Global Studies, BA BA
UWM's Global Studies program uniquely offers students a blend of courses across disciplines and across colleges at UWM in preparation for a career abroad or within the U.S. that works on matters that cross borders and cultures. Our increasingly interconnected world demands future leaders who have global knowledge and skills including the ability to analyze problems from multiple perspectives and incorporate solutions that are inclusive of different viewpoints and cultures. Interpersonal and intercultural communication skills are also developed through our program as well as proficiency in a language other than English.
These characteristics are valued by employers across industries and professions and are the launching pad for lifelong career growth and adaptability. There is no single job outcome for global studies graduates - you will find our alumni in all types of positions in locations around the globe. We have alumni who own international start-ups, some who work in a business management role at large multinational corporations, and others who have joined the Peace Corps or an NGO in social service types of positions.
Program Type
Major
Program Format
On Campus
Return on Your Investment
A college degree can lead to increased job satisfaction and a higher salary. College graduates even report higher levels of happiness and better health.
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Major Requirements
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work.
The major in Global Studies consists of 30 credits, with 15 credits or more at the 300 level or above in residence at UWM.
Global Studies majors must complete four semesters of a single language other than English (or equivalent). This will also satisfy the L&S BA Language other than English requirement.
Global Studies majors must complete an international experience as a part of their coursework: a study abroad course; an international internship course; or an approved domestic internship with an international focus.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Global Studies Core 1 | ||
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| GLOBAL 101 | Introduction to Global Studies: People and Politics (GER CP) | |
| GLOBAL 102 | Introduction to Global Languages and Cultures (GER HA) | |
| GLOBAL 201 | Introduction to Global Studies: Economics and the Environment (GER SBS) | |
| GLOBAL 202 | Introduction to Global Studies: Globalization and Technology (GER SBS) | |
| Global Studies Capstone | ||
| GLOBAL 550 | Advanced Seminar in Global Studies: | 3 |
| Global and International Courses | ||
| Choose 9 credits, at least 6 credits at a 300 level or above | 9 | |
| Career Development and Applied Experience | ||
| Choose 9 credits, at least 6 credits at the 300 level or above | 9 | |
| At least three credits must be from a study abroad course or an approved internship with an international focus. Students may substitute other approved study abroad or internship courses in other subject areas as appropriate. | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
GLOBAL 101, GLOBAL 102, GLOBAL 201, and GLOBAL 202 are on both the list of Global Studies Core courses and the list of Global and International Courses. Majors can only count each course toward one category, not both.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Global and International Courses | ||
| AFRIC 232 | Survey of African Societies and Cultures (GER CP) | 3 |
| AFRIC 311 | African Religious Thought and Social Organizations | 3 |
| AFRIC 320 | Black Cultures in Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| AFRIC 325 | Africa/China Relations | 3 |
| AFRIC 329 | Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa | 3 |
| ANTHRO 433 | Contemporary Issues in Global Justice | 3 |
