students on a study abroad trip working in the field

School of Global Studies and Languages

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

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Climate Conference 2024

Join us to examine the rising tensions surrounding climate issues, governance, and justice in this urgent global context.

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18
languages offered in person
100
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 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.

Aneesh Aneesh headshot

From the Executive Director

At this moment of world history, the importance of GSL’s mission cannot be overstated. Caught between the forces of globalization and still resilient communal loyalties, every society is facing contradictory pulls on its social fabric. GSL may help light up the path forward in this fraught and fractious global climate.

The University of Oregon boasts a long tradition of international education and research, and the School of Global Studies and Languages is a bold, new rendering of this tradition. As a first-generation immigrant from India who came to the US as a graduate student, I know how international education can transform a student’s life.

GSL is also a unique experiment. While there exist many schools of international studies, there are few that take the question of language seriously. In a rapidly expanding world society, cultures talk in multiple tongues. And each language opens up the world in a different way. Whether our students seek employment in foreign service, international organizations, think tanks, or global businesses, they will bring multilayered, plural understandings of the issues with their ability to analyze emerging problems from the horizon of more than one language.

They will be our contribution to the global public good.

Aneesh Aneesh is a professor of global studies and sociology and the executive director of the School of Global Studies and Languages. 

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 new 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

Global Studies and Languages Events and News

Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies PhD Information Session
Oct17
Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies PhD Information Session Oct 17
2025 Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program Info Session
Oct17
2025 Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) Program Info Session Oct 17 Fenton Hall
Women in Economics Club
Oct17
Women in Economics Club Oct 17 Allen Hall
Career Tour-Tech
Oct18
Career Tour-Tech Oct 18
A Decolonial Reading: The Case of Latin American Antígonas
Oct18
A Decolonial Reading: The Case of Latin American Antígonas Oct 18 Lillis Business Complex
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar Series: O-I-M Faculty Introductions
Oct18
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Seminar Series: O-I-M Faculty Introductions Oct 18 Willamette Hall
The Problem of Decolonizing Japan Studies: Rashomon, "In a Grove," and "Tied up in Mt. Oe"
Oct18
The Problem of Decolonizing Japan Studies: Rashomon, "In a Grove," and "Tied up in Mt. Oe" Oct 18 Susan Campbell Hall
Native American and Indigenous Studies Research Colloquium—Collaborative Archaeology Field Schools: "Perspectives from the Central California Coast"
Oct21
Native American and Indigenous Studies Research Colloquium—Collaborative Archaeology Field Schools: "Perspectives from the Central California Coast" Oct 21 Many Nations Longhouse
Peace Corps Geography Bee--WIN PRIZES!
Oct21
Peace Corps Geography Bee--WIN PRIZES! Oct 21 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall
Graduate Student & Postdoc Industry Recruitment Event (GSPIRE)
Oct22
Graduate Student & Postdoc Industry Recruitment Event (GSPIRE) Oct 22

All events »


GLOBAL STUDIES - The University of Oregon’s School of Global Studies and Languages is hosting a conference on climate change Oct. 17-19. The climate conference is taking an interdisciplinary approach to discussions by reflecting on the multifaceted issues related to climate change—affecting health, environment, economy, governance, and many other issues on a local and global level.
ECONOMICS, GLOBAL STUDIES, PHILOSOPHY, POLITICAL SCIENCE - Two College of Arts and Sciences students — one attending an immersive Mandarin language study abroad and the other serving on a state of Oregon board on climate change and exploring Peru — are having life-transforming experiences.
ROMANCE LANGUAGES - Staff and faculty members came together for the inaugural College of Arts and Sciences Awards and Hallmark Achievement Reception, which celebrated some of the achievements of faculty and staff. In addition to celebrating some of the college’s faculty members who have received accolades outside of the university, the ceremony featured the college’s first-ever awards that recognize the work of faculty and staff.

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