The major is for students who are interested in all things “international”: foreign countries, globalization, cultural diversity and languages, global security and peace, development, and the environment. It is different from other majors because it is multi-disciplinary. The major is designed to provide students with a strong foundation by exposing them to international politics, history, anthropology, geography, and economics. Students can then specialize in a topical area while developing language and cultural expertise.
You can choose from classes in a number of USU departments including Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Languages, Economics, and Business.
The major provides students with the critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills that employers want with the added bonus of showing experience and interest in international affairs. International Studies major are ideally positioned to become “synthesizers” with global awareness. These are two things that are in demand! Don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what some famous CEO and employers have to say.
"It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing."
"[My academic background in existential philosophy] makes me a very unusual member of the team. I always consider a plethora of different options and outcomes in every situation."
"[Interdisciplinary East Asian studies] is awfully similar to viewing our organization and our marketplace from different points of view, quickly shifting views from sales to technology to marketing. In the dynamic environment of the technology sector, there is typically not one right answer when you make decisions. There are just different shades of how correct you might be."
"I find that liberal arts thinkers are the ones that try to problem solve and don’t just draw on experiences from school."