Global Studies, MS
Overview
for the degree of Master of Science in Global Studies
The Master of Science in Global Studies (MSGS) is jointly offered by the Center for Global Studies (CGS), the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity (CSGGE), and the Program in Arms Control and Domestic and International Security (ACDIS).
Students apply to the program and select one of the following tracks at the time of application. Students work closely with the unit that houses their chosen area of focus:
- Gender, Policy, and Global Development Track (CSGGE)
- Global Data Analytics and Policy Track (CGS)
- Global Leadership and Governance Track (CGS)
- Global Security and Threat Reduction Track (ACDIS)
Additional information is available from the ACDIS, CGS, and CSGGE offices. Admission requirements are outlined below.
On-Campus vs Online (synchronous & asynchronous)
Both on-campus and online are synchronous (i.e., join live either in-person or on Zoom). At times, we can accommodate asynchronous options for our core GLBL courses as well as CGGE 581. But we do not control electives outside of GLBL courses and therefore cannot guarantee a fully asynchronous degree.
Admission
Applicants for the MS in Global Studies must follow the requirements of graduate and professional admissions as listed at: Graduate Admissions - Minimum Requirements | Graduate College. There are no additional requirements. Please read the Graduate Admissions closely, as 10+ years of relevant professional work may qualify for full status admission - even without a bachelor's degree or currently working on a bachelor's degree.
Rolling Admissions – Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible and before the priority deadline for their intended term. Late applications may be considered on an individual basis.
Priority dates
- July 15 (Fall semester)
- Dec 1 (Spring semester).
Submission of standardized test scores is recommended but not required. Accepted exams include the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Graduate Record Examination (GRE; verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). International applicants must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores that meet Graduate College minimums.
Applicants must submit:
- Graduate College application for admission
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
- Statement of purpose explaining how the MS in Global Studies aligns with their educational and career goals, and why an interdisciplinary degree is preferable to a disciplinary alternative
- Program Essay
- Three letters of reference
Admission is limited to the fall and spring semesters.
Degree Requirements
for the degree of Master of Science in Global Studies
The MS in Global Studies is designed to be completed in three semesters and offers flexibility through multiple degree pathways developed in consultation with an academic advisor.
For additional details, including degree requirements and course availability, please visit the program website:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 12 | |
| Global Society | ||
| Methodologies of Global Studies | ||
| Choose one of the following (each student will declare a track upon admission to the program): | ||
| Institutions of Global Governance (Required for Global Leadership and Governance Track) | ||
| Energy and Global Security (Required for Global Security and Threat Reduction Track) | ||
| Gender Relations & International Development (Required for Gender, Policy, and Global Development Track) | ||
| Data Visualization (Required for Global Data Analytics and Policy Track) | ||
| Professional Development Courses | 4 | |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| Global Studies Practicum | ||
| Global Studies Project | ||
| (The advisor may approve a professional development course that includes a written paper on a study as an alternative to a project or practicum.) | ||
| Track Elective Courses (Advisor approval is required for all electives) | 16 | |
| (Additional 4 credit hours total of GLBL 572 and GLBL 573 may be applied as a Track Elective.) | ||
| Global Leadership and Governance | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Environment and Development | ||
| Agriculture in Intl Dev | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Development of African Studies | ||
| Case Studies Global Heritage | ||
| Heritage Management | ||
| Class, Culture and Society | ||
| Anthropology and Law | ||
| Cultural Heritage | ||
| Climate Dynamics | ||
| Gender Relations & International Development | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| International Economics | ||
| Development Economics | ||
| Economics of Poverty Alleviation in Developing Countries | ||
| Econ of Development and Growth | ||
| Racial and Ethnic Families | ||
| Foundations of Sustainability Education | ||
| Introduction to Diversity & Equity | ||
| Education and Globalization | ||
| Globalization of Higher Education | ||
| Global Issues in Learning | ||
| Global Youth and Citizenship | ||
| Education and Power in Middle East | ||
| Researching Global Education | ||
| Green Development | ||
| Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Climate & Social Vulnerability | ||
| Global Health: Interventions & Evaluations | ||
| Poverty Interventions and Evaluation | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Perspectives on Global Studies | ||
| Decolonization in Africa | ||
| 20thC Africa Intellectual Hist | ||
