Institute for Global Studies
214 Social Sciences
269 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone: 612-624-9007
Fax: 612-626-2242
E-mail: igs@umn.edu

Individualized Degrees

Students who design their own major through the BIS, IDIM or ICP program may choose to complete a concentration in either Global Studies or Area Studies. Please refer to the information below, or contact a Global Studies Advisor, to determine which of these concentrations best suits your academic goals. For more information on Individualized programs please refer to the BIS/IDIM and/or ICP websites.

Area Studies Concentration Requirements

Core Requirements (4 credits)

  • Glos 3144: Knowledge, Power and the Politics of Representation in Global Studies

Regional Requirements: (Credits vary)

Requirements differ by region.

Global Studies Concentration Requirements

Core Requirements (Choose 1, 4 credits)

  • Glos 3144: Knowledge, Power and the Politics of Representation in Global Studies
  • Glos 3145: Theoretical Approaches to Global Studies

Theme and Region Requirements (Each student is required to choose a theme and a region)

Theme: (3 cr. Breadth)

Region: (3 cr. Breadth)

Electives (3-12 cr. chosen from theme and/or region; Please contact a Global Studies Advisor for more information)

Area Studies Concentrations

East Asian Area Studies Concentration

Course Requirements

  • Hist 3461: Introduction to East Asian History I, The Imperial Age          
  • Hist 3462: Introduction to East Asian History II, 1600-2000
  • Two approved upper division humanities courses on East Asia or a single East Asian society.
  • Approved upper division social science course on East Asia or a single East Asian society.

European Area Studies Concentration

Course Requirements

  • GloS 3921/Geog 3161 : Europe—A Geographic Perspective
  • Hist 3722:  20th Century Europe, 1945-1991
  • Two approved upper division humanities courses on Europe or a single European society.         
  • Approved upper division social science course on Europe or a single European society.

Latin American Area Studies Concentration

Course Requirements

  • LAS/Geog 4121 Latin America
  • LAS/Hist 3401 Early Latin American to 1825 or LAS/Hist 3402 Modern Latin America 1825 to present.
  • Two approved upper division humanities courses on Latin America or a single Latin American society.
  • Approved upper division social science course on Latin America or a single Latin American society.

Russian Area Studies Concentration

Course Requirements

  • Russ 3421 or 3422 Russian Literature
  • Hist 3636 or 3637 Russian History
  • Geog 3181 Russia and Environs
  • Approved upper division humanities course on Russia or Central Asia.
  • Approved upper division humanities or social science course on Russia or Central Asia.

South Asian and Middle Eastern Area Studies Concentration

Course Requirements

  • Approved upper division humanities course on South Asia or the Middle East.
  • Approved upper division social science course on South Asia or the Middle East.
  • Approved upper division course from a different department then the two previous courses on South Asia or the Middle East.
  • Two approved upper division humanities or social science courses on South Asia or the Middle East.

Global Studies Concentrations

Culture, Power, Place

Theme specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Glos 3602: Other Worlds: Globalization and Culture

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Environment and Sustainable Development

Theme specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Geog 3376: Political Ecology of North America
  • Geog 3379: Environment and Development in the Third World
  • GloS 3302: Debating "Development": Contested Visions
  • GloS 3301: Environment and Empire
  • Geog 4002: Social Theory and the Environment

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Governance, Peace, and Justice in a Global Context

Theme specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Anth 4057: Politics and Law
  • Hist 3422: World History in the 20th Century
  • Pol 3835: International Relations
  • Pol 3873: Global Citizenship and International Ethics
  • Pol 4883: Global Governance
  • Pol 4485: Human Rights and Democracy in the World

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

International Political Economy

Theme specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • ApEc 3007: Applied Macroeconomics: Policy, Trade, and Development
  • Econ 3041: The Prospective World Economy
  • Econ 4401: International Economics
  • Geog 3331: Geography of the World Economy
  • Pol 4889: Governments and Global Trade and Money

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Population, Migration, and Identity

Theme specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Geog 3381: Population in an interacting world
  • Soc 3511: World population problems
  • Pa 5301: Population methods and issues for the United States and Third World

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Global Studies Concentrations - Regional Requirements

Africa

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Afro 3141/Geog 3141: Africa
  • Afro 3432/Hist 3432: History of Africa, 1800-present
  • Pol 4478: Contemporary Politics in Africa and the Colonial Legacy

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

East Asia

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Hist 3461: Introduction to East Asia I, The Imperial Times
  • Hist 3462: Introduction to East Asia in Modern Times, 1600-2000

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Europe

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Geog 3161: Europe—A Geographic Perspective
  • Hist 3722: 20th Century Europe From the End of WWII to the End of the Cold War
  • Pol 3451: Politics and Society in the New Europe

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Latin America

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Geog 4121: Latin America
  • Hist 3401: Early Latin America to 1825
  • Hist 3402: Modern Latin America 1825 to present
  • Pol 4479: Latin American Politics
  • Span 3512: Modern Latin American Civilization

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Middle East

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Arab/Hist 3505: Survey of the Middle East
  • Glos 3940: Introduction to Middle Eastern Studies
    Depends upon semester, refer to the Global Studies approved course list for semester specific details.

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

Russia

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Geog 3181: Russian and its Environs
  • Hist 3637: Modern Russia, From Peter the Great to the Present

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.

South Asia

Region specific breadth requirement (Choose 1 course, 3 credits)

  • Anth 3023: Society and Cultures of India
  • Hist 3488: Genesis of Modern India
  • Hist 3489: 20th Century India

Electives (0-12 credits)

Please refer to the appropriate semester’s Approved Course List for current offerings.