Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies

Vancouver Island University

Internationalization is changing the world at a rapid pace. A Global Studies degree can provide you with the broader perspective needed to become a truly global citizen.VIU’s Global Studies program examines the causes and effects of, and responses to, globalization from a multi-disciplinary perspective, including the academic disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, political science and sociology. The program also includes a robust internship component, allowing successful applicants to work in a variety of international environments.Graduates have gone on to stimulating careers in international development and globalization, international relations, government policy analysis and various positions with non-governmental organizations, to name a few. Globalization is changing who we are and how and where we live and work. To act responsibly in this new world it is becoming increasingly important to be able to view it globally, and to develop knowledge and skills oriented toward ecological and social sustainability.The Global Studies program examines the causes and effects of, and responses to, globalization from a multidisciplinary perspective, drawing on insights from the academic disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, political science, and sociology. Courses are individually and/or team-taught by faculty from these social science disciplines and create an inclusive learning and social environment that provides, by its nature, an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds to learn from each other.The program is designed to impart skills and knowledge to understand, live and work in an increasingly interdependent and changing world, and focuses on:International flows of capital and labour, emergence of transnational corporations, trading blocs, international economic organizations, international business practices and issues, current and alternative economic indicators.Social and cultural changes, inequality and social justice concerns, ethnic and intercultural relations, population and health issues, technology and society, social movements, community and international development alternatives.World regions of the biophysical and human environments distribution, supply, and use of natural resources environmental change, sustainability and human impact land, agriculture and water development issues environmental analysis methods.Contemporary political systems, prospects for state sovereignty and political change, international conflict, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, prospects for world order, and the continuing development of international law in a variety of key areas, including the environment, human rights, and non-governmental organizations.

Faculty of Social Sciences