Academics

Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA
(269) 387-1000

Global and International Studies

As business goes global, more employers are looking for international experience. If you're interested in gaining an edge, Western Michigan University's global and international studies program is for you.

WMU runs one of the largest and oldest transnational education programs and was the first American university to require all students to study the non-Western world. Staying true to its strong international roots, the University offers a global and international studies program that will prepare you to function in a complex global arena.

WMU's case-studies approach produces current material, and its broad pool of course offerings allows you to customize your education. Your studies may be focused in one of several different areas, including:

  • Anthropology
  • Comparative religion
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • History
  • Political science
  • Sociology

Although not required, it is strongly recommended that you supplement this major with a foreign language minor.

Beyond the classroom

As a student in WMU's global and international studies program, you'll be strongly encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities available through WMU's Haenicke Institute for Global Education—and you won't be alone. Hundreds of WMU students study abroad in 30-plus countries each year. With more than 70 foreign study programs to choose from, the possibilities are endless. You can study abroad for a few weeks, or stay up to an entire academic year. Scholarships are available.

After you graduate

Recent WMU graduates with degrees in global and international studies are working as:

  • Teachers
  • Politicians
  • Researchers
  • Politicians
  • Government workers

Among the organizations they work for are:

  • Businesses
  • Schools and universities
  • Political organizations
  • Travel agencies

For students interested in advanced studies, WMU also offers graduate programs in international studies. The master's program in development administration is for students who plan to work in a developing nation or a global development organization. The optional Peace Corps track gives students an opportunity to combine coursework with two years of practical field experience as a Peace Corps volunteer. The University also offers a graduate certificate program in ethnohistory, which is open to any student already enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program at WMU.

Career Outcomes
Where is the program offered?
  • Kalamazoo
Other programs of interest