| ARABIC 111 | Cultures and Civilizations of the Muslim Middle East (GER CP) | 3 |
| ARABIC 385 | Honors Seminar: (GER HA) | 3 |
| ARABIC 390 | Islam: Religion and Culture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 104 | African, New World and Oceanic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 105 | Asian Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 210 | The Art and Architecture of the First Cities: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| ARTHIST 251 | Introduction to the Art and Architecture of Latin America | 3 |
| ARTHIST 382 | Chinese Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 383 | Japanese Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 386 | Art, Ritual, and Ethnicity of China | 3 |
| ARTHIST 387 | Buddhist Art and Architecture | 3 |
| CELTIC 133 | Celtic Crossings: Overview of the History and Cultures of the Celtic World (GER CP) | 3 |
| CHINESE 150 | Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture (GER HA) | 3 |
| CHINESE 160 | A Taste of China: Learning Chinese Culture and Society through Cuisine (GER HA) | 3 |
| CHINESE 320 | Contemporary Chinese Societies through Film | 3 |
| CHINESE 330 | Chinese Language and Culture | 3 |
| CHINESE 343 | Chinese Martial Arts Fiction | 3 |
| CHINESE 353 | Popular Culture, Entertainment, and China's Modernization (GER CP) | 3 |
| COMMUN 550 | International and Global Communication | 3 |
| COMPLIT 230 | Literature and Society: (GER HA) | 3 |
| COMPLIT 231 | Literature and Religion: (GER CP) | 3 |
| COMPLIT 232 | Literature and Politics: (GER CP) | 3 |
| COMPLIT 233 | Literature and Film: (GER HA) | 3 |
| COMPLIT 309 | Great Works of Modern Literature: | 3 |
| COMPLIT/ENGLISH/FILMSTD 316 | World Cinema: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 340 | Studies in Literary Genres and Modes: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 350 | Topics in Comparative Literature: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 360 | Seminar in Literature and Cultural Experience: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 365 | Literatures and Cultures of the Americas: | 3 |
| COMPLIT 381 | Honors Seminar: (GER HA) | 3 |
| ECON 353 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 454 | International Trade | 3 |
| ECON 455 | International Finance | 3 |
| ENGLISH 210 | Global Englishes (GER CL) | 3 |
| ENGLISH/FILMSTD 412 | Global Cinema and Media: | 3 |
| ENGLISH 518 | Studies in Irish Literature: | 3 |
| ETHNIC 102 | Transnational Migrations: People on the Move (GER CP) | 3 |
| ETHNIC 255 | Migration and Gender: Starbucks, Sex Trafficking, and Nannies (GER CP) | 3 |
| ETHNIC/LGBT 275 | Queer Migrations | 3 |
| ETHNIC 375 | Global Violence, Disease, and Death | 3 |
| FILMSTD/JEWISH 350 | Global Jewish Film and Television: | 3 |
| FRENCH 146 | Learning French Culture through Cuisine (GER HA) | 3 |
| FRENCH 324 | Contemporary French Language and Culture | 3 |
| FRENCH 334 | French on Screen | 3 |
| FRENCH 357 | Literature of the French-Speaking World in Translation: | 3 |
| FRENCH 383 | Honors Seminar: | 3 |
| FRENCH 429 | Royalty, Reason, and Revolution: The Golden Age of French Culture | 3 |
| FRENCH 430 | Reaction and Innovation: French Culture of the 19th and 20th Centuries | 3 |
| FRENCH 432 | Seminar in French and Francophone Cultures: | 1-3 |
| FRENCH 451 | Cinema of the French-Speaking World: | 3 |
| GEOG 110 | The World: Peoples and Regions (GER SBS) | 3 |
| GEOG 213 | Geography of Asia (GER SBS) | 3 |
| GEOG 309 | Nationalities and Nations of the World | 3 |
| GEOG 330 | Europe: East and West | 3 |
| GEOG 333 | Muslim Geographies: Identities and Politics | 3 |
| GEOG 443 | Cities of the World: Comparative Urban Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 540 | Globalization and the City | 3 |
| GERMAN 112 | German Life and Civilization: Part II: | 3 |
