved in implementing and responding to global political and economic pressures.
Students graduating in this graduate focus have gone on to a wide range of careers, including working for the U.S. Department of State or other foreign ministries; working in international development organizations; as policymakers and public advocacy practitioners; working in non-governmental organizations or public service; and working on legal issues.
This graduate focus provides students with insights and tools to become practitioners, policymakers and analysts in areas that concern relations between governments, states and global diplomatic networks. Students will have the opportunity to examine different perspectives on political, social, economic, and environmental concerns within the international arena, providing a rich, interdisciplinary focus for understanding the inherent possibilities, priorities and challenges of working for governments in the diplomatic corps. They will learn about the ways states understand and assert their global relationships and priorities, the increasingly important role played by official development assistance (ODA) in doing so, and the role of international organizations, states, and other stakeholders involved in implementing and responding to global political and economic pressures.
Students graduating in this graduate focus have gone on to a wide range of careers, including working for the U.S. Department of State or other foreign ministries; working in international development organizations; as policymakers and public advocacy practitioners; working in non-governmental organizations or public service; and working on legal issues.
International Development Focus
This Global Studies focus provides students with insights and tools to become practitioners, policymakers, analysts, and future scholars in the arena of development studies. Students will have the opportunity to examine different perspectives on political, social, economic, and environmental challenges in comparative development processes, providing a rich, interdisciplinary focus for understanding the inherent possibilities, priorities and challenges associated with international development work. They will learn about the history and current realities of development ‘on the ground’ including official development assistance (ODA), the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), states, and other stakeholders involved in implementing and responding to development agendas. Students will also study about current priorities in the international development arena including the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Students in this focus have gone on to a wide range of careers, including working in international development organizations; as policymakers and public advocacy practitioners; working in non-governmental organizations or public service; as human rights activists at domestic and international human rights organizations and within intergovernmental bodies such as various UN organizations; and working on legal issues.
Global Studies master’s students may add career-enhancing degrees/certificates or graduate specializations to their coursework.
While pursuing a master’s in Global Studies, they may apply:
- to earn a concurrent degree in a separate MA program
- to earn a certificate
- to pursue a graduate specialization
*The University of Oregon Graduate School governs procedures for earning MA credentials.
Concurrent Degree Programs (you must apply and be accepted to each program)
Conflict and Dispute Resolution
Law (JDMA): This four-year program is for students interested in combining an MA in Global (International) Studies with a JD in Law. This program provides a background in legal theory and instruments sensitive to social, cultural, economic, and political realities. Future lawyers concerned with international human rights, asylum, immigration, or public interest law benefit from this course of study.
Planning, Public Policy and Management:
Graduate Certificates: (Certificate declaration required)
Graduate Teaching Initiative (Certificate of completion) offered through the Teaching Engagement Program