Students who declared a pre-major or major before Fall 2021 remain under the “old” requirements.

"Old" Pre-Major in Global Studies Requirements

For "PINS" and/or "PGLB" students who added the pre-major Summer 2021 and before.

• GLBL 101
• Two courses from Block A (GLBL 199*, 230, 240, 250, 260, and 280)
• Second language sequence started or equivalency demonstrated
• Completed the UO Writing Requirement (WR 121 and 122 or 123) or equivalency demonstrated (WR 123 is strongly encouraged)
• Complete UO Writing Required Courses:
  • Non-Clark Honors College Students: WR 121, WR 122, or WR 123, or equivalency demonstrated (WR123 is strongly encourage)
  • Clark Honors College Students: One HC writing course: HC 101, HC 221, HC 231, HC 241, or HC 301.
• Cumulative UO GPA of 3.0 or higher; or three consecutive terms of 3.0 or above
• Completed at least 2 terms at the UO (apply your third term, if the other checklist items are complete)

*Only GLBL 199 Globalization & the Global Economy, or an approved substitute, may count as a Block A course option with this course number.

"Old" Global Studies Major Requirements

The "Old" Global Studies Major consists of:

• GLBL 101: Introduction to International Studies
• Block A: International Core Courses (16 GLBL credits)
• Block B: Professional Concentration Area (16 GLBL credits)
• Block C Geographic Focus (16 credits)
• Language Requirement: 3 years of a Second Language, or the "2+2" option
• A significant intercultural experience (minimum of 10 weeks)*

A minimum of 52 credits, 32 of which must be upper division, are required for the major (this number does not include the credits taken to fulfill the language requirement or the intercultural experience). Courses must be passed with grades of C- or better to satisfy the major requirements.

All courses taken for the major must be graded, with the exception of the language requirement and up to 8 credits in GLBL 406 or GLBL 409.

A maximum of 12 credits in courses taken to fulfill the university group requirements may be applied toward the Global Studies major.

A maximum of 20 credits in courses taken in a single department (with the exception of Global Studies) may be applied toward the Global Studies major, exclusive of the language requirement.

"Old" Global Studies Major Requirements - Details

"Old" Block A: Core Courses

The Global Studies major requires four courses (16 credits) selected from the following options:

• GLBL 199, Globalization & the Global Economy
• GLBL 240, Perspectives on International Development*
• GLBL 250, Value Systems in Cross-Cultural Perspective
• GLBL 260, Culture, Capital, and Globalization
• GLBL 280, Global Environmental Issues

*Please note this course serves as a pre-requisite to many upper-division GLBL courses, including those required for various Professional Concentration Areas.

GLBL 102, "Foundations for Intercultural Competence" is an approved substitution for Block A requirement for students pursuing the "Old" major only.

Global Connections Advisors will seek approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies for any requests to substitute the following courses into the Block A: GLBL 399 experimental courses, GLBL 401 "Research," GLBL 403 "Thesis" GLBL 405 "Reading," GLBL 406 "Field Studies," GLBL 407 experimental courses, GLBL 409 "Practicum," and GLBL 410 experimental courses.

Global Connections Advisors are authorized to substitute other 300 or 400-level GLBL courses into the Block A, if requested though students are encourage to complete all four 200-level Core Foundation courses.

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"Old" Block B: Professional Concentration Areas

All professional concentration areas require four upper-division courses (16 credits) unless noted otherwise.

List of electives are not exhaustive, but simply list courses which are known to teach material relevant to the professional concentrations. If a student finds other courses which may be appropriate electives in a given concentration area, they may consult with the Global Connections Advisors for approval. Seeking a substitution? Talk to a Global Connections Advisor.

Non-GLBL courses listed as approved electives may have pre-requisites in place as required by those departments. Global Studies majors are responsible for completing pre-requisites for those courses, in addition to the elective course approved for their Block B. Global Studies staff and advisors are not able to override these pre-requisites for Global Studies majors; all requests such as these should be directed to the appropriate departments.

Select one of the areas below for more information

Comparative International Development

This concentration provides students with insights and tools to become practitioners, policymakers, analysts, and future scholars in the arena of development studies. Through the various required and elective courses, students will 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 realaties 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 graduating with this concentration will have a foundation valuable for a wide range of experiences and careers, including: in international development organizations, as policymakers and public advocacy practitioners, working in non-governmental organizations or public service, working on legal issues, and pursuing further education in a graduate program or law school.

