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Global Studies, B.A.

College of Arts and Sciences

Engage in the pressing questions that connect our world today, and prepare to thrive in a global economy by exploring complex historical and contemporary relationships and processes.

A global studies major prepares you for a variety of professional fields and provides a solid foundation for continuing education in rigorous graduate programs or professional schools. The program is an excellent choice for students thinking about careers where intercultural competency and problem solving are valued.

Program Highlights

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    Tailor Your Degree

    Enjoy flexibility to choose which global issues you study while meeting the major requirements.

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    Travel the World

    Take advantage of many opportunities to combine the global studies major with study abroad programs.

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    Work That Matters

    Focus on global topics of great importance like peace and conflict, sustainable development, global health and culture.

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    Marketable Skills

    Learn one or more foreign languages to prepare for meaningful work in locations around the world.

What You’ll Study

Engage in interdisciplinary scholarship around the university. Focus on a theme: global health; global peace, conflict and human rights; global sustainability and development; or global cultures. Choose a world region for intensive study: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa or Russia and Eurasia. Demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

  • Intercultural Competence

    Developing the skills to communicate effectively and work collaboratively across cultures

    Writing

    Creating professional written content for inclusion in scholarly journal articles, books and reports

    Foreign Language Skills

    Communicating effectively to understand different cultures and foster global connections

  • Critical Thinking

    Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments

    Understand Complexity

    Analyzing and synthesizing information to identify patterns and connections

    Problem Solving

    Identifying, analyzing and resolving problems or challenges using creative and effective strategies

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Potential Careers

  • Economic Development Officer
  • Environmental Policy Analyst
  • Foreign Correspondent
  • Global Trade Consultant
  • Human Rights Advocate
  • International Lawyer

Workplace Settings

  • Government
  • Education
  • International Business
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • Law
  • Public Health

Global studies really helped me figure out what I wanted to do. It all pieced together. It all turned into this one worldview picture.

Raphaela O’Connor
Portrait of Raphaela O’Connor

Is USC Right For You?

There are many reasons we could be your ideal university. There's the award-winning academics, the globally modeled student life, and abundance of study abroad and experiential learning options. Take a closer look at what USC could mean for you.

Degree content is provided for informational purposes only. The Academic Bulletin is the source of record for all degree information.
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