Global Studies: Sustainability

Students in the Global Sustainability track are expected to develop expertise in:

  • Recognizing and explaining principles of sustainability in human, environmental, and governance systems; and
  • Evaluating and identifying methods for planning and implementing sustainable development strategies in differing contexts.

Career options include sustainability specialists or coordinators, educators or outreach coordinators, and project managers across a variety of work settings: business and industry, consultant firms, utilities, regulatory agencies, nonprofits, governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Students are also prepared to enter graduate programs in sustainability.

If you are interested in this track and are an enrolled UWM student, use the button to complete an interest form and an advisor will contact you to review the requirements and help you proceed to a formal declaration of the major. Students are strongly encouraged to declare before earning 75 credits.

Complete a Global Studies Major Tracks Interest Form

Major Requirements

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, students in all tracks must complete 120 credits, including a minimum of 36 credits in upper-division courses (numbered 300 or above), while fulfilling the requirements below. GPAs of at least 2.000 overall and 2.500 in the selected track are required for graduation. Students also are responsible for completing the University-wide General Education Requirements.

Beyond the University-wide General Education requirements, students must also complete an additional 6 credits of Humanities GER courses and an additional 6 credits of Social Science GER courses, some of which are required or elective courses in the major.

Global Studies Core
GLOBAL 101Introduction to Global Studies I: People and Politics (SS)3
GLOBAL 201Introduction to Global Studies II: Economics and the Environment (SS)3
GLOBAL 202Introduction to Global Studies III: Globalization and Technology (SS)3
Global Studies Capstone 1
GLOBAL 550Global Studies Integrated Capstone:3
World Regions
Select one of the following:3
GEOG 110
The World: Peoples and Regions (SS)
HIST 132
World History Since 1500 (HU)
POL SCI 106
Politics of the World's Nations (SS)
Foreign Language
Six semesters (or equivalent) of a single foreign language with passing grades
International Experience
Students will be required to complete 2 of the options below:
Option 1: 3-9 credits of study abroad
Option 2: 1-6 credits of an international internship
Option 3: 1-6 credits of a domestic internship with a global organization or clear international focus
Total International Experience Credits12
Tracks
Select one of the following tracks:
Global Communications
Global Health
Global Management
Global Security
Global Sustainability
Total Credits27
1

Global 550 is required for all tracks except Global Management, which has a separate capstone experience.

Global Sustainability Track

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies through the Global Sustainability track, students must complete 51-56 credits in the requirements listed below. Students in this track must complete at least 36 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses, of which 24 credits must be in L&S.

Global Sustainability Track Core
CES 210Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science3
ECON 103Principles of Microeconomics3
ECON 104Principles of Macroeconomics3
GLOBAL 361Environment and Sustainability3
GLOBAL 461The Politics and Policy of Sustainability3
Select one of the following:3-4
ANTHRO 568
Introduction to Anthropological Statistics
BUS ADM 210
Statistical Modeling in Business Analytics
CHEM 221
Elementary Quantitative Analysis
ECON 210
Economic Statistics
GEOG 247
Quantitative Analysis in Geography
MTHSTAT 215
Elementary Statistical Analysis
Select two of the following:6-10
BIO SCI 150
Foundations of Biological Sciences I
BIO SCI 152
Foundations of Biological Sciences II
BIO SCI 310
General Ecology
CHEM 102
General Chemistry
CHEM 104
General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis
GEOG 105
Introduction to Human Geography
GEOG 120
Our Physical Environment
GEOG 125
Introduction to Environmental Geography
GEOG 140
Our Urban Environment: Introduction to Urban Geography
GEO SCI 100
Introduction to the Earth
GEO SCI 102
Principles of Historical Geology
GEO SCI 105
Earth, Air, Fire and Water
GEO SCI 106
The Earth Environment
GEO SCI 150
Introduction to Ocean Sciences
Select one of the following:3
ED POL 602
Proposal Writing and Fundraising Skills for Community-Based Organizations
ED POL 605
Community-Based Organization Funding
ENGLISH 443
Grant Writing
Select one of the following:3
GLOBAL 541
Cross-Cultural Management (jointly offered by Lubar)
COMMUN 310
Communication in Organizations
COMMUN 350
Intercultural Communication
COMMUN 365
Negotiation Skills Workshop
COMMUN 450
Cross-Cultural Communication
COMMUN 665
Introduction to Mediation
COMMUN 675
Communication in International Mediation and Peacebuilding
Select one of the following:3
ANTHRO 355
Globalization, Culture, and Environment
ANTHRO 441
Nature, Knowledge, and Technoscience in Anthropological Perspective
BUS ADM 495
Special Topics in Business: (with appropriate subtitle)
CES 471
Practicum in Natural Resources Management
GEOG 464
Environmental Problems
HIST 432
North American Environmental History
PHILOS 337
Environmental Ethics
Global Sustainability Track Electives
Select 18 credits (see below)18
Total Credits51-56

