University of California, Santa Barbara, Global & International Studies Program

Global Studies (MA and PhD) at UC Santa Barbara sponsors interdisciplinary academic programs in global studies, international studies, and area studies, and provides a coordinating center for programs related to international studies throughout the campus.

Applications for Fall-only academic year will be available September-December preceding the entry year and all materials are due December 15th.

As its name suggests, Global & International Studies focuses on global processes, interactions and flows that are today challenging historical patterns of international relations. The program is thus situated within the debate over whether the world is in an epochal transitional stage, increasingly formed by interacting economic, political, and cultural forces, or continues to be shaped primarily by the interplay of nation-states.

The University of California at Santa Barbara offers a Master of Arts in Global & International Studies. The two-year degree program, launched in the fall of 2006, currently admits approximately 12-15 students each year. Fellowships are offered each year to incoming students on a competitive basis and are intended to support a student in his or her first year of studies. It is especially well suited for students who wish to engage in or study the dimensions of global civil society--such as political economy, development, law, human rights, religion, culture, and environmental protection—that affect our contemporary world in significant ways.

Most students pursue this degree as preparation for international careers in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses or government, and others may seek a Ph.D. in a related social science or humanities field. This M.A. degree is intended to provide an understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural forces that are shaping global organizations. While not providing extensive practical training for specific professions, the program will, through a three- to six-month internship and/or study abroad, policy and training seminars, and a variety of “hands-on” activities enable its graduates to meet the intellectual as well as practical challenges facing those who serve the growing “third sector” of non-profit, non-governmental civil society organizations.