Global & International Studies

Why study Global & International Studies?

Climate change. Migration. International conflict. Global health. Economic development. Human rights.

Today's most important challenges cannot be understood through a single discipline. They require us to connect ideas, consider multiple perspectives, and work across cultures to develop thoughtful solutions.

At Wooster, global engagement is part of everyday campus life. Students learn alongside classmates from around the world while strengthening their own global perspectives through language study, international experiences, and interdisciplinary research. Every Global & International Studies major completes an overseas term and a three-semester Independent Study, creating an educational experience that combines cultural immersion with original scholarship.

Global & International Studies at The College of Wooster prepares students to understand these complex issues through an interdisciplinary curriculum grounded in economics, history, and political science. Students strengthen their understanding of a particular region of the world through language study, overseas experiences, and a self-designed academic specialization that reflects their interests and career goals.

Wooster graduates have built careers across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including the United Nations, the U.S. Foreign Service, international NGOs, multinational corporations, research institutes, and global consulting organizations. Others continue their education at leading institutions such as Harvard University, the London School of Economics, Columbia SIPA, INSEAD, and the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Interdisciplinary by Design

Integrate perspectives from economics, history, political science, languages, and regional studies.

Global Experience

Study abroad as part of the major while building language proficiency and intercultural understanding.

Research That Matters

Complete a three-semester Independent Study that connects global questions with your own interests and experiences.

Why study Global & International Studies at Wooster?

Approach global challenges through multiple disciplines rather than a single academic lens.
Build expertise in a world region through language study, cultural immersion, and international experience.
Spend a required semester abroad, gaining firsthand perspectives that enrich your coursework and Independent Study.
Design an interdisciplinary course of study that reflects your academic interests and professional aspirations.
Work closely with faculty mentors whose scholarship spans economics, history, political science, languages, and global affairs.
Complete a three-semester Independent Study that demonstrates your ability to conduct interdisciplinary research on complex international issues.

Build your own global perspective.

Global & International Studies combines a shared interdisciplinary foundation with opportunities to tailor your education around your interests.

Students:

Develop expertise in economics, history, or political science through a disciplinary concentration.
Build advanced language skills and regional knowledge.
Design an individualized elective specialization.
Complete a required overseas term through one of Wooster's many international study programs.
Conduct original interdisciplinary research through Junior and Senior Independent Study.

Many students find that their overseas experience becomes the inspiration for their Independent Study and, in some cases, return abroad to continue research, complete internships, or deepen their understanding of the communities they have come to know.

Ready to Explore the World?

Whether you aspire to work in diplomacy, international development, global business, public policy, or humanitarian service, Global & International Studies prepares you to understand the world and help shape its future.

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Career Opportunities

Graduates pursue careers and graduate study in fields including:

International organizations

Government and diplomacy

Foreign Service

International nonprofits and NGOs

International business

Journalism and global communications

Public policy

Consulting

International development

Research institutes and think tanks

Christina Welsch

Robert Critchfield Associate Professor of English History; Department Chair of History

cwelsch@wooster.edu

Matthew Krain

Professor of Political Science, Global & International Studies

mkrain@wooster.edu

Amyaz A. Moledina

Professor of Economics; Global and International Studies and Co-Founder of the Social Entrepreneurship Program; Pre-Business Advisor

amoledina@wooster.edu

Margaret Ng Wee-Siang

Associate Professor of History; Archaeology; Chinese Studies; Program Chair of East Asian Studies; Co-Liaison to the Public Health Pathway

mng@wooster.edu

Katherine Holt

Aileen Dunham Professorship in History; Latin American Studies; Global and International Studies; Co-Liaison to Digital and Visual Storytelling Pathway

kholt@wooster.edu

Ibra Sene

Associate Professor of History and Global & International Studies

isene@wooster.edu

Brooke Krause

Associate Professor of Economics & Business Economics

bkrause@wooster.edu

Jeffrey S. Lantis

Professor and Department Chair of Political Science

jlantis@wooster.edu

Hernán Medina Jiménez

Associate Professor and Department Chair of Spanish; Global and International Studies

hmedina@wooster.edu