The Global Studies elective curriculum includes courses offered by an array of departments and programs in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. You may choose electives to fit your personal interests, career aspirations, and schedule. You can also choose electives at the intersection of the Global Studies major with another major, minor, or certificate. We also recommend three thematic areas:
Development, Health, and the Environment
The study of development, health, and the environment from a global perspective involves exploring the interconnected lifelines of our planet—where what happens in one part of the world can shape lives and ecosystems in another, and where global challenges demand truly global solutions.
It’s a field that zooms in on some of the biggest questions of our time: How do we build a more just and sustainable world? How can we ensure everyone has access to clean water, healthcare, and opportunity—no matter where they’re born? And what does it mean to grow and thrive without destroying the very planet we depend on?
Globalization has accelerated progress in some areas—think of how medical breakthroughs, renewable technologies, and education initiatives can now spread faster than ever. A new vaccine developed in one country can save lives across continents. A startup focused on clean energy in Nairobi might get funding from Silicon Valley. Community health workers in rural areas can use mobile apps to diagnose and treat illnesses with the help of real-time data.
But globalization also exposes deep inequities and environmental costs. Fast development often comes at a price: deforestation, pollution, rising emissions, and widening gaps between rich and poor. Health crises—like pandemics—ignore borders, hitting vulnerable populations the hardest and revealing just how fragile our global systems can be. And climate change? That’s the ultimate global issue—its causes and consequences are tangled in the web of trade, consumption, and politics that globalization intensifies.
Students in this thematic area dive into the tensions between growth and sustainability, between innovation and inequality. This field brings together thinkers and doers—economists, scientists, health experts, activists—who are asking how to make globalization work for people and the planet, not against them.
In the end, studying development, health, and the environment through the lens of globalization means understanding the world as a shared space—where every choice, every policy, and every voice matters. It’s about building a future where progress doesn’t leave anyone—or anything—behind. Possible careers include working as an environmental policy advisor, a humanitarian aid officer, an international development specialist, a corporate sustainability consultant, or a public health program manager.
Manisha Vepa ’18 is a Manager of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.- Korea and U.S.- Pakistan Business Councils, where she works to advance U.S.-Korea economic relations and U.S.- Pakistan economic relations. In this role, she advocates on behalf of U.S. pharmaceutical companies for greater regulatory transparency and predictability to improve access to innovative treatments and vaccines for US, Korean, and Pakistani consumers. Manisha has previously worked as a Contractor for SelectUSA at the Department of Commerce, helping foreign companies – including healthcare and biotech startups – identify possible locations for investments in the United States and understand healthcare and pharmaceutical regulations in the United States. She also worked as a researcher for Freedom House and worked on two annual indices: Freedom in the World, which reviewed political rights and civil liberties around the world, and Freedom on the Net, which measured internet freedom in 72 countries around the world.
Manisha graduated with a B.A. in Global Studies and a B.A. in Economics from UMBC in 2018. Through her Global Studies and Economics coursework, Manisha gained experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research, which prepared her for the research roles she has held since graduating. She also developed public speaking skills and policy writing skills through her coursework and involvement in Model United Nations and Moot Court. After graduation, Manisha taught English in South Korea as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant before returning to Washington D.C. to complete her M.A. in International Economics and Korea Studies from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Global Governance, Human Rights, and Civil Society
The study of global governance, human rights, and civil society is like tracking the pulse of a world in motion—a world where the decisions made in one country ripple across continents, and where ordinary people can spark global change with a social media post, a protest, or a powerful idea.
At its core, this field asks: How do nations interact in an interconnected world? How are human rights protected—or violated—when borders mean less and global problems demand shared solutions? And how do people, not just governments, shape the future of our planet?
Globalization has redrawn the map of power and responsibility. Governments no longer act alone. International organizations, like the United Nations or the World Trade Organization, play central roles in diplomacy, development, and peacekeeping. At the same time, NGOs, grassroots movements, journalists, and activists form a vibrant civil society that pushes for accountability, transparency, and justice.
Human rights—whether it’s the right to education, freedom of speech, or protection from violence—transcend geography. When a violation occurs in one country, it can spark outrage and action worldwide. Think of the global protests for racial justice or international campaigns to free political prisoners—movements born from local struggles can gain momentum on a global stage.
Civil society acts as the heartbeat of these movements. From climate change to gender equality, from internet freedom to indigenous rights, people around the world are organizing, innovating, and connecting in powerful new ways. Globalization gives them the tools—social media, international law, cross-border alliances—but it also brings challenges: surveillance, censorship, and backlash from entrenched powers.
Ultimately, students in this thematic area investigate the balance of power, the struggle for justice, and the role of non-state actors in shaping aglobal future.It’s where diplomacy meets activism, where law meets empathy, and where the local and the global collide—not in conflict, but in conversation. Graduates can seek work as foreign service officers, program managers at international organizations, international human rights lawyers, researchers at international think tanks, refugee and asylum case officers, and more.
Culture, Place, and Identity
The study of culture, place, and identity in the context of globalization resembles peeling back the layers of a complex, ever-evolving map—one where the boundaries are blurred, and stories from every corner of the world overlap in unexpected ways.
At its heart, this thematic area explores how our sense of who we are—our values, beliefs, and customs—is shaped by the places we live in and the cultures we are part of, and how all of that is changing in an interconnected world.
Globalization acts like a giant web, linking people, products, ideas, and images across vast distances. Cultures that were once separated by oceans now bump into each other on city streets, in digital spaces, or through music, food, and fashion. A teen in Tokyo might dance to a hip-hop beat from Atlanta, wearing a Parisian brand inspired by African textiles—each layer a symbol of identity shaped by global currents.
But this isn’t just about mixing and sharing. It’s also about tension and resistance. As global brands and values spread, some communities fight to hold onto local traditions and languages. Others creatively blend the old with the new, forming hybrid identities that reflect both global influence and deep local roots.
Place still matters. Even as digital life expands, the physical places we call home deeply influence our worldview. A neighborhood in Cairo or a village in the Andes carries specific meanings, histories, and struggles. The study of culture and identity examines how these places ground us, even as global forces reshape them.
In essence, students in this thematic area examine the human side of globalization—how we navigate belonging, difference, pride, and power in a world that’s always shifting. It’s a journey through memory and media, politics, and pop culture, asking big questions about who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going. Possible careers include museum curator, intercultural communication specialist, journalist, documentary filmmaker, study abroad program director, and cultural diplomacy officer.
