International & Global Studies program

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.

Undergrad minor

A program within the History Department

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.

Positions

Diplomat
Director of international education
Director of international relief operations
Foreign service officer
International banker
International lawyer
International manager
International sales representative
Journalist
Management consultant
NGO employee or manager
Peace Corps volunteer
Professor of international or global studies
Study abroad advisor

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. CGER CP-CW Civics & Perspective: Cultures of Our World. Offered Fall, Spring, Summer.

POL 345 International Law This course explores the world of international law where politics and legal principles intersect on the global stage. Students delve into the historical and theoretical evolution of international law examining its role in shaping contemporary global politics on topics ranging from peace and war to economic exchange among other global challenges and opportunities. By engaging with historical and contemporary cases, students develop a deeper understanding of the forces that shape international law. The course examines how international law fosters cooperation and resolves conflict, and whether it can address some of the most pressing contemporary issues in a constantly evolving world. Offered Alternate Years.

RGS 373 Gender and Human Rights This course provides an overview of transnational women's human rights movements in a variety of locations around the world; locations vary with the instructor. Included in this overview is 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: RGS 100 or RGS 150 or EDS 206. Offered Fall - Odd Numbered Years.

ENG 357 Topics in World Literature and Culture This course provides diverse perspectives through the study of literature and culture from around the world and throughout history. Geographical regions may range from ancient to modern Middle East, Africa, Asia, South Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The course may consider how literary and cultural texts reflect and challenge the values and local contexts of the cultures that produce them and the relevance of course texts in the global arena. Focus and content vary with instructor. However, each instructor covers at least two distinct regions, including works in translation. Prerequisites: one of the following; ENG 200, ENG 201, ENG 202, ENG 203, ENG 204, ENG 205, or ENG 206. Offered Annually.

ANT 307

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: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101 or ANT 103. Offered Occasionally.

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

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.

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