Global Studies Undergraduate Major (BA, HBA)
This program is available at the following location:
- Corvallis
The Global Studies degree is a double-degree program that allows any interested undergraduate student the opportunity to explore the international dimensions of any primary major. Global Studies students demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a second language, knowledge in international affairs and global issues, international and/or domestic intercultural experience, and ability to conduct research through an integrative senior capstone project.
Global Studies students earn two degrees. The primary degree is in a major (B.A. or B.S.) offered by any department or program on the Corvallis campus. The concurrent degree will be a B.A. in Global Studies.
Contact Information
For more information about this degree, contact:
Bradley Boovy, Director
World Languages and Cultures
210 Kidder Hall
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Phone: 541-737-0023
Major Code: A060
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Communicate skillfully and interact competently across cultures, engaging with and successfully participating in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.
- Identify and describe characteristics of social, cultural, economic, and political systems in global contexts.
- Articulate active awareness of their own identity as it relates to others in cross-cultural contexts and informed by global and transnational perspectives on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
- Synthesize knowledge of global systems and intercultural experience with methods in their primary degree to explain and address a contemporary global issue.
Admission Requirements
- The Global Studies degree cannot be a standalone degree and must be completed together with a primary degree, which may be any other OSU major. Students should contact the Global Studies program coordinator or the World Languages and Cultures (WLC) advisor to declare the Global Studies degree after declaring their primary major. If you change your primary major after declaring the Global Studies degree, you must inform the Global Studies program coordinator and WLC advisor.
- You must meet any additional admissions requirements established by your primary major department or college.
General Degree Requirements
- You must successfully complete all departmental, college, and institutional requirements for your primary degree.
- You must complete a minimum of 32 credits in residence beyond the minimum 180 to 204 credits required for most primary degrees. Courses taken through an OSU-sponsored program abroad are considered in-residence credits. Depending on the level of previous world language study and experience abroad, you could take anywhere from a minimum of 32 additional credits to a maximum range of 70-plus additional credits to complete the degree.
- Additional Global Studies degree requirements may be established for your primary degree, so check with your major advisor or the Global Studies program coordinator to make sure you know what they are and that you are able to complete them.
- As is currently true for all degrees, your academic dean will verify that you have completed the Global Studies degree requirements. The graduation audit will be done along with and in the same fashion as for your primary degree by your major department. Confirmation of the Global Studies degree will be appropriately noted on your transcripts, and you will receive separate diplomas.
Specific Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMM 226 | +INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| PS 205 | *INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | 4 |
| WLC 301 | *INTRODUCTION TO WORLD LANGUAGE AND CULTURE STUDIES | 4 |
| Select one course from the following depending on your interests and/or focus: | 3 | |
| +*INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA | ||
| +*EUROPE BEYOND THE TOURISTSCAPE | ||
| +*LATIN AMERICA CULTURES | ||
| *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-MIDDLE EAST | ||
| +*PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF AFRICA | ||
| *PEOPLES OF THE WORLD-PACIFIC | ||
| +*PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF CHINA | ||
| Complete 15 credits of approved upper-division electives 1 | 15 | |
| Complete an integrative senior capstone with a minimum of 3 credits of 403 (thesis) or 410 (internship) in your primary major | 3 | |
| Demonstrate proficiency in a world language | 0 | |
| Complete a cumulative minimum of 10 weeks of high-impact intercultural experiences | 0 | |
| Present the results of your senior capstone at the annual OSU Undergraduate Research Symposium | 0 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- 1
Check with the WLC advisor before enrolling in elective courses to make sure they meet Global Studies degree requirements
World Language Proficiency
You must demonstrate proficiency in a world language equivalent to that attained at the end of the third-year course in the language as certified by the School of Language, Culture, and Society. Typically, this requirement is met by completing the third term of a third-year language sequence at OSU, but there are a number of other ways to demonstrate proficiency. In exceptional cases, and pending approval by the Global Studies program coordinator, students may take two years of one language and one year of a different language or two years of one language and an additional high-impact intercultural experience (e.g., an additional study abroad experience). Students must take language courses for letter grades and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Credits attained through language courses do not count towards the total 32 required credits for the Global Studies degree.
Intercultural Experience
You must complete a cumulative minimum of 10 weeks of high-impact intercultural experiences. This includes study abroad programs, intercultural internships, guided research abroad, and experiences such as working with the Peace Corps. Other programs, including domestic intercultural experiences, may fulfill the requirement but must be approved ahead of time by the Global Studies program coordinator and vetted by the appropriate office (e.g., Insurance and Risk Management Services, OSU Global Opportunities (OSU GO), Student Experiences and Engagement). If your study abroad or intercultural experience is not offered and administered through OSU GO, you must have it approved by the Global Studies program coordinator and OSU GO before you depart.
Senior Capstone
You must complete an integrative senior capstone project that demonstrates your ability to synthesize your learning and experience as a Global Studies student. Once you have identified a faculty mentor for your capstone project, you will enroll in 3 credits of 403 (thesis) or 410 (internship) in your primary major in your final year. Credits may vary based on the extent, timing, and complexity of your project. In the spring of your final year, you must present the results of your senior capstone at the annual OSU Undergraduate Research Symposium.
You may choose from the following options for your capstone project:
- Internship and Professional Portfolio
- Research Project/Thesis
- Students are responsible for identifying a mentor in their primary degree to supervise their thesis or research project. The thesis option requires a public thesis presentation and defense; the research project option does not. Students in the Honors College may submit their Honors thesis in fulfillment of this requirement for the Global Studies degree provided the thesis meets the learning outcomes for the degree.
Major Code: A060