Our planet’s human population has surpassed 7.5 billion. We are united by our common humanity but often divided by race, culture, class, gender and citizenship. While our societies are more intertwined than ever before, violent conflict, profound inequality, and stark injustice remain distressingly common. Some societies have achieved unprecedented levels of human and economic development, but in doing so have come to test the limits of the earth’s capacity to sustain human and nonhuman life.

These are the issues and challenges that animate both students and faculty in Global Studies. We grapple with big questions in an increasingly complex world, and that requires both innovative classroom teaching and opportunities for experiential learning. Through the Arts Global Experience, for example, we invite you to ‘learn by doing’ through participation in international placements. Our field courses in Chile (2016), Bosnia (2017) and India (2018) offer unique opportunities to explore how global processes interact with the cultures and histories of particular countries. If you are looking for something a bit different, the Social Entrepreneurship Option, delivered by Global Studies on behalf of the Faculty of Arts, will equip you with additional tools and innovative approaches for making a difference in Canada or abroad.

The Global Studies degree is adaptable to your specific interests. You can choose to study broadly across our program, or to complete one of our three Concentrations – in Peace and Conflict, Culture and Globalization, or International Development. You can also apply to our Research Specialization if you are looking to develop more advanced academic skills.

The career paths of Global Studies graduates are as inspiring as they are diverse. Our alumni can be found all over the globe working in a wide variety of settings—from government, to international development and humanitarian aid organizations, to refugee settlement agencies, to the education sector, to major global corporations. There is also a wide range of graduate school options for Global Studies alumni. In Waterloo alone, many of our best students continue their studies at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (which offers both an MA in Global Governance and an MA in International Public Policy), or through the University of Waterloo’s MA program in Peace and Conflict Studies. Finally, in fall 2017 the first cohort of students enters Laurier’s MA in Religion, Culture and Global Justice—a collaboration between the Department of Global Studies and the Department of Religion and Culture.

Your time with us here at Laurier is short, so plan to make the most of it! We’re here to help you on the journey.