Two Hamline Students looking at a computer in the grass in front of the old main building

Global Studies Major (BA)

Build a wide range of skills to explore the world, collaborate with people across borders and identities, and have a direct, positive impact on solving planetary problems. 

Global studies is a practical and interdisciplinary degree that examines the crossroads of economic, political, sociocultural, and environmental processes to understand their effects on different parts of the world, from local neighborhoods to transnational regions. You'll work closely with world-class scholars in a variety of settings, from seminars to community engagement projects. 

As you develop your toolkit, our professors help you apply your talents in career-oriented internships and projects that tackle problems like intercultural conflict, climate migration, human rights abuses, or global pandemic preparedness. You'll graduate with the ability to think globally, act locally, and use your research, writing, and problem-solving to excel on whatever path you choose.

Global studies major and minor

Global studies major

Choose from a wide variety of courses suited to your career interests and a complementary concentration area.

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Global studies minor

Build an interdisciplinary toolkit with select global studies courses that will enhance your talents in another field.

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Student research opportunities

At Hamline, students participate in research with faculty as early as their first year, something usually reserved for graduate students at other institutions. You'll design and conduct your own research project based on your individual interests and goals.

The list of possible research projects is as varied as our students. For example, picture yourself:

  • Interviewing climate refugees in Australia, Mexico, and Egypt
  • Investigating language divergence in South Korea
  • Studying the biodiversity effects of construction of a US-Mexico border wall
  • Researching the human rights implications of statelessness for Roma populations throughout Europe
  • Working at clinics to understand how complementary and alternative medicine can prevent cardiovascular disease in Latinx communities of the Twin Cities
  • Documenting anti-Black discrimination and equity concerns on public transportation, specifically the Metro Green Line in the Twin Cities
  • Preparing a proposal to investigate comparative perspectives on LGBTQIA+ youth movements in Taiwan, China, and the US

Hamline makes it easy to access a wide range of learning opportunities, near and far. Support for study away makes it easy to earn credits from across an ocean, and there are countless engagement opportunities right here in the Twin Cities for students interested in hyperlocal action and community-building. You can also participate in Model United Nations and attend the annual spring conference in New York City.

Internships for global studies students

We make sure you leave Hamline with global studies work experience on your resume. The opportunities are boundless—whether you want to explore a career in research, counseling, social work, psychiatry, or beyond, we have internship opportunities for you.

Some past global studies student internships include:

  • Capitol Pathways, intern and legislative trainee
  • St. Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee “Bridging Cultures Through Understanding,” archivist and social media specialist
  • Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, maternity ward assistant and doula-in-training
  • Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee), communications intern

Explore career paths

Our innovative courses and one-on-one mentoring by faculty will give you the tools to succeed in a variety of jobs, such as:

  • Refugee resettlement specialist
  • Political affairs officer
  • Diplomatic services assistant
  • Foreign affairs analyst
  • Human trafficking prevention counselor
  • Trade relations consultant
  • Embassy management officer
  • International event planner
  • Consular services associate
  • International trade researcher
  • Global marketing associate

You can put your skills to work in a variety of fields, including:

  • Sustainable development
  • International relations and diplomacy
  • Global public health services
  • Foreign affairs
  • International law
  • National security

Take your studies further with graduate school

Our graduates have gone on to graduate schools across the country in the pursuit of master’s and doctoral degrees. An example of a graduate school pathway that one of our alumni pursued was a PhD in Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego.

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