Home Academics Minors Minors Global Studies

Global Studies

Program Type: Minor
Program Level: Undergraduate
Department: Minors
Apply Now Request Information
The minor in Global Studies is intended to prepare students for careers that engage the global community either at home or abroad.  The minor can be combined with any major and is especially valuable for students planning to pursue international opportunities in business, communications, criminal justice, engineering technology management, informatics, political science, pre-law, pre-med, sociology, and many more. Students who complete the minor demonstrate their experience and ability to live and work in international environments and to communicate effectively across global cultures. Photo collage of USC Upstate students in Spain and Italy, with the quote "I haven't been everywhere but it's on my list"

Completion of this minor will also fulfill the world language and intercultural competence requirements of the USC Upstate Peace Corps Prep Program, the first Peace Corps Prep Program in the South. 

For more information, visit the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

  • Students in the minor open up new worlds of opportunity:

    • Join international organizations, including the Alpha Mu Gamma National Collegiate Foreign Language Honor Society, the International Club, French Club, and Hispanic Awareness Association. 
    • Study abroad short-term or long-term--from spring break, a summer, a semester, or a year in Spain, Germany, France, China, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, England, and more! 
    • Find study abroad scholarships through the Center for International Studies, Alpha Mu Gamma Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants, Boren Awards for International Studies, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, College Language Association Scholarships, Confucius Institute, Fulbright U.S. Student Programs, and the Critical Language Scholarship Program. 

  • The program requires 18 credit hours in four focus areas:

    I. The Global Core (6 credits)

    • ANTH U102: Understanding Other Cultures 
    • GLST U301: Global Cultures and Identities

    II. World Languages (6 credits)

    • Two intermediate courses (U201 and U202) in Chinese, French, German, or Spanish. Students who place above the intermediate level may earn this credit by exam or by successfully completing a language course for which U202 is prerequisite. 

    III. Experience Abroad (3 credits)

    • Study abroad coursework, internship, service learning, or independent study. Ex. FREN U350, GERM U350, SPAN U350, ENGL U350, ENSL U355, GLST U350, POLI U355, or similar course. 
    • This course may be completed as part of a group study abroad experience, or through an individual plan of study designed to meet an individual student's needs. Students gain opportunities for experiential learning in an international environment through an internship abroad program, an international internship with a local company with global ties, or an internship in an organization dealing with international issues.

    IV. Global Elective (3 credits)

    Any course from the following list:

    • Any 300- or 400-level world language, literature, or culture course (FREN, GERM, or SPAN)
    • ENGL U387: Topics in Literature, Culture, and Difference (focused on an international topic)
    • FILM U475: International Film
    • POLI U310: International Politics
    • POLI U330: International Organizations
    • SPCH U380: Intercultural Communication
    • Any 300- or 400-level course examining an international topic or a country outside the US