| GERMAN 145 | Views of Germany: (GER HA) | 3 |
| GERMAN 334 | Introduction to German Studies | 3 |
| GERMAN 415 | Topics in German Studies: | 3 |
| GERMAN 483 | Seminar on German Studies: | 3 |
| GLOBAL 101 | Introduction to Global Studies: People and Politics (GER CP) | 3 |
| GLOBAL 102 | Introduction to Global Languages and Cultures (GER HA) | 3 |
| GLOBAL 192 | First-Year Seminar: (GER HA) | 3 |
| GLOBAL 201 | Introduction to Global Studies: Economics and the Environment (GER SBS) | 3 |
| GLOBAL 202 | Introduction to Global Studies: Globalization and Technology (GER SBS) | 3 |
| GLOBAL/PEACEST 203 | Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies (GER CP) | 3 |
| GLOBAL 351 | Language, Media, and Social Practice in Global Communications | 3 |
| GLOBAL 371 | Rethinking Global Security | 3 |
| GLOBAL 381 | Honors Seminar: (GER SBS) | 3 |
| GLOBAL 383 | Environmental Political Theory | 3 |
| GLOBAL 391 | Black Lives Matter: A Global Comparative Study | 3 |
| GLOBAL 446 | The Re-Configuring Global Order | 3 |
| HIST 132 | World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 176 | East Asian Civilization Since 1600 (GER HA) | 3 |
| HIST 210 | The Twentieth Century: A Global History (GER CP) | 3 |
| HIST 215 | History of Capitalism | 3 |
| HIST 242 | Women and Gender in Europe: 1750 to the Present (GER HA) | 3 |
| HIST 248 | The First World War (GER CP) | 3 |
| HIST 249 | The Second World War in Europe (GER CP) | 3 |
| HIST 282 | The Modern Middle East in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (GER HA) | 3 |
| HIST 287 | The Vietnam War (GER SBS) | 3 |
| HIST 341 | Imperial Russia | 3 |
| HIST 343 | Russia Since 1917 | 3 |
| HIST 355 | Modern and Contemporary France | 3 |
| HIST/JEWISH 358 | The Jews of Modern Europe: History and Culture | 3 |
| HIST 363 | Germany: Hitler and the Nazi Dictatorship | 3 |
| HIST 364 | The Holocaust: Anti-Semitism & the Fate of Jewish People in Europe, 1933-45 | 3 |
| HIST 372 | Topics in Global History: | 3 |
| HIST 377 | Modern China | 3 |
| HIST 378 | Revolution in China | 3 |
| HIST/JEWISH 379 | Introduction to Jewish History | 3 |
| HIST 386 | Africans in World History: Communities, Cultures, and Ideas | 3 |
| HIST 387 | Modern Africa | 3 |
| HIST 392 | The History of Southern Africa | 3 |
| HIST 393 | History of Mexico | 3 |
| HIST 396 | Decolonization, Revolution, and Independence in African History | 3 |
| HIST 400 | Topics in Latin American and Caribbean History: | 3 |
| HIST 402 | Topics in Asian History: | 3 |
| INTLST 550 | Senior Seminar in International Studies: | 3 |
| ITALIAN 143 | Multi-Racial Italy Today | 3 |
| ITALIAN 146 | Italians and the Mafia (GER HA) | 3 |
| ITALIAN 245 | Italy and Its Global Fictions: | 3 |
| ITALIAN 256 | Introduction to Italian Food Studies: A Cultural History (GER HA) | 3 |
| ITALIAN 312 | Contemporary Italian Language and Culture | 3 |
| ITALIAN 321 | Introduction to Italian Literature | 3 |
| ITALIAN 322 | Introduction to Italian Literature and Film | 3 |
| ITALIAN 342 | Italian Immigration: A Sociocultural History | 3 |
| ITALIAN 345 | Italians and the Holocaust in Italy | 3 |
| ITALIAN 357 | Topics in Italian Culture in Translation: | 3 |
| ITALIAN 456 | Topics in Italian Food Studies: | 3 |
| ITALIAN 457 | Topics in Italian Literature and Culture in Translation: | 3 |
| JAMS 620 | Seminar in Global Media | 3 |
| JAPAN 100 | Introduction to Japanese Literature (GER HA) | 3 |
| JAPAN 110 | Japanese Popular Culture | 3 |
| JAPAN 331 | Reading Japanese Short Stories | 3 |
| JAPAN 351 | Japanese Performance Traditions | 3 |
| JAPAN 355 | Seminar in Japanese Literature and Culture: | 3 |
| JEWISH 261 | Representing the Holocaust in Words and Images (GER CP) | 3 |
| JEWISH 328 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | 3 |
| JEWISH 368 | Jewish and Christian Responses to the Holocaust | 3 |
