Minor
About Global Studies (Minor Only) at CSUSB
The Global Studies minor at Cal State San Bernardino promotes an understanding of how globalization impacts the physical and human environment—including cultural, political, social, and economic systems.
This interdisciplinary program allows students from any major to gain a broader perspective on global processes and their effects on communities, environments, and institutions around the world.
Through a mix of lower-division foundational courses and upper-division electives, the minor encourages students to examine global issues through multiple disciplinary lenses, fostering a well-rounded understanding of interconnections across borders and cultures.
Careers in Global Studies (Minor Only)
A Global Studies minor equips students with skills valuable in fields where global awareness, cross-cultural communication, and systemic thinking matter.
The coursework strengthens analytical, communication, and problem-solving abilities—skills that prepare students for meaningful professional opportunities in an interconnected world.
Common pathways for students with global insight include:
- International and global affairs roles including policy, research, or program coordination
- Global development and nonprofit work focused on social, economic, or environmental justice
- Government and public service with transnational responsibilities
- International business, trade, and cross-cultural consulting
- Education, cultural exchange, and outreach initiatives
- Media, communications, and storytelling with a global lens
- Graduate study in international relations, global studies, public policy, or related fields
Graduates bring critical perspectives that strengthen collaborative work in diverse settings and across sectors.
Sample Courses
Introduction to Global Studies
Understand worldviews, varying cultural contexts and global institutions and their connection to globalization.
Globalization in Crisis
A critical examination of globalization through an anthropological lens focusing on the relationship between global formations and everyday lived experiences.
World Regions and Peoples
Survey of major regions of the world using general physical and cultural concepts to explain patterns and problems of human activities in relation to natural environments.
Meet Professor Rajrani Kalra, Ph.D.
Opportunities for Students
Students in the Global Studies minor engage in engaging coursework and experiential learning opportunities that build global competencies:
- Foundational lower-division courses including Introduction to Human Geography, World Regions and Peoples, Introduction to Global Studies, and Issues in the Global System.
- Upper-division electives that explore topics such as cultural entanglements, political economy, social and cultural geography, migration and borderlands, global governance, identity and globalization, emerging global issues, and international law.
- Model United Nations practicum options that provide real-world simulation of global diplomacy and international decision-making.
- Cross-disciplinary electives drawn from anthropology, communication, economics, political science, and world languages that allow students to tailor the minor to their interests.
- Faculty mentorship supporting academic exploration and career planning in global fields
- Collaborative learning that connects students with peers across majors and departments studying international issues
- Opportunities for study abroad and global research that deepen cultural immersion and practical understanding of global systems (through departmental and university programs)
These experiences help students develop cultural fluency, analytical depth, and ethical perspectives that enhance both professional readiness and civic engagement in a globalized world.
Similar to Global Studies (Minor Only)
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