Required Courses - Both of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ from the following:

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Cross-cultural Communication & Education

Intercultural sensitivity and communication skills are needed in all workplaces today, and in this concentration, students will develop both skills and insights needed by professionals working in multicultural and international settings, emphasizing that values clarification and self-awareness are also central to inter-cultural understanding. We view education broadly to encompass any setting or interaction where learning takes place, and so this concentration addresses formal and non-formal education, intercultural training and awareness-raising, as well as sharing of skills in the context of development praxis or refugee and immigration orientation and support, at the policy as well as the interpersonal level. Students graduating with this concentration will have a grounding valuable for a career in any field featuring a diverse workplace, especially in formal and non-formal education and intercultural sensitivity and training. This concentration also offers a good foundation for students who plan to pursue a graduate program leading to licensure and a career in classroom teaching.

Required Courses - The following course:

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ from the following:

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Culture, Art, & Development

People around the world use various forms of expressive culture or art to make sense or, reflect on, and even influence their experiences. This is true in relatively wealthy and stable social contexts as well as challenging and changing situations. This concentration area recognizes the importance and value of studying creative expressions - ranging from the visual to oral, from the sculptural to the poetic and textual - in order to learn about peoples' negotiations of social, economic, political, and environmental challenges and opportunities. This analytical and interpretive lens accents the more traditional frame of reference associated with the social science perspective in International Studies and thus helps round out students' appreciation for a holistic understanding of global experiences and processes. Courses for this concentration area will generally be found in the departments in the humanities, as well as arts and allied architecture. Some offerings may also be found in anthropology. Graduates with this concentration would be well positioned for work with governmental and non-governmental organizations that focus on the arts or on use of the arts in development or social advocacy settings. Other trajectories might include graduate work in globally oriented fields in the social sciences or humanities or MFA programs in arts and literature.

Required Courses - One of the following:

Elective Courses - 3+ from the following:

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Diplomacy and International Relations

This concentration provides students with insights and tools to become practitioners, policymakers, analysts, and future scholars in areas that concern relations between governments, states and global diplomatic networks. Through the various required and elective courses, students will 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 with this concentration will have a foundation valuable for a wide range of experiences and 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, working on legal issues, and pursuing further education in a graduate program or law school.

Required Courses - Both of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ from the following:

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Global Health & Development

Students gain an understanding of contemporary global health challenges, the relationship between distributions of health and economic development both within and between nations, and the role of national and international institutions and non-governmental organizations in responding to health problems. Students will be introduced to foundational concepts from social epidemiology, public health, and medical anthropology and to both quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches in global health research. Coursework will expose students to case studies in global health issues, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health, and reproductive health and cross-cultural variations in illness and healing systems.

Required Courses - The following course:

Elective Courses - 3+ from the following:

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International Business

This professional concentration is intended for students who are curious about how businesses are started, organized, negotiated, managed, grown, regulated, traded, folded, and eventually rebooted in international contexts. If you believe that material relations and calculation over gain are the driving forces of human behavior regardless of culture, history, or geography; if you want to understand how economic activity varies across many societies; or if you simply envision yourself working in global, transnational, or cross-cultural business context, this is the professional concentration for you.

Students who pursue this concentration obtain a good core foundation in the principles of international business administration, management, and marketing. They supplement this foundation, with elective work that exposes them to cross-cultural negotiation, global finance, international trade, and the varieties of economic development in key regions. Students who pursue this concentration combine practical business skills with the core Global Studies commitment to deep language ability, extended real-world experience outside of the US, and a rich understanding of why it is so important to deeply grasp another person's history, culture, literature, and art. Global Studies majors with this concentration are competitive for international job placement and for MBA, Law, Public Policy, and other graduate programs because they have a dual foundation in practical skills for today's business world and lifelong critical thinking skills.

Required Courses - One of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ from the following:

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International Economics

Over the past few decades the global economy has become increasingly integrated, characterized by liberalization of trade and capital as well as sourcing of labor and natural resources from foreign markets. This process of economic globalization has led to profound changes in individuals, societies, and landscapes throughout the world. Students who choose this professional concentration area will learn how globalization intersects with gender, identity, public policy, human mobility, nature/society relations and cultural adaptation to global change. Graduates will be well-poised to pursue careers that help build a just and sustainable economy.

Required Courses - One of the following sets of courses:

OR

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the above of from the following:

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International Environment

Human activities have profoundly affected our environment causing unprecedented climate change, loss of biological diversity, and contamination of air, land, and water. In turn, many of these impacts harm human health, undermine local livelihoods, and disrupt our political and economic systems. This professional concentration area will prepare students to critically examine root causes of, and solutions to so-called "environmental problems" at local, regional, national, and global scales, across different demographic groups (e.g. ethnicity, class, gender). Competing approaches to understanding and solving global environmental issues will be explored with a focus on linking human rights and environment through the frameworks of environmental justice and political ecology. Specific topics include climate change, resource consumption, population, conventional agriculture versus agroecology, deforestation, ocean resources, fossil fuels, alternative energy, mining, water conservation and conflict, greening the economy, green building, and ecotourism.

Required Courses - The following course:

Elective Courses - 3+ courses from the following:

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International Gender Issues

The lens of gender provides crucial insights into the problems confronting the world today as well as to their solutions. This concentration prepares students to critically examine issues of women and gender in differing cultural contexts, as well as their complex intersections with race, class, ethnicity, and sexual identity, providing a rich interdisciplinary focus to questions of gender and inequality. Courses will cover a range of contested topics including globalization, work, economic re-structuring, human rights, environmental issues and justice, resources rights, empowerment, and grassroots organizing, and how these relate to questions of development in gendered ways. Students graduating with this concentration will have a foundation valuable for a wide range of experiences and careers, including: policy, advocacy, or social work; international development; working in non-governmental organizations or public service; working within diverse populations; and pursing further education in a graduate program.

Required Courses - Both of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the following:

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International Nonprofit Management

This concentration emphasizes building practical skills while developing a deeper understanding of the distinctive characteristics of nonprofit organizations, and the global aid and development assistance context in which successful organizations must function. Students choosing this concentration are aiming towards a successful career in public service and philanthropic organizations that are both soundly managed and socially responsible, and may specialize in a specific area, such as social policy, event management, public service announcement campaigns, or human and natural resources.

Required Courses - The following course:

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the above of from the following:

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International Tourism

Tourism accounts for nearly 1/3 of the global services economy. International tourism is the primary source of income for numerous countries in both industrialized and emerging economies. Increased mobility of the world's people parallels other aspects of globalization in the 21st century. International travel brings increasing numbers of hosts and guests into contact, presenting an important array of opportunities and challenges. This professional focus helps prepare students for engagement in these activities as more informed and culturally sensitive participants. The courses consider the cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of tourism related activities. Specific topics include globalization, characteristics of guest/host relationships, tourism and international development, culture as a commodity, and critiques of mass tourism. The latter includes examination of the ethics and practices of alternative tourism sectors such as eco-tourism adventure tourism, homestays, agro-tourism, heritage travel, and medical tourism.

Required Courses - Both of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the following:

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Law and Human Rights

International human rights concerns have become one of the most salient, cross-cutting global issues today. This concentration provides students with insights and tools to critically examine human rights issues in comparative contexts, and analyze how legal reforms and processes are integrally tied in with ensuring rights. Through the various required and elective courses, students will examine different perspectives on political, social, economic, and legal concerns within the international arena, providing a rich, interdisciplinary focus to understanding the inherent possibilities, priorities, and challenges of addressing and enforcing global legal agreements and human rights protocols. They will learn about the historical development of human rights as a philosophical and legal concept, 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 prioritizing law and human rights, and the role of international organizations, states, and other stakeholders involved in implementing and responding to global human rights concerns.

Students graduating with this concentration will have a foundation valuable for a wide range of experiences and careers as practitioners, policymakers, analysts, as human rights activities as domestic and international human rights organizations and within intergovernmental bodies such as various UN organizations, and as law students leading to international careers in areas that concern relations between governments, states, and global human rights networks.

Required Courses - Both of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the following:

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Media, Journalism, and Communications

This concentration recognizes the significance and power of media, journalism, and communication in framing and understanding global issues and concerns. Students pursuing this concentration will examine how traditional and emerging forms and mechanisms of reporting and documentation view, represent, and influence international events and processes. By examining the dynamics, practices, and influence of longstanding approaches such as print media and new forms of social media and networking students will develop an appreciation for the practical and theoretical significance of media, journalist, and communications. Courses in this concentration will generally be found in the School of Journalism and Communication, the Departments of Folklore and English. Upon completion of this concentration graduates will be well positioned for work in internationally oriented reporting, in cross-culturally sensitive communications contexts and for graduate work in global media studies or international journalism.

Required Courses - The following course:

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the above or from the following:

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Migration, Displacement, & Refugees

Students will be introduced to the major causes or contemporary population displacement and the consequences of displacement for social, cultural, political, and economic development. Courses will introduce students to global processes contributing to displacement, such as uneven development, colonialism and neocolonialism, urbanization, natural and man-made disasters, and political instability and violence. Students will also become familiarized with the impacts of these processes on forced and voluntary displacement both within and beyond national borders. Additionally, students will explore the intersections between population displacement and other international challenges including: human rights, citizenship and statelessness, political conflict and violence, economic development and urbanization, cultural rights and sovereignty, and health and mental health problems in (im)migrant and refugees communities.

