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.
School of Global Studies and Languages Commencement Ceremony
Sunday, June 15th, 2025
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
East Campus Green
GSL Ring Lectures
The School of Global Studies and Languages at the UO has launched an annual Ring Lecture series to inspire fresh paths forward in our fraught and fractious global climates. The lecture series consists of three events per year and invites vibrant engagement of all UO citizens as well as the public. We welcome pedagogically oriented experimentation with new modes of scholarly presentation and exchange.
languages ranked in the top ten for degrees awarded
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
