Global Studies
Why Choose UNC Asheville’s Global Studies Program?
UNC Asheville’s Global Studies program prepares you to understand the world’s cultures, economies, and politics, and to tackle its challenges from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Global Studies is available as a concentration within Interdisciplinary Studies, a minor, or a certificate.
Think Globally Through In-Depth Courses
Develop an interdisciplinary understanding of changing dynamics and forces that transcend national and regional boundaries. Both the minor and concentration programs offer a range of classes, from world history to culture and the mind to environmental ethics. In the 21-credit-hour minor, you pursue a self-designed interdisciplinary and comparative study of world affairs. The concentration entails at least 25 credit hours, study abroad, and a capstone, during which you integrate your studies through a research or thesis project.
Career Paths
With a Global Studies concentration as part of your Interdisciplinary Studies degree from UNC Asheville, you can pursue a variety of careers that require cross-cultural fluency, a global perspective, and the ability to navigate complex international issues. Combined with the flexibility of the Interdisciplinary Studies degree, which lets you draw on coursework across disciplines to fit your goals, our students graduate equipped to work across borders, sectors, and fields.
Study Abroad
A global perspective is best gained firsthand. Global Studies students are encouraged to study abroad as part of their degree, immersing themselves in a new culture, language, or political system beyond the classroom. Whether through a semester-long exchange, a short-term faculty-led program, or an independent research trip, study abroad experiences deepen the cross-cultural fluency at the heart of the Global Studies concentration and give students a firsthand perspective they can carry into any career path.
Earn a Certificate in Global Studies
Understanding global cultures, politics, and economies has become essential across nearly every field. The Global Studies Certificate equips students with foundational and applied knowledge in international perspectives, from core theory to real-world thematic issues in business, health, law, and development. No matter your major, this certificate adds a layer of global depth you can carry into any field. The program is open to degree and non-degree seeking students.
A World of Perspectives
Success in Global Studies begins with the curiosity to understand cultures beyond your own, the openness to see politics, economies, and ways of life from someone else’s vantage point, and the vision to navigate a world where no single perspective tells the whole story.
A Global Perspective, Applied
At UNC Asheville, International Studies students learn to see the world through many lenses, examining culture, politics, history, and social change across borders and disciplines. Grounded in a liberal arts and sciences education, the program builds critical thinking, cultural understanding, and communication skills that translate into careers well beyond the classroom. Alumni carry that perspective into fields as varied as filmmaking, diplomacy, and advocacy, using it to tell stories, bridge differences, and make a meaningful impact. At UNC Asheville, International Studies isn’t just about understanding the world; it’s about preparing to engage with it.
UNC Asheville Alumnus Jethro Waters Wins Emmy Award
Jethro Waters, a 2013 UNC Asheville grad in international studies (now called Global Studies), recently garnered an Emmy Award for Best Documentary in the Cultural category at the Midsouth Emmy Awards 2021 for his film, F11 and Be There.
Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning
Internship Opportunities
Interdisciplinary Studies students round out their coursework with internships or service-learning experiences during the summer or academic year, applying their interdisciplinary training to real-world settings. Paired with faculty mentorship, these placements help students test career directions across fields like government, business, humanitarian work, and the arts, translating a flexible, cross-disciplinary education into hands-on professional experience.
Outside the Classroom
Outside the Classroom
Our program emphasizes hands-on learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. Unlike many other universities, more than 65% of UNC Asheville students complete undergraduate research, and our Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCAP) helps to facilitate these projects. We also promote global citizenship among students through the Study Abroad Program. As a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), we provide opportunities for students to study at over 200 universities in more than 40 countries.
Clubs & Organizations
Clubs & Organizations
With 60+ student clubs and organizations, UNC Asheville makes room for every interest, belief, and background to find its place. For Interdisciplinary Studies majors, that range is an invitation: connect with people who already share your passions, and just as easily find yourself challenged by perspectives you hadn’t considered. It’s a college experience built not around one path, but around the many you choose to explore.
Related Programs
Ready for What's Next?
The global studies concentration and minor programs offer abundant opportunities to explore diverse perspectives and cultivate a deep understanding. At UNC Asheville, we nurture your desire to uncover connections and foster an atmosphere that celebrates the exchange of ideas and academic and personal development. Prepare for a liberal arts education unlike any other and graduate poised to thrive in this dynamic industry.