Required Courses - The following course:

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the above or from the following:

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Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

This professional concentration explores how both conflict and cooperation shape our highly globalized world. Courses examine conflicts between nation states and para-states while recognizing that violence and other forms of conflict have a variety of causes and manifestations and must be examined on many scales. The curriculum ranges from biography to official international policy. The classes affiliated with this concentration magnify the root causes of violence, both personal and institutional, articulating the complex relationships between war, inequality, and human rights. This concentration introduces students to numerous examples of peoples and organizations (civil society) who have creatively resolved conflicts and by doing so challenge the notion of the inevitability of violence. The aim of this professional concentration is: (1) to develop a fundamental knowledge and literacy regarding recent and ongoing international conflicts (2) to critically examine how these conflicts are experience and presented by various stakeholders, and (3) to consider creative and successful attempts to resolve conflicts and build sustainable peace. The concentration prepares students for work in international diplomacy, human rights, and non-governmental organizations working in areas of conflict resolution.

Required Courses - The following course:

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses - 2+ courses from the above or from the following:

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Second Language Acquisition & Teaching*

• Students must complete the requirements of the Certificate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching in order to fulfill this concentration.
• You may choose your language specialization from the following target languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.
• For more information about this PCA, including requirement and courses, please talk to a Global Connections Advisor or visit the Certificate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching website.

*This Professional Concentration is not included in the "New" major's Internal Professional Concentration option.

A note regarding individualized study GLBL courses: Students can work with a Global Connections Advisor to apply up to four credits of the following courses to their Block B: GLBL 401 “Research,” GLBL 403 “Thesis,” GLBL 405 “Reading,” GLBL 406 “Field Studies,” GLBL 409 “Practicum.”

International Nonprofit Management

This Professional Concentration is not included in the "New" major's Internal Professional Concentration option. The School of Planning, Public Policy and Management does have a minor in Nonprofit Administration that you might consider, pairing with four GLBL courses for the External Professional Concentration option.

This concentration emphasizes building practical skills while developing a deeper understanding of the distinctive characteristics of nonprofit organizations, and the global aid and development assistance context in which successful organizations must function. Students choosing this concentration are aiming towards a successful career in public service and philanthropic organizations that are both soundly managed and socially responsible, and may specialize in a specific area, such as social policy, event management, public service announcement campaigns or human and natural resources.

Required Courses

The following course:

Plus one of the following:

Elective Courses

2+ courses from the above or from the following:

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"Old" Block C: Geographic Focus

The Geographic Focus areas that GLBL majors may choose from include:

A note regarding individualized study GLBL courses: Students can work with a Global Connections Advisor to apply up to four credits of the following courses to their Block B: GLBL 401 "Research," GLBL 403 "Thesis," GLBL 405 "Reading," GLBL 406 "Field Studies," GLBL 409 "Practicum."

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"Old" Major Language Requirement

In the "Old" Global Studies major, students have two options for completing the language component of the major:

Three Years of a Second Language

• Demonstrate third-year, third-term proficiency in any one language, other than the student's native language (the language does not have to coincide with the student's geographic focus).
• If a student chooses to take language classes to fulfill the requirement, they must complete three terms of at least 300-level courses for one language.
• Proficiency can be fulfilled either through coursework or taking a placement exam.

"2+2" Option

• Demonstrate second-year, third-term proficiency in any two languages, other than the student's native language.
• If a student chooses to take language classes to fulfill the requirement they must complete three terms of at least 200-level courses for two different languages.
• Proficiency can be fulfilled either through coursework of taking a placement exam.

NOTE: Previously, the “Old” major required students to take a language related to their Geographic Focus, and, if choosing the 2+2 option, a less-commonly-taught language. Thus, if you are seeking to use a language not related to your Geographic Focus, and/or two “commonly taught languages” (like “Spanish” and “French”), you may have to seek approval from the Global Studies Director of Undergraduate Studies for the requirement to be “approved” on your degree guide. You may speak to a Global Connections Advisor if you have questions.

Need help deciding on which path to take? Speak with a Global Connections Advisor to further explore your options for this requirement. You can also review this helpful article titled “Seven hundred reasons for studying languages” to help aid your final language pathway!

Course Lists

Click the links below for lists of courses compiled by program staff for term-by-term course offerings applicable to Global Studies. These courses can be used to fulfill requirements toward your Global Studies major, as noted. For archived course lists, please visit the CAS Student resource page. 

Please consult the official Class Schedule for the most current information concerning the term’s courses as course information and offerings may have changed since the publishing of this list.

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