Looking for a career that could take you anywhere in the world? Explore your global options at IU!
If you’re interested in changing the world and solving the problems that affect us all as global citizens, it’s important that you first gain an understanding of world cultures, languages, and critical issues. It’s also important to think about what aspect of cultural studies and international affairs is the best fit for your skills and interests so you can develop a plan that will lead to your dream job.
At IU Bloomington, you’ll find an array of majors and unique academic opportunities that will prepare you for a global career. Whether you’re seeking the specialized programs in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Language Flagship programs, or global housing options, you’ll find it all at IU—so check out the options below.
If you’re an admitted student, reserve your space in the class before the admissions deadline. If you’re a junior, keep exploring and get ready to apply!
Global programs at IU
Consider a degree in international studies through the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
Choose this major and you’ll learn about and acquire a global perspective, emerging “globally ready” to investigate and work toward solutions for problems around the world. You’ll learn about crucial issues such as health crises, global climate change, diplomacy, human rights, or cross-national trends in the arts and music. Finally, you’ll benefit from an emphasis on foreign language skills, opportunities to study world cultures, an interdisciplinary approach to global and international issues, and a commitment to civic engagement. This preparation is ideal for global careers in the foreign service, law and the legal professions, media, business, museums, education, and non-governmental agencies, as well as state and federal agencies—just to name a few possibilities.
As an international studies major, you will take courses such as:
You might also consider studying journalism in The Media School.
Studying journalism at The Media School allows you to find the essence of any story you report, and write the story to communicate the key facts effortlessly and effectively, all while endeavoring to listen carefully, observe scrupulously, and always find the truth. This renowned and historic program allows students to work with top professors with extensive work in the field of foreign correspondence.
Courses may include:
Media Reporting in a Global World(MSCH-C 206)
Global Journalism: Issues and Research(MSCH-J 448)
You might also consider a degree in cybersecurity and global policy, which is offered in a collaborative partnership between the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
Studying cybersecurity and global policy at will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the technology behind cyber and networked systems, and its global social policy implications. In this program, you will learn about programming, data structures, networked systems, and security protocols while also learning about the wide range of privacy, cultural, economic, legal, security, and diplomacy issues surrounding the field of cybersecurity.
Courses may include:
Introduction to Cybersecurity(INFO-I 130)
Ethics and Decision-Making in International Politics(INTL-I 340)
Students in this program take courses and work with faculty from bothInternational Studiesand theMaurer School of Law. They develop an in-depth understanding of the relationship between international law and global governance through institutions including but not limited to the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization.
As an international law major, you will take courses such as:
Intro to International Law and Institutions(INTL-L 250)
Origins and Evolution of International Law(INTL-L 350)
Law and Global Development(INTL-L 352)
Human Rights and International Organizations(INTL-L 445)
You may be interested in a degree in Central Eurasian studies in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
Pursue a degree through the Department of Central Eurasian Studies and you’ll be prepared for a career in government, academia, or business that focuses on the vast heartland of Europe and Asia that extends from Finland and Hungary to Iran to Mongolia and Tibet. The department is one of the world’s leading centers of expertise on Central Eurasia, with faculty equipped to teach about this region’s great art, literature, and empires—and offers more languages than any other department at IU.
As a major in Central Eurasian studies, in addition to the many language offerings, you can take courses such as:
Islam in Central Asia(CEUS-R 213)
Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror(CEUS-R 251)
The Civilization of Tibet(CEUS-R 270)
Roma (Gypsy) History and Culture(CEUS-R 342)
Islam, Islamism, and Modernity in Turkey(CEUS-R 386)
Consider a degree in East Asian languages and cultures or East Asian studies through the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
Pursue a major in East Asian languages and cultures or East Asian studies and you’ll be prepared for a career in teaching, research, business, law, or the foreign service that focuses on Japan, Korea, and China. You’ll learn the languages of East Asia through instruction in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, and examine the cultures by studying contemporary politics and ancient philosophy. Through the two degree options, you can focus more heavily on languages or concentrate on society and culture.
