Professor pointing at a world map while teaching students

Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages

At the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages, UO students engage with diverse cultures, languages, histories, and lifeways across the world. The school prepares our graduates for life after college with an interdisciplinary curriculum, innovative language teaching, and abundant learning opportunities outside the classroom.

New Schnitzer School: 
A World of Opportunity

A landmark $25 million commitment from Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation is the largest-ever to the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences and will fuel significant advancements in global education and research.

18
languages offered in person
94
core faculty members
5

languages ranked in the top ten for degrees awarded

27

majors, minors, masters, and PhD programs

What you can do with a Global Studies and Languages degree

Students in the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages graduate with the skills necessary for a robust career in the global sector. Professional Concentration Areas such as Law and Human Rights or Business, Trade and Tourism provide students with career-relevant electives and language learning, all centered on a theme.

Amy poses with a cherry tree in the background

How Global Studies and Languages Kick-Starts Your Career

“The coursework in global studies, coupled with Arabic studies and political science, taught me about the origins and current state of our international relations system, as well as cross-cultural communication. My courses and collaboration with peers set me apart from other folks in the DC area who have gone to other universities on the East Coast and gave me a view of what it meant to work in the international affairs world. 

"That preparation helped me get a job right after college, starting with the United Nations, and it set me up to succeed in my current position with the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.”

—Amy Schenk, BA, global studies and double minors in Arabic studies and political science, '17

Our Degree Programs

The Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages brings together roughly 100 core faculty members across four language and literature departments, five area studies programs, the Yamada Language Center, and the Department of Global Studies. The school has an integrated curriculum that combines experiential learning programs and new ways to study and apply languages, while incorporating social science education, cultural competency, and professional training to create a hub for global careers and language learning at the UO.

Affiliated Programs, Centers and Institutes

Angers, France

Learn from Experts in the Field

The School of Global Studies and Languages faculty specialize in a range of research fields that deal with some of the most important contemporary and historical issues, including:

  • global health, media, and culture
  • environmental studies
  • social and political justice
  • language and cognition across cultures
  • migration
  • food studies
GSL-Real World Experience

Get Real-world Experience

To prepare students to thrive in a globalized workforce, our aim is to provide exceptional academic and professional development opportunities both at home and abroad. A few ways we do this:

  • GlobalWorks Internship Program
  • Academic Residential Communities
  • First-year Interest Groups
  • Global Education Oregon centers in Spain, Italy, and the UK

Scholarships and Funding

Our participating departments offer a variety of funding opportunities to undergraduate majors and graduate students. The College of Arts and Sciences and the UO also offer scholarships to all students.

Undergraduate Scholarships 
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Academic help for undergraduate students is available through Tykeson College and Career Advising. Located in Tykeson, the Global Connections Flight Path serves as a framework for you to explore internationally focused majors and help align your personal interests with a rewarding career track.

Undergraduate Advising

Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages Events and News

Curious about the Fall Career & Internship Expo (Virtual Info-Session)
Oct20
Curious about the Fall Career & Internship Expo (Virtual Info-Session) Oct 20
Language Circles Fall 2025
Oct20
Language Circles Fall 2025 Oct 20 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
How to: Interviewing (Workshop)
Oct21
How to: Interviewing (Workshop) Oct 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Chill in the Mills
Oct22
Chill in the Mills Oct 22 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
CHC and Study Abroad with GEO
Oct22
CHC and Study Abroad with GEO Oct 22 New Residence Hall
Encoding and Decoding Story, Place, and Self: Towards Situated Environmental Journalism in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Oct23
Encoding and Decoding Story, Place, and Self: Towards Situated Environmental Journalism in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Oct 23
Fall Career & Internship Expo PREVIEW & TOUR!
Oct23
Fall Career & Internship Expo PREVIEW & TOUR! Oct 23 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
adidas Office Hours Pop-Up
Oct23
adidas Office Hours Pop-Up Oct 23 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Global Justice Program Lecture by Nathan J. Robinson
Oct23
Global Justice Program Lecture by Nathan J. Robinson Oct 23 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Language Circles Fall 2025
Oct27
Language Circles Fall 2025 Oct 27 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)

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SPANISH - Dulce Gutierrez valued the flexibility to explore different majors and minors. Originally a biology major, she switched her major to political science and government and picked up a minor in Spanish. She went to law school and is now a practicing attorney and finds herself using her multilingual studies in a practical manner.
CINEMA STUDIES, EAST ASIAN STUDIES — For Natalie Jacobsen explored multiple majors before landing on cinema studies and media history. That well-rounded education took her across the globe and to her current position as director of marketing and communications at Airlink, a humanitarian aviation nonprofit. She is also a published novelist!
GLOBAL STUDIES - After announcing a landmark $25 million commitment, Portland developer, philanthropist and alumnus Jordan Schnitzer shares his thoughts on living in an ever-globalizing world—and his hopes for the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages.

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