| KOREAN 221 | Korean Culture and Society (GER HA) | 3 |
| KOREAN 325 | Korean Contemporary Culture and the Korean Wave | 3 |
| LACS 101 | Introduction to Latin American and Caribbean Studies (GER HA) | 3 |
| PH 142 | Exploring Global Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHILOS 204 | Introduction to Asian Religions (GER CP) | 3 |
| POL SCI 102 | Introduction to International Relations (GER SBS) | 3 |
| POL SCI 106 | Politics of the World's Nations (GER CP) | 3 |
| POL SCI 310 | Russian and Post-Soviet Politics | 3 |
| POL SCI 314 | Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POL SCI 316 | International Law | 3 |
| POL SCI 325 | Latin American Politics | 3 |
| POL SCI 330 | The Politics of International Economic Relations | 3 |
| POL SCI 343 | Asian International Relations | 3 |
| PORTUGS 360 | Luso-Brazilian Culture: | 3 |
| RELIGST 101 | Introduction to World Religions | 3 |
| RUSSIAN 242 | Vampires: From Slavic Village to Hollywood | 3 |
| RUSSIAN 245 | Russian Life and Culture (GER HA) | 3 |
| RUSSIAN 361 | Russian and Slavic Folklore | 3 |
| RUSSIAN 363 | Women's Influence on Russian Culture Throughout History | 3 |
| SOCIOL 324 | Race and Ethnicity in Global Contexts | 3 |
| SPANISH 225 | Understanding the Hispanic World: (GER CP) | 3 |
| SPANISH 350 | Understanding Literature and Culture | 3 |
| SPANISH 388 | Health Issues in the Hispanic World | 3 |
| SPANISH 391 | Social and Historical Issues in the Hispanic World: | 3 |
| SPANISH 470 | From the Middle Ages to Modernity: The Rise of the Hispanic World | 3 |
| SPANISH 472 | Contemporary Literature and Culture of Latin America | 3 |
| SPANISH 474 | Contemporary Literature and Culture of Spain | 3 |
| SPANISH 491 | Topics in Hispanic Culture: | 3 |
| SPANISH 506 | Seminar in Spanish Literature and Culture: | 3 |
| SPANISH 507 | Seminar in Latin-American Literature and Culture: | 3 |
| URB STD 450 | Urban Growth and Development: A Global View | 3 |
| WGS 311 | Global Anti-Gender Movements | 3 |
| WGS 401 | Global Feminisms | 3 |
| AMLLC 381 | Honors Seminar: | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Career Development and Applied Experience | ||
| GLOBAL 289 | Internship in Global Studies, Lower Division | 1-6 |
| GLOBAL 297 | Study Abroad: | 1-12 |
| GLOBAL 488 | Domestic Internship in Global Studies | 1-9 |
| GLOBAL 489 | International Internship in Global Studies, Upper Division | 1-9 |
| GLOBAL 497 | Study Abroad: | 1-12 |
| BUS ADM 230 | Introduction to Information Technology Management | 4 |
| BUS ADM 300 | Career and Professional Development | 1 |
| BUS ADM 330 | Organizations | 3 |
| BUS ADM 350 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| BUS ADM 360 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| BUS ADM 456 | International Financial Management | 3 |
| BUS ADM 465 | International Marketing | 3 |
| BUS ADM 467 | Marketing Seminar: (with international subtitle) | 3 |
| BUS ADM 495 | Special Topics in Business: (with international subtitle) | 1-3 |
| BUS ADM 496 | International Business | 3 |
| BUS ADM 535 | Global Information Technology Management | 3 |
| BUS ADM/GLOBAL 541 | Cross-Cultural Management | 3 |
| BUS ADM 546 | Global Innovation Management | 3 |
| BUS ADM 551 | International Investments | 3 |
| CHINESE 200 | Chinese Calligraphy (GER HA) | 3 |
| COMMUN 312 | Your Career and Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 350 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| COMMUN 450 | Cross-Cultural Communication | 3 |
| CRM JST 410 | Comparative Criminal Justice | 3 |
| ENGLISH 214 | Writing in the Professions: | 3 |
| ENGLISH 310 | Writing, Speaking, and Technoscience in the 21st Century (GER CL) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 427 | Writing for Nonprofits | 3 |
| ENGLISH 443 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| FRENCH 415 | Introduction to Translation: French to English | 3 |
