Students gain a foundation in the disciplines of political science and international relations, and a degree knowledge of global issues from courses in anthropology, economics, geography, history, and sociology. An important goal of this study is to describe the nature and evolution of contemporary global structures.

Students develop regional expertise in a specific country or world region (e.g., China, India, Japan, Europe, or Latin America), gain competency in a second language, and are strongly encouraged to participate in study abroad opportunities.