SJSU’s Department of Environmental Studies  offers the Minor in Global Studies as an interdisciplinary program that encourages students to look at the world holistically. The tremendous international migration of people, movements of goods, technology transfers, and mixing of cultures makes it important to study the world as a human community in ways we haven’t considered in the past. The program is designed to train future leaders to grapple with some of the most pressing issues of our time, from a global perspective. The focus of our program on studying global issues from multiple perspectives provides students the intellectual foundation and the analytical and communication skills to prepare for careers in government, education, NGOs, international development agencies, international philanthropic organizations, law, consulting, global health organizations, writing, and graduate study. We are the only Global Studies program in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of the few in the CSU system that offers an interdisciplinary program that includes a suite of core courses in Global Studies. Global Studies is a relatively new field and our program is at the leading edge of shaping this field for the future.

Students may complete a minor in Global Studies by completing 15 units of lower and upper-division core coursework in Global Studies.

University Graduation Requirements

To be awarded a minor, at least 12 units of coursework must be completely distinct and separate from the coursework in the major, and coursework for the minor must include a minimum of 6 upper-division units (University Policy S16-4). Minor preparation or minor support courses do not count toward the 12 distinct units. Of the coursework for the minor, at least 6 units must be completed in residence at SJSU. The minimum aggregate GPA for all coursework required for the minor must be at least 2.0.