International & Global Studies program

Undergrad minor

Learn to think globally.

In an age when people and places worldwide are a click away, learning how to think beyond borders is invaluable. Having cross-cultural awareness, knowledge and skills will put you a step ahead of the competition as you pursue any career field.

UWL's International and Global Studies minor focuses on unifying humans from all cultural, historic, social, geographic, and religious backgrounds. It is an interdisciplinary minor that draws on courses in departments throughout the university. Students can explore a topic that spans multiple regions of the wider world or focus on a particular region.

What is International and Global Studies?

International and Global Studies is an interdisciplinary study of the political, economic, social and cultural issues throughout the world, as well as the increasingly interconnected nature, complexity and diversity of the world community. Students often compare subjects across regions of the world, and develop skills and abilities for meaningful cross-cultural and transnational interactions.

In the International and Global Studies minor, I had the opportunity to engage in an array of courses, which allowed me to envision myself working in Latin America and to specialize in the region. I took the knowledge gained and continued to develop my research interests into graduate school.

José Rubio-Zepeda

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International and Global Studies jobs

Students with experience in International and Global Studies can apply their learning to a wide range of careers whether working for government, non-profit organizations, international businesses or other sectors. The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) provides information about graduate schools and programs worldwide, fellowships and scholarships, and an international career guide. International and Global Studies minors might consider continuing their education with graduate study in philosophy, religion, history, psychology, social sciences, counseling, humanities, communication, medicine, and the arts. Others pursue law school, business school or other areas of study.

What distinguishes UWL's International and Global Studies minor?

Flexibility

UWL's 18-credit interdisciplinary minor complements any major. Students can also focus on a particular world region or topic. All paths share the same six-credit foundation with a different set of elective courses depending on student interest.

One-on-one attention

The International and Global Studies program provides one-on-one advising and long-term guidance with the program director.

Study abroad opportunities

Study abroad is recommended, but not required as part of the program.

Capstone experience

The capstone, or culminating experience in the program, integrates well with any major, allowing students to choose or design their own projects.

Interact with experts across fields

Courses in the International and Global Studies minor come from throughout the university, so students have access to experts from multiple fields.

Perspective for your future

An International and Global Studies background sets students up for life-long learning within a multidisciplinary perspective.

Career edge

Gain an edge over the competition in your future career search whether in journalism, politics and government, education, law, foreign service, business and industry, social service agencies, and more.

Sample courses

MIC 130 Global Impact of Infectious Disease A multifaceted examination of issues related to infectious disease throughout the world. The course will begin with historical examples of how infectious disease has impacted society, from plagues of centuries past to recent emerging diseases. After defining the types of pathogens and methods for their control, the interplay between infectious disease and global economics, health and politics will be evaluated. Additionally, the impact of public perceptions and misconceptions on the spread of infectious disease will be analyzed. Finally, the role of current human activities in shaping disease patterns of the future will be explored. Offered Fall, Spring, Summer.

POL 345 International Law An examination of international law that explores both its evolution and function in contemporary global politics. The course draws on both theoretical and historical debates about the nature of international law to assess its current and future potential for addressing global challenges. Prerequisite: POL 244 or junior standing. Offered Spring - Odd Numbered Years.

RGS 373 Gender and Human Rights This course will provide an overview of transnational women's human rights movements in a variety of locations around the world; locations will vary with the instructor. Included in this overview will be the study of women's political participation as a human rights issue; women's bodily integrity as a human right; violence against women and reproductive sexual health and rights; human rights as a framework for social and economic and gender justice; and human rights as (quasi) legal accountability; UN agreements, treaties and venues of redress. Prerequisite: one of the following: ERS 100, RGS 100, RGS 150, WGS 100, WGS 130, WGS 150, EDS 206. Offered Fall - Odd Numbered Years.

ENG 357 World Literature A course designed to provide diversity education by studying world literatures from different regions and historical periods, ranging from ancient to modern Middle East, Africa, Asia, South Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Focus and content will vary with instructor. However, each instructor will cover at least two distinct world traditions. Prerequisites: three credits in 200 level English courses. Offered Annually.

ANT 307 International Development and Culture Change In an increasingly global world, what does it mean for cultures to change? What does it mean for cultures to stay the same? This course examines what "development" means to people in different cultures, and how the concept of development is itself a product of colonialism, the Cold War, and the current focus on what has been called the neoliberal global economy. The goals of the course are 1) to provide students with a comprehensive study of what economic, social, cultural, and political development has meant over time, and 2) to illustrate the benefits, limitations, and consequences of "progress" and "development" in the lives of people all over the globe. Course examples will come from topics such as conservation, sustainability, and the environment; the preservation of indigenous peoples' ways of life; tourism and its effects in a global world; gender and development; disaster response and reconstruction; and the roles of social movements, development aid, and non-governmental organizations in international development. Offered Occasionally.

SOC 404 Global Inequality This course explores explanations for inequality between countries. Macro-sociological theories and comparative methods are used to analyze cross-cultural and cross-national differences and similarities in basic institutions, including family, education, and political economy. The main course objective is that students develop an understanding of the consequences of living in a world of global inequality. Prerequisite: SOC 110 or SOC 120 or SOC 202 or ANT 101 or ANT 202. Offered Every Third Semester.

HIS 338 Sugar, Coffee, Rubber, Bananas: Commodities in World History This course examines the history of everyday commodities that we consume or use, often without considering where they came from (sugar, coffee, rubber, bananas). It centers on the development of plantation-style agriculture in the Americas, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Africa from the 1600s-1930s CE. Power relationships between laborers, landowners, colonial governments, and consumers are examined in order to connect trade goods to the historical societies in which they were produced. A particular emphasis is placed on links between European imperialism, labor migration, and inequality. Offered Every Third Semester.

GEO 307 Power, Space, and Global Change As individuals and groups interact, they create and modify political and economic structures. Conflicts and inequalities, as well as improvements to the human condition, are examined at multiple scales. Territorialities, population dynamics, states, borders, and elections are explored with the tools of human geography. Offered Fall.