Global Studies (MA)
The interdisciplinary MA degree in global studies is offered for students who contemplate careers in international affairs, international development, diplomacy, international organizations, or domestic organizations with an international focus. A minimum of 65 credits must be completed for the degree.
The degree program can be tailored to meet the unique professional needs of each student. In close consultation with a faculty advisor, the student develops a program that combines expertise in a specific professional area with interdisciplinary training in global studies.
Concentrations
In consultation with their faculty advisor, students identify a professional concentration. Suggested areas include the following:
- comparative development
- cross-cultural training
- cultural arts
- environment
- food and food systems
- gender and development
- health
- international community development
- international education
- international tourism
- journalism
- migration
- nonprofit management
- public policy and planning
Concentrations in other professional areas can be arranged.
Graduates of the Department of Global Studies serve as international technical advisors, career diplomats, community development professionals, international business and trade experts, analysts in developing countries, international educators, administrators of international programs, and cross-cultural communication consultants.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of subject content knowledge in the field of Global Studies
- Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
- Conduct independent research and analysis and contribute substantively in their field.
- Demonstrate knowledge of a professional concentration and/or a geographic focus, dependent on coursework and degree.
- Demonstrate a proficiency in a second language relevant to their professional or geographic focus.
- Understand ethical issues and responsibilities especially in matters related to professionalism, data collection and in writing and publishing theses and academic/policy papers.
Master of Arts Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Interdisciplinary Core | ||
| GLBL 655 | International Studies Graduate Core Seminar | 4 |
| Proseminar Series | ||
| GLBL 656 | Research and Writing in International Studies | 1 |
| GLBL 657 | Proseminar: Proposal Writing | 2 |
| Professional Concentration Area 1 | ||
| Concentration area courses from relevant departments or professional schools 2 | 24 | |
| Geographic Focus | ||
| Courses in geographic focus area 3 | 12 | |
| Supervised Field Internship or Field Research | ||
| Internship or research experience related to student's career plans | 12 | |
| Master of Arts Project | ||
| Thesis or capstone project | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 64 | |
| 1 | Three of the four courses (12 credits) must have the INTL subject code. |
| 2 | Concentration areas are tailored to individual student interests. Students interested in agricultural extension, forestry, and public health may take courses at Oregon State University. (For information about concurrent enrollment, see the Bachelor's Degree Requirements section of this catalog.) |
| 3 | Geographic focus areas are Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, or Southeast Asia. Students who earned their undergraduate degrees from institutions outside the United States may substitute an additional 12 credits in the professional concentration for the 12 credits of geographic focus. Students are encouraged to choose a geographic focus outside their home region. |
Additional Requirements
Students must take a minimum of 24 graded credits in the professional concentration area. A maximum of 24 credits may be taken in any department other than international studies in order to allow an appropriate degree of specialization.
Language Study and Competence
Students must demonstrate a third-year level of proficiency in a second language relevant to their professional or geographic focus before completing the program. The University of Oregon offers formal courses in a number of European and non-European languages. Students also may study languages through self-instruction at the Yamada Language Center. International students whose high school or university instruction was not in English demonstrate proficiency in English as a second language through completion of the master’s degree requirements. It is recommended that international students study a language from their geographic focus.
Supervised Field Internship or Field Research
The program assists students in locating internships or research opportunities and securing funding. International students may do their internship or research in the United States. Students are responsible for obtaining funding for the costs or for otherwise paying the costs in their entirety. Many graduate students in the program have competed successfully for funding to support internship and research experiences.
The international studies faculty expects students to gain the following from the internship or research experience:
- a reasonably in-depth experience in a culture other than the student’s own
- greater fluency in the language of the culture in which the internship or research takes place
- knowledge and experience useful to the career goals of the intern
Master of Arts Project
Each student must prepare an MA project, usually in the form of a thesis or capstone project. Students are required to present a thesis or capstone proposal defense, and at the conclusion of the project, present an oral defense before the student's final project committee. Other types of projects may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the student’s master’s advisor. Nine credits are awarded for a thesis or capstone project.