Global studies prepares you to understand and engage with our complex, interconnected world by combining perspectives from the arts, languages, literature, politics, economics, religion, history, and more.

Selecting one of the program’s four tracks— Nations & Identities, Global Cities, Arts & Exchange, or Human Security— starts you on the path to individualized study. No matter which track you choose, you’ll learn not only to talk the talk with a special focus on language study and cultural competency, but also to walk the walk through careful analysis of global issues.

Tamima Tabishat ’20 takes in a view overlooking Rabat, Morocco.

Student Perspective


“I chose to study in Dakar to improve my French-speaking skills and to work on my senior project...Chantal takes me with her to markets, family gatherings and church services, which have all been very enriching experiences.”

Tamima Tabishat ’20
Global Studies
Monmouth, Illinois

Academics

Unbagging First-Year Studies

Martyn Smith, director of First-Year Studies, unbags the 10 works being used in First-Year Studies during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Views of Earth from space.
Course

Music of the Middle East

Get an introduction to the main aspects of Arab, Turkish, and Persian art, folk, and popular music. Become familiar with Middle Eastern tuning systems, rhythmic patterns, formal structures, and performance practices. We will also look at the role of music in society in these regions as well as among diasporic populations, and explore connections of music to other areas of social, religious, and political life.

Discover the varied curriculum of the global studies program.

Learn more about the different tracks that comprise the global studies major and its specialized tracks.

Interdisciplinary perspectives enhance the global studies program.

Students resting on bench by mountains and lake

The world is waiting


Each global studies student is required to have a global experience, which is typically fulfilled through off-campus experiences near and far.

Composite image of Global Studies Tracks

Global Studies Tracks


Learn about the specialized tracks within the Global Studies major. 

The Chandler Senior Experience

In your senior year of the major, your peers from all tracks come together to revisit important theoretical issues. You will complete a portfolio showcasing your work in the major and present it to fellow seniors and program faculty. 

Recent Senior Experience projects include:

  • Sound studies, the aural border, crying children, and the media of justice globalism: four calls to listen
  • Dressing the World: From Fast Fashion to Secondhand Fashion
  • Kazakh National Identity and Stalin’s First Five-Year Plan: What Happened?
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Graduate showing happiness after graduating ceremony in Banta Bowl, June 2021.

Global Studies Outcomes


The nature of global studies requires constant adaptation to the changing world around us, building a strong and versatile foundation for students hoping to find careers or advanced study in fields impacted by globalization.

Can you picture yourself at Lawrence? Apply for admission.

The best way to find out if Lawrence is the university for you is by visiting.

Your virtual tour starts at the Arch but be sure to check out Briggs Hall, to explore social science learning spaces.

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