In the Global Studies Program, students acquire global competence – the capacity to engage effectively and critically with globalization and its implications for individuals, communities, governments, businesses, and other organizations. Through interdisciplinary coursework, language learning, and global experiences, students develop theoretical and historical knowledge about globalization, the ability to behave and communicate appropriately across cultural differences, research skills to investigate issues from a global perspective, the capacity to combine multiple disciplines to solve problems of global significance, and an ethics of global citizenship. Upon graduation, our students can apply their global competence in careers like diplomacy, international business, foreign aid, journalism, immigration affairs, and environmental protection.
Global Studies at UMBC: your path to global careers and global citizenship!
Choose an Interdisciplinary Focus for Your Coursework
Thematic areas include:
- Culture, Place, and Identity
- Development, Health, and the Environment
- International Affairs/Global Governance, Human Rights, and Civil Society.
Pursue a Foreign Language
Students must complete two semesters of a foreign language beyond the GEP level at UMBC or equivalent at another institution (including study abroad universities) with a grade C or above. The program will also accept the completion of a heritage language course with a C grade or above at UMBC.
Global Experience
Students should study abroad for the duration of a regular fall/spring semester, a full academic year, or a summer/winter semester in a program led by UMBC faculty or a program pre-approved by both the Global Studies Program and the Study Abroad Office. If a student cannot study abroad because of special circumstances, they should contact the program director to explore an alternative global experience.