The world is more interconnected than ever.

Major Roadmap

Explore your options within the Global Studies Major Guide — classes, internships, research and study abroad. Find what interests you, discover what you love, and create a major experience that jumpstarts your future. 

Global Studies Major Guide 

Conflict and climate change are driving migration on multiple continents. Contemporary problems require global solutions, but political and cultural differences can disrupt international agreements. The demand for people who can work across cultures has never been higher — and as a Global Studies major, you’ll help create a peaceful, sustainable future for people around the world.

You’ll study geography, world history, international politics, and peace and conflict. Intern at an Austin organization that supports immigrants, researches global economic and political trends, or facilitates international trade. Then go abroad, studying at one of St. Edward’s partner universities around the world. You’ll develop expertise in the politics, geography and history of a specific region, choosing from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Middle East — as well as a related foreign language.

Graduate ready to build positive relationships between nations as a diplomat, or tackle humanitarian issues like disaster relief or human trafficking. Work for the United Nations or a multinational corporation. Whatever path you choose, you’ll shape the future as a citizen of the world.

What do our graduates do?

Global Studies majors go on to a variety of careers and graduate schools from St. Edward’s. Here’s a sample.

  • Foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State
  • Foreign affairs officer for the National Nuclear Security Administration in the U.S. Department of Defense
  • Consultant for Deloitte
  • Active channels associate lead at Google
  • Graduate students at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Georgetown University, New York University and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin

A Day as a Study Abroad Student

As a Global Studies majors, you’ll have opportunities to study abroad. Few experiences give you a deeper understanding of the world community (and yourself) than living, studying or doing an internship abroad. Read about Brian To ’18, who studied in Japan and earned a dual degree in Global Studies and Asia Pacific Studies.

The Classroom and Beyond

As a Global Studies major, you’ll learn a language and study or intern abroad. You’ll also cultivate an international perspective while you’re in Austin, by participating in active-learning projects in your classes, meeting with global experts through the Kozmetsky Center for Excellence, and interning at local organizations that have an international mission.

Experiential Education

Your courses will teach you to apply what you learn in real-life situations. In Strategic Intelligence, you’ll learn about importance of information gathering in the 21st century and participate in gathering simulations throughout the semester.

    Study Abroad

    Traveling abroad is the perfect way to learn about another culture, government, and economy and strengthen your language skills. You’ll be able to study abroad at one of St. Edward’s partner universities across more than 15 countries. Or take your studies almost anywhere in the world through another international education provider. You can also choose to intern abroad, helping increase your cultural agility, add to your skill set and expand your global network.

    The St. Edward’s–Asia Pacific University dual-degree program gives you the chance to earn two degrees in four years and spend two years studying abroad. You’ll spend your first and fourth years of college at St. Edward’s, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, and your second and third years at our partner university Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Beppu, Japan, earning a Bachelor of Social Science degree. APU is a multicultural campus with students from nearly 100 countries and offers most classes in Japanese and English. Your courses there will focus on Asia Pacific studies and business. The dual degrees — along with the cultural understanding, language skills and international perspective you’ll gain — will make you a stronger applicant for jobs or graduate school.

    Student Organizations

    The Kozmetsky Center of Excellence at St. Edward’s brings international experts to campus, either in person or virtually, to share their knowledge with the university community. Past speakers have included American and foreign diplomats, policy makers, university scholars, and leaders of the business, non-profit and cultural communities. You’ll have the chance to listen and ask questions of these global experts in sustainable development, peace and security, global health, climate change and global finance.

    Students for Sustainability educates the St. Edward’s community about eco-friendly practices and works with the St. Edward’s administration to implement environmental initiatives. Members help maintain the campus garden, learn about biking and public transportation, encourage fellow students to reduce their use of plastic water bottles, and have clothing swaps and upcycled craft nights.

    The S.E.R.V.E. program, coordinated by Campus Ministry, connects you with volunteer opportunities in Austin. You can participate in a Saturday-morning program where you clean up a park or paint a school building, or commit to weekly service for the whole semester at an organization helping immigrants, children or the elderly.

    Service Break Experiences give you the chance to travel to another community, volunteer and learn about local life. SBEs are built on ongoing relationships between St. Edward’s and the service location and require students to prepare — educationally and spiritually — for several months beforehand. The trips incorporate structured reflections so you’ll integrate what you’ve learned and use it to fuel your charity and justice work going forward. A hallmark of SBEs is their emphasis on living simply — you’ll leave your phone and other luxuries behind. In previous years, SBEs have gone to Peru, Canada, and India.

    Prestigious Scholarships

    Global Studies students are particularly well positioned to compete for prestigious scholarships that value an international perspective.

    St. Edward’s is one of the country’s leading producers of students who win Fulbright awards, a highly selective scholarship and grant program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Fulbright students conduct research or teach English abroad after graduating from college. Global Studies majors have won Fulbrights to work in Germany, Mexico, Colombia, Spain and South Korea. Their global education, language skills, and experiences interning, studying and researching abroad make them competitive candidates for the award.

    Numerous Global Studies majors have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which offers grants to undergraduates to study or intern abroad. Students have recently received these awards to study in Chile, Costa Rica and France.

    Boren Scholarships fund study abroad by U.S. undergraduates in world regions critical to U.S. interests. A Global Studies major recently was awarded a Boren Scholarship to Lucknow, India.