Global Studies

Types of Degrees Global Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international/globalization studies graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	938
Graduate Certificate	85
Doctor’s Degree	16

What Global Studies Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to global studies were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Global Studies Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in global studies should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Global Studies Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to global studies:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Global Studies Majors

Global Studies majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Global Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with global studies:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Political Scientists	2.7%	$117,570

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Global Studies?

Roughly 55% of the graduates are women, and 45% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of global studies majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	41
Black or African American	74
Hispanic or Latino	149
White	410
International Students	177
Other Races/Ethnicities	87

Geographic Diversity

Global Studies appeals to people across the globe. About 18.9% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Global Studies

Some degrees associated with global studies may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for global studies careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	6.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	3.3%
Master’s Degree	13.3%
Doctoral Degree	73.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	3.3%

Online Global Studies Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	8	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	22	2
Bachelor’s Degree	26	5
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	54	7
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	6	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Yerpo under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.