Global Studies
Global Studies is an interdisciplinary program focused on the study of global interconnections and integrations, as well as inequalities and disruptions, at multiple scales around the world. The scholarly field of Global Studies takes as its central inquiry the historical shaping of our contemporary globalized world. Global Studies draws on methodologies from the social sciences and humanities to explore how global flows, processes, and institutions have dramatically impacted our collective present and have consequences for our future. Bringing together faculty from departments across the university, the Global Studies major provides students the tools to cultivate a critical awareness of the ongoing phenomenon of globalization and to imagine innovative solutions to global problems.
Program Overview
Global Studies at UT offers an undergraduate major and minor as well as a graduate certificate program. The undergraduate major prepares students to be global citizens through training in languages, multicultural competency, and the analysis of transnational economic, social, and political processes. Our wide-ranging curricula allows students the flexibility to tailor the major to suit their unique academic interests and career goals. Our internationally renowned faculty is the greatest asset of the program, and students learn from experts in disciplines ranging from agricultural science to anthropology to public health. Our students receive hands-on faculty support that allows them to thrive in their coursework at the university, as well as in study abroad experiences and international internship programs.
Majors choose one of three concentrations: “Global Society and Culture,” “Global Politics and Economy,” or “Language, Politics, and Culture.” Each concentration emphasizes distinct skillsets valuable for scholars and researchers in Global Studies. The minor includes foundational coursework in the Global Studies curriculum and is a popular choice for many students pursuing related fields. Students often combine Global Studies with other majors or minors in the College of Arts and Sciences, such as geography, sociology, anthropology, history, or a foreign language.
Our new graduate certificate program offers graduate students the opportunity to develop a global perspective on their research interests and career goals. The program’s interdisciplinary curriculum lies at the intersection of social sciences and humanities, training students in approaches to contemporary global issues that include (but are not limited to) political economy, regional integration, migration, human rights, climate change, public health, racial formations, global cultures, diasporas, ecological conservation, and sustainable development. The Global Studies graduate certificate will allow students to broaden their methodological skillset across these domains and enhance their chances for academic and non-academic employment.
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Why Global Studies?
Globalization, or the transnational exchange of investments, commodities, people, politics, technologies, and cultures, is both a characteristic of the contemporary world and the culmination of large-scale, long-term social changes. The Global Studies program is composed of faculty and students that bring a range of methods, strategies, and skillsets to the study of globalization phenomena. Importantly, our program is invested in teaching students to combine academic concerns with practical, real-world solutions to the most pressing global problems of our time. Bringing together faculty and students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Global Studies fosters an interdisciplinary community that works to confront the connections between the local and the global. The program and its people contribute to building a more globally conscious UTK campus—one that embraces people from all cultures and backgrounds.
- Do you have a passion for learning about world events and global topics like climate change, migration, and human rights?
- Do you get excited about learning new languages and understanding the perspectives of other cultures?
- Are you invested in bringing a well-informed global worldview to any career path you choose, whether domestic or international?
- Do you enjoy comparing and contrasting political, economic, social, and cultural processes in diverse regions and countries around the world?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, this might be the major for you!
Careers
The Global Studies program cultivates globally conscious students that will be prepared for a variety of careers in academic and non-academic settings. While there is no single path that our graduates follow, we have seen our alumni excel in careers in the international arena, including policy work on public health, environment, and development. The major provides a solid foundation for graduate studies in international affairs, international law, international business, area studies, and global civil society.
Our graduates work for non-governmental organizations (NGOS), government institutions, and the private sector. Many of our students pursue advanced degrees, receive international scholarships such as the Fulbright, and participate in international programs like the Peace Corps.
Examples of recent career paths for Global Studies graduates include:
- Working with an international NGO focused on climate change and environmental justice
- Volunteering with the Peace Corps in Panama
- Working with a venture capital firm in Africa
- Consulting on global health policy
- Teaching English through a cultural exchange program
Global Studies majors develop a broad set of skills that could be applicable to many job descriptions:
- A deep knowledge of the historical, political, cultural, economic, and social forces that have shaped our world
- A perspective attuned to the intensive connections between local and global processes
- Strong knowledge of at least one other foreign language
- The ability to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and cultural perspectives
“My Global Studies degree prepared me for jobs that required rigorous research, communications and writing skills, and the ability to think about and work on complex, multifaceted issues in actionable ways.”
“Global studies taught me to be a well-rounded person, educated me on issues abroad, improved my reading and writing abilities, and prepared me for working on international issues on Capitol Hill.”
“[I recommend that GLBS students]…take any opportunity to study/intern/volunteer abroad if given the chance. Not only for the memories that one could create but for the expansion of his or her worldview. Broadening our worldview can shape who we are as people and teach us things we could never learn in our hometowns or even home countries.”
From a 2018 Survey of UT Global Studies Students
Featured Courses
GLBS 250/SOCI 250
Introduction to Global Studies
Exploration of how globalization is fostering change in culture, politics, economics, philosophy, and the environment. Uses interdisciplinary perspectives to understand the relationship between historic processes and the contemporary world and the reciprocal influences of local dynamics and global change.
GLBS 395
Political Economy of Europe
Examines the historical emergence, contemporary socio-political-economic structure, and possible future(s) of the continent and countries of Europe. Topics covered include discussions of capitalism’s development, European colonial empires, specialized European production, the welfare state, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, Austerity and the Greek financial crisis, and the causes and consequences of Brexit.
GLBS 480
Capstone in Global Studies
An analysis of learning during the Global Studies major, including: developing an informed perspective on the world and the way the world produces differences and inequalities, as well as their effects; reflection on international experiences and/or domestic internships; and consideration of career and graduate or professional school opportunities
GLBS 492N
Internship
The course provides junior and senior global studies majors and minors with the opportunity to receive credit for an extended off-campus internship doing work related to their field of study or professional goals. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.” Through participation in class discussions, course assignments, and the internship, students will apply knowledge and skills learned in previous coursework to real-world issues; develop a professional practice consistent with their sociological imagination; and gain structured exposure to a meaningful work experience.
Complementary Minors