| Revivalism and Evangelicalism | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| International Health | ||
| Global Biosecurity | ||
| Env and Sustainable Dev | ||
| Proseminar Intl Rel I | ||
| Intl Political Economy | ||
| International Cooperation | ||
| Cultural Aspects of Tourism | ||
| Environmental Sociology | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Intl SW & Development | ||
| Leadership and Social Change | ||
| Inequalities In A Diverse Society | ||
| Community Development in the Global South | ||
| Global Security and Threat Reduction | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Problems in African History | ||
| Contemporary Central America | ||
| Anthropology of Policing | ||
| Modern Europe | ||
| Climate Change Assessment | ||
| Climate Dynamics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Green Development | ||
| Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Climate & Social Vulnerability | ||
| War, Soc, Politics, & Culture | ||
| History of Brazil from 1808 | ||
| Soc-Econ Hist Modern China | ||
| Prob in Latin American Hist | ||
| Problems in Russian History | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| International Health | ||
| Evolution of Infectious Disease | ||
| Global Biosecurity | ||
| Energy and Security | ||
| Writing on Technol & Security | ||
| Seminar on Security | ||
| GIS in Natural Resource Mgmt | ||
| Europe and the Mediterranean | ||
| Proseminar Comp Politics I | ||
| Comparative Political Behavior | ||
| Topics in Comparative Politics | ||
| Proseminar Intl Rel I | ||
| Topics in Intl Rel | ||
| Environmental Sociology | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Gender, Policy, and Global Development | ||
| Environment and Development | ||
| Agriculture in Intl Dev | ||
| Development of African Studies | ||
| Gender & Race in Contemp Arch | ||
| Development Economics | ||
| Economics of Poverty Alleviation in Developing Countries | ||
| Green Development | ||
| Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Climate & Social Vulnerability | ||
| Feminist Theories & Methods | ||
| Topics in GWS | ||
| International HR Management | ||
| Env and Sustainable Dev | ||
| Women in Muslim Societies | ||
| Social Work with Women | ||
| Community Development in the Global South | ||
| Global Data Analytics and Policy | ||
| Environment and Development | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Impact Evaluation | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Development Economics | ||
| Transportation &Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| History of the Global Information Society | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Perspectives on Global Studies | ||
| GIS in Natural Resource Mgmt | ||
| International Cooperation | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Other Requirements and Conditions (may overlap): | ||
| A minimum of 20 credit hours must be taken from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. | ||
| A minimum of 12 500-level credit hours. | ||
| No courses used to fulfill any degree requirement may be taken using the “Credit/No Credit” option. | ||
| The minimum program GPA is 3.0. | ||
| Each Global Studies student will be required to demonstrate knowledge of a second language through at least the level of a third year of instruction, with non-native English speakers exempt from this requirement. For students not admitted with this level of second language knowledge, this requirement can be completed through an elective language course and/or reading and writing activities in association with meeting the professional development or professional skills requirement. Language courses will not count toward the degree. | ||
Learning Outcomes
for the degree of Master of Science in Global Studies
The Master of Science in Global Studies equips students with the knowledge and technical skills needed to address complex challenges in both public and private sectors with international scope. The program also provides a strong foundation for further graduate study in related fields. Graduates are prepared to:
- Be well-versed in the field: become familiar with foundational texts of Global Studies that identify the pathways and dynamics of globalization and trace their impact and the governance of globalization across the full range of scales, from global to planetary.
- Think critically about how globalization impacts global order, welfare, and legitimacy.
- Become ethically engaged by becoming familiar with the historical, ethical, and philosophical questions underlying research in the field of Global Studies, and their impact on the framing of analytical questions and the gathering and analysis of data on problems that are global in scale and scope.
- Gain practical experience in collecting, analyzing, and evaluating data on key global challenges of the 21st century using a range of analytical tools.
- Design and implement policies by translating the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom into professional experiences focused on solutions to problems that are global in scope and/or benefit from global studies’ perspectives and approaches.
Contact Information
for the degree of Master of Science in Global Studies
For inquiries, please contact the Academic Program Coordinator - Andy Guth: andyguth@illinois.edu
- Masters in Global Studies
- Liberal Arts & Sciences: Overview of College Admissions & Requirements
- Graduate College Admissions & Requirements
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences website