Global Studies Major Requirements

Due to recent program changes regarding the Global Language Requirement, please contact the program advisor (castl@umbc.edu) to review your language coursework completed to date to ensure you are making progress towards the Global Language requirement.

GEP + 2: Students must take two semesters of language study in addition to fulfillment of the UMBC GEP requirement. If courses are taken within the same language that met the GEP requirement, they must be beyond the 201 level. If courses are taken in a different language, they can be at any level.

Global Studies majors are expected to have a curiosity about the world and a strong interest in cross-cultural academic and life experiences. Studying overseas provides GLBL students with linguistic and cross-cultural skills necessary for their future professional careers and to broaden their perspective on their own society and culture.

As part of their B.A. program in Global Studies, majors are required to participate in an in-depth international study experience. Students may choose to 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. Students often work on their GLBL language requirement during their time abroad, but it is not required that students study in area or at attends classes spoken in the language they are pursuing for their language requirement.

Global Studies majors are required to work with the UMBC Study Abroad Office (SAO) to arrange their international study plans. For more information about completing your study abroad application, please visit the Study Abroad Office website and attend a “Study Abroad 101” session at least one semester prior to the term they plan to study abroad.

Students must take the following GLBL required core courses:

  • GLBL 100 – Introduction to Global Studies (3.00)
  • GLBL 300 – Research Methods in Global Studies (3.00)
  • GLBL 400 – Approaches to Globalization

Students must take at least 3 courses from the following list:

  • AMST 200: What is an American?
  • ANTH 211: Cultural Anthropology
  • GES 363:  World Regions: Contemporary International Issues
  • GWST 340: Women, Gender and Globalization
  • GLBL 383: Global Citizenship
  • GLBL 460: Global Stories
  • HIST 200: Themes in World History
  • HIST 210: Migration in World History
  • MLL 305: Introduction to Intercultural Communication
  • MUSC 230: Musics of the World
  • POLI 280: International Relations
  • POLI 386: The Politics of Development
  • RLST 220: Introduction to Comparative Religion
  • SOCY 235: Sociological Perspectives on Globalization

You must take up to 6 electives from the Thematic Electives index. When selecting among their electives, you may choose to focus on certain areas or themes such as:  Culture, Place, and Identity;  Development, Health, and the Environment; Global Governance, Human Rights, and Civil Society.

Please note that these themes are simply an organizational tool to focus your elective selection upon certain areas within the wide-ranging interdisciplinary study of Global Studies, they will not appear on your diploma or transcript. You are encouraged to highlight the specific focus of your work in your resume, personal statements, and in future interviews.

Of the 9 courses required of Tier II and Tier III (at least 3 foundational courses and up to 6 thematic electives) selected by each student: (a) no more than 4 may be from the same department, (b) at least 3 must be upper level