Student Resources

• Bachelor of Arts—Pre-Global Studies (Requirements - PDF)
• Bachelor of Arts—Global Studies (Requirements - PDF)
• Global Studies Transfer Student Orientation information: Slides and Handouts
• General Catalog - for lists of classes offered by quarter
• REGISTRAR - for contacts related to your academic degree
• College of Letters & Science Advising - for all general questions related to academics (not just specific to Global Studies)
• Mental Health Peers - for more informal mental/emotional wellness assistance
• Counseling Services - learn how to schedule formal time with a mental/emotional health counselor at UCSB
• Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS) - for tutoring in specific subjects, including writing and language help
• Career Services: Global Studies Majors - for ideas for careers and future paths with a Global Studies degree
• UCSB Student Conduct Handbook - for your official rights and responsibilities as a UCSB student
• Office of Student Life - for resources related to your life outside of academics on campus (getting involved with clubs, etc)
• UCSB Undergraduate Research - for resources to help you get involved with academic research to take your Global Studies interest to the next level
  

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Is the Global Studies major a business major?
  • No, the major is not a major heavily focused on business, although you may have the opportunity to take some economics-related courses as part of it. The major is much more focused on the study of political and social systems that connect the world. Expect to take many courses related to history and culture as well as political systems.
• When can I declare the major?
  • It depends, but often it's easier to get classes for your major the earlier you declare it. You'll want to come by my office (make an appointment using the link above) or drop in (between 2-3:45 most days) to begin the paperwork of declaring (or changing) your major. Click here for more information on general processes for declaring a major in the College of Letters & Science.
• I've heard there is a Pre-Major requirement for Global Studies; do I have to complete that first?
  • ​New freshmen beginning in 2019 (and beyond) will need to complete the new Pre-Major requirements before they can declare the full major; however, any current students and incoming transfer students can follow the "2018-2019 degree requirements" sheet to help them complete the degree.
• What is the foreign language requirement for the major? Click here to download a full info sheet about the foreign language requirement for Global Studies
  • The foreign language requirement for Global Studies is as follows: 1) 6 quarters (2 years - through intermediate level) of one modern foreign language PLUS an additional 1 year (3 quarters) of YOUR CHOICE: advanced courses in that same language OR 1 beginning year (3 quarters) of a DIFFERENT language. There are often lots of ways to fulfill these two related requirements (EAP/study abroad, summer courses, placement exams.)
    • If you are a native speaking Chinese, Japanese, or Korean international student, there is a special process for you.
      • If you can prove that you studied in high school in your native language at least through the 9th grade (ex: if you are a Chinese student, you attended a high school where the majority of instruction was in Chinese rather than English) using a high school transcript, you can turn that in to the UCSB Admissions office and we can use that to prove fluency in a second language for Global Studies.
      • If you do not have a high school transcript turned in to the admissions office, you must register for and attend one of the Chinese language placement exams (offered at the beginning of each quarter) to have your Chinese/Japanese/Korean fluency evaluated by an instructor in that language's department so that Global Studies can use your native language for your major. See more information about how to register and when these Chinese/Japanese/Korean exams take place here. Please follow the instructions listed there carefully so that you can fulfill this requirement easily, and do not wait until your last week(s) and quarter(s) to finish this requirement.
        • For native speakers of languages besides Chinese/Japanese/Korean, meet with the advisor in that language's department to discuss placement/fluency exam possibilities.
• I'm a transfer student; what do I need to know?
  • Congrats and welcome to UCSB!
  • Click here for general transfer information, not specific to Global Studies.
  • Click here to visit Assist.org - if you are a California community college student, it will help guide you in knowing what classes may transfer over for our Global Studies major prep requirements. 
  • Make sure you have completed all transfer workshops and online signup information so that you can register for our incoming transfer workshops, where you'll get more information about how to get started in Global Studies (including transfer student spaces saved in required classes for Fall 2019)

Global Studies Department History

Global Studies was established as an interdisciplinary major within the Global and International Studies Program in 1998. It provides an undergraduate major that is distinctive in its emphasis on transnational processes and interactions that bring the world together across traditional national boundaries. It is one of the first programs in the nation to offer a degree with contemporary as well as historical globalizing trends as the central organizing theme.

The major includes two introductory gateway courses in global history, culture, and ideology and on global socioeconomics and politics and is built around three upper-division core courses that provide a coherent introduction to global culture and ethics, global ideologies and world order, and global economy and development.

Through its elective requirements, the major also affords students an opportunity to take additional courses offered by other departments and programs in the university: three in global issues and another three in one particular region of the world (Africa, the Middle East, South/Southeast Asia and the Pacific, East Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, or North America).

For more information about major requirements, visit the UCSB General Catalog.