Global Sustainability Electives

ANTHRO 355Globalization, Culture, and Environment (if not selected above)3
ANTHRO 431Cities and Culture3
ANTHRO 441Nature, Knowledge, and Technoscience in Anthropological Perspective (if not selected above)3
ANTHRO 448Cultural and Human Ecology3
ANTHRO 449The Human Economy3
BIO SCI 310General Ecology (if not selected above)4
BIO SCI 458Community Ecology3
BIO SCI 505Conservation Biology3
BUS ADM 485Environmental Issues in Real Estate3
BUS ADM 495Special Topics in Business: (with appropriate subtitle) (if not selected above)3
CIV ENG 492Environmental Impact Assessment3
CES 471Practicum in Natural Resources Management (if not selected above)4
CES 490Senior Seminar: Conservation and Environmental Science1
CES 499Ad Hoc: (subtitle)1-6
CES 550Introduction to Science Interpretation3
CES 551Application of Science Interpretation3
CES 571Practical Approaches to a Sustainable Future3
ECON 328Environmental Economics3
ECON 353Economic Development3
ECON 525The Economics of Water3
FRSHWTR 502Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics3
FRSHWTR 504Quantitative Freshwater Analysis3
FRSHWTR 650Topics in Freshwater Sciences: (with appropriate subtitle)1-3
FRSHWTR 690Undergraduate Seminar in Freshwater Sciences: (with appropriate subtitle)1-3
GEOG 215Introduction to Geographic Information Science3
GEOG 304Human Impact on the Environment3
GEOG 350Conservation of Natural Resources3
GEOG 400
GEOG 403Remote Sensing: Environmental and Land Use Analysis4
GEOG 415Hydrogeography3
GEOG 441Geography of Cities and Metropolitan Areas3
GEOG 443Cities of the World: Comparative Urban Geography3
GEOG 464Environmental Problems (if not selected above)3
GEOG 520Physical Geography of the City3
GEOG 540Globalization and the City3
GEOG 564Urban Environmental Change and Social Justice3
GEO SCI 400Water Quality4
GEO SCI 401General Soil Science3
GEO SCI 463Physical Hydrogeology4
GEO SCI 562Environmental Surface Hydrology3
GLOBAL 321The Global City in History3
GLOBAL 421Cities in the Global Economy3
IND ENG 590Topics in Industrial and Systems Engineering: (with appropriate subtitle)3
PH 375Topics in Public Health: (with appropriate subtitle)3
PHILOS 337Environmental Ethics (if not selected above)3
URBPLAN 315Great Cities of the World: Their Growth and Guided Urbanization3
URBPLAN 684Planning Local Economic Development3

Global Sustainability Sample Study Plan

Sample Study Plan

Year 1
Fall Credits
MATH 103 (QL-A)
or MATH 105		 3
ENGLISH 101
3
1st Semester Foreign Language
3-5
GLOBAL 101 (SS)
 3
ECON 103 (SS)
 3
Spring Credits
Arts GER
 3
ENGLISH 102 (OWC-A)
 3
2nd Semester Foreign Language
 3-5
GLOBAL 201 (SS)
 3
ECON 104 (SS)
 3
Year 2
Fall Credits
ECON 210 (QL-B)
or MTHSTAT 215		 3
3rd Semester Foreign Language
 3-4
GLOBAL 202 (SS)
 3
Global Security Elective
 3
HIST 132 (HU)
 3
Spring Credits
L&S Humanities/Cultural Diversity
 3
4th Semester Foreign Language
 3-4
L&S Natural Science with Lab
 4-5
ENGLISH 240 (OWC-B) (HU) (and a Global Security Elective)
 3
Global Security Elective
 3
Year 3
Fall Credits
Global Security Elective (while abroad)
 3
5th Semester Foreign Language (while abroad)
 3
L&S Humanities (while abroad)
 3
Elective (while abroad)
 3-4
Spring Credits
Global Security Upper-level Elective
 3
COMMUN 675
3
6th Semester Foreign Language (may be HU)
 3-4
POL SCI 390
3
L&S Upper-level Elective
 3-4
Year 4
Fall Credits
Global Security Elective
 3
Global Security Elective
 3
Global 442, 447 or 471
 3
GLOBAL 371
3
L&S Humanities (if needed)
 3
Spring Credits
Global Security Elecive
 3
L&S Natural Science
 3
GLOBAL 571
3
L&S Upper-level Elective (if needed)
 3
Domestic Internship with International Focus
 1-6

Global Studies Major Tracks Interest Form

Contact

Prospective Students (not yet enrolled at UWM)

Prospective students, contact our admissions counselor at let-sci@uwm.edu or 414-229-7711.

Current Students

General questions such as how to declare, how to change a major, general education requirements, etc. should be directed to the College advising office at ls-advising@uwm.edu or 414-229-4654.

Specific questions about Global Studies, such as research opportunities, internship opportunities, major requirements, etc., should be directed to Christine Wolf.