As a major in East Asian languages and cultures, you’ll be able to take language courses in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, as well as courses such as:
Popular Culture in East Asia(EALC-E 110)
Traditional East Asian Civilizations(EALC-E 251)
Asian Americans: Cultural Conflict and Identity(EALC-E 385)
Consider a major in African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAADS) in the College of Arts and Sciences.
This major helps you think critically about the historical and contemporary experiences of people of African descent in the United States and throughout the world. You’ll develop expertise in one of the following concentrations: arts; literature; or history, culture, and social issues. You also have the option of choosing an interdepartmental degree to increase your range of expertise, combining AAADS with English, history, religious studies, or sociology. Graduates of this degree successfully pursue careers in academics, information technology, law, engineering, education, theatre and drama, politics, social work, business, community organizing, nonprofits, health care, and more.
Students majoring in AAADS have a wide range of course options, including:
Consider a major or minor in law and public policy through the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Do you want to know how the law works and how you can use it to solve difficult problems abroad? A law and public policy major is ideal for preparation for anyone interested in tackling complex international issues like social justice, data privacy, education reform, tax and health care policy, environmental regulations, or intellectual property rights. You’ll explore how institutions around the world use the law to shape public policy as well as private sectors.
Law and public policy students take courses such as:
Policy-making Around the World: Comparative and International Approaches(SPEA-V 182)
Terrorism and Public Policy(SPEA-V 272)
Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution(SPEA-V435)
Do you want to develop skills to identify, dissect, and improve policy by looking at every side of the story? A policy analysis degree is ideal for anyone interested in creating institutional change. Students will study everything from finance, economics, and law to national and international policy—graduating ready to launch a career in your hometown, your state capital, Washington, D.C., or abroad. Policy Analysis is a math-heavy, quantitative major that uses advanced statistical modeling. Our major will introduce concepts and skills at a level you can digest, but at the same time challenge you and advance your abilities.
Policy analysis students take courses such as:
US Policy & Administration(SPEA-V181)
Contemporary Economic Issues in Public Affairs(SPEA-V202)
Research Methods and Statistical Modeling(SPEA-V370)
Consider a degree in Middle Easetern languages and cultures through the Hamilton Kugar School of Global and International Studies.
Pursue a degree in Middle Eastern languages and cultures and you’ll be studying in one of the country’s oldest departments concentrating on the Near and Middle East. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in Arabic literature, classical and modern Islam, the history and politics of the Middle East, and Jewish and Israeli culture and literature. You’ll be prepared for a job in fields ranging from governmental and non-governmental agencies to academics to business. In addition, you’ll be able to take courses in languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and ancient Egyptian.
As a major in Middle Eastern languages and cultures, you can opt for either a language track with three years of Arabic, Hebrew, or Persian; or a culture track with two years of languages, plus courses such as:
Foreign Policy and the Muslim World(MELC-M 239)
Koranic Studies(MELC-M 370)
Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East(MELC-M 397)
Consider a co-major in India Studies through the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.
If you are pursuing a major in HLS, you may also be interested in a co-major in India studies that focuses on a variety of areas on the India subcontinent, including Bengal and the Tibetan plateau. Within the program, you can also select from a range of languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Sanskrit.
Issues in Indian Culture and Society (INST-I 303)
Contemporary India: History, Politics, and Society (INST-I 320)
Check out the tourism, hospitality, and event management program through the School of Public Health.
Students choosing a major in tourism, hospitality, and event management learn how to market and manage tourist facilities and destinations, deliver hospitality services, and manage large and small events, all with an emphasis on sustainable business practices. Students choose one of three focal tracks: event management, hospitality services, or global tourism. Graduates often work in government tourism divisions, hotels, resorts, convention centers, theme parks, visitor centers, cruises, and airlines.
Students majoring in tourism, hospitality, and event management take classes such as:
Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management Industries(SPH-T 201)
International Tourism(SPH-T 211)
Resort Management(SPH-T 321)
Festival and Event Tourism(SPH-T 333)
Green Operations in Hospitality Management(SPH-T 431)
Consider a major in community health through the School of Public Health.
Students majoring in community health have the skills and abilities to take on a number of careers. With a major in community health, you’ll study epidemiology, environmental health, social and behavioral health, health administration, and biostatistics in order to learn how to conduct research, measure and evaluate programs and data, and design intervention programs based on the data analyzed.