| GEOG 215 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| GEOG 405 | Cartography | 4 |
| GEOG 525 | Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| GERMAN 332 | Presentation and Composition | 3 |
| GERMAN 425 | Introduction to German Translation | 3 |
| GERMAN 474 | German for Professional Purposes | 3 |
| GLOBAL 310 | Language Skills at Work | 1 |
| INFOST 110 | Introduction to Information Science and Technology | 3 |
| INFOST 120 | Information Technology Ethics (GER HA) | 3 |
| INFOST 270 | Generative AI Literacy | 3 |
| ITALIAN 311 | Advanced Conversation and Composition: Contemporary Italian Usage | 3 |
| JAPAN 361 | Translating Japanese Media | 3 |
| LINGUIS 420 | Introduction to Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| LINGUIS 441 | Introduction to TESOL Methods | 3 |
| PEACEST 460 | Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Sustainability | 3 |
| PEACEST 462 | Conflict Transformation: Negotiation and Mediation Skills | 3 |
| PORTUGS 310 | Advanced Composition and Conversation | 3 |
| RUSSIAN 310 | Advanced Russian Reading and Conversation: | 3 |
| SPANISH 308 | Advanced Writing and Reading | 3 |
| SPANISH 318 | Advanced Speaking and Listening | 3 |
| SPANISH 319 | Advanced Speaking and Listening for Heritage Speakers | 3 |
| SPANISH 332 | Using Spanish in the Business World | 3 |
| SPANISH 338 | Spanish for Health Professionals | 3 |
| SPANISH 342 | Business and Legal Spanish | 3 |
| SPANISH 348 | Introduction to Translation: English to Spanish | 3 |
| SPANISH 388 | Health Issues in the Hispanic World | 3 |
| TRNSLTN 400 | Introduction to Interpreting | 3 |
| TRNSLTN 450 | Community Interpreting and Translation | 3 |
The Global Studies Undergraduate Advisor works closely with students to develop an individual course of study that fulfills program requirements, prepares them to meet their professional and educational goals, and and devise a plan for varied and valuable international experiences through study abroad and international internships.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Two experiential learning experiences are required for the Global Studies major.
Students choose two of these three options: a study abroad, an international internship abroad, a domestic internship at an international company or organization.
We recommend students work closely with their advisor beginning about 18 months prior to traveling abroad. This will leave ample time to explore destinations, secure travel requirements, and plan for academic coursework to be taken prior to and during the time abroad. Learn more about study abroad here.
Our program maintains close relationships with organizations around the world to help students find meaningful internship placements that align with their career exploration goals. Check out examples of recent student experiences and our partnerships to learn about the places you might get to go!
With a BA in Global Studies, you can pursue a career in numerous areas. As is true of most liberal arts degrees with countless job options, you will need to research, explore and gain hands-in experience while in college to match your skills, knowledge and interests to jobs in the marketplace.
Internships, research projects, and part-time jobs can help you determine which career path is right for you. Global Studies majors often find job opportunities in international business, global trade, transportation, hospitality and tourism, marketing and market research, politics and government services, community development, health services, NGOs, journalism, social media and technology, e-commerce, and lobbying.
We encourage you to begin exploring career options when you declare your global studies major or at the start of your sophomore year, whichever comes first.