Students majoring in community health take classes that may include:
Consider a degree in environmental health through the School of Public Health.
With a degree in environmental health, you’ll work to protect the environment, conduct research, and provide information to the community on how the environment affects health. Students who earn this degree often work in public health departments, government agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, private companies, or environmental research corporations.
Students majoring in environmental health take classes that may include:
Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety(SPH-V 201)
Environmental Regulations and Code Compliance(SPH-V 214)
Consider a major in one of the following departments: French and Italian, Germanic Studies, Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, or Spanish and Portuguese.
In an increasingly global marketplace, second-language fluency gives you access to unique job opportunities, while cultural immersion helps you develop additional critical skills. Students who pursue degrees in these language departments experience social and cultural events, discussions, games, cooking, and media analysis. They also have access to a wide range of research conducted by faculty and graduate students. These departments also offer study abroad experiences that provide direct interaction with other cultures.
You might consider a concentration in cinema and media studies in The Media School.
Learn to analyze cinema, television, and digital and aural media by applying a variety of theoretical and historical concepts. This concentration allows students to choose courses, which speak specifically to interpreting and evaluating information from a critical perspective in order to consider the impacts and influence of various media forms on a global society.
Courses may include:
National and Transnational Cinemas(Various topics including: Chinese Cinema, French National Cinema, German Film culture, Indian Cinema, Italian Cinema, Brazilian Cinema, and more) (MSCH-F 398)
Consider a degree in public affairs through the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
With majors like law and public policy, policy analysis, and nonprofit management and leadership, an undergraduate degree in public affairs can prepare you with the management skills and the global perspective to prepare for a career solving complex problems facing people all over the world.
Courses in this degree include such options as:
US Policy & Administration(SPEA-V181)
Policy-making Around the World: Comparative and International Approaches(SPEA-V182)
Performance Measurement & Program Evaluation(SPEA-V379)
You may also be interested in a degree in environmental management.
By majoring in Environmental Management, you’ll learn to translate between the hard sciences and the policies and practices that governments, organizations, and businesses implement. Part of the Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs, you’ll be well grounded in environmental science topics while also studying management, risk assessment, environmental law, policy, and government finance.
Courses may include:
Environment & People(SPEA-E183)
Introduction to Risk Assessment and Risk Communication(SPEA-E311)
You might also consider a major in environmental and sustainability studies.
Offered in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and administered by IU’s Integrated Program in the Environment, a major in environmental and sustainability studies will help prepare you for a career tackling energy, water, and climate change issues that affect our planet as a whole.
If you’re planning to attend IU Bloomington, bring your passport—you’ll have plenty of options for using it. IU has 380+ overseas study options that allow you to spend as little as a week or as long as a year in another country*. Programs also vary in relation to language requirements, financial considerations, and whether you have to be enrolled in a specific major.
There are many ways to take advantage of these opportunities at IU:
Visit the Overseas Study website to see a list of all IU programs, learn how to get started, and find out how to apply.
Consider an overseas internship to gain practical experience as well as academic credit.
* We typically offer a robust set of overseas study options. Due to current public health concerns related to COVID-19, there are some uncertainties surrounding study abroad programs and opportunities.
Interstride at IU
Whether you're an IU international student seeking employment or sponsorship in the U.S., or an American interested in career opportunities abroad, Interstride supports you along the entire internship / job search process to pursue work opportunities that meet your goals.
Aside from major and study abroad options, IU offers plenty of other ways to prepare for a global career—or just expand your horizons.
IU has threeLanguage Flagship programs—Arabic, Chinese, and Russian—more than any school in the U.S. Funded through the Department of Defense, the programs prepare global professionals with superior proficiency in languages critical to U.S. competitiveness and security.
Speaking of languages, IU also offers instruction in more languages than any other public university: more than 80 at last count.
TheHLS Living Learning Centeris a great option if you want to connect and live with a diverse group of students from the U.S. and around the world.
Student Organizations
IU offers lots of student-led clubs and organizations to meet every interest a student could have. Opportunities on and off campus are available to any student on campus regardless of their major. It’s a great way to get experiences outside of the classroom.
