BA in Global Affairs

Mason’s global affairs degree is designed for students who are interested in international issues and the global dynamics that affect all societies.  You'll look at these subjects through many different lenses, including the political, the economic and the cultural. Our graduates pursue careers in international security and intelligence, global health and international development, law, business, media, and management.

Over the course of your education, you will gain a sophisticated understanding of complex issues such as terrorism, refugee crises, global inequality, and health and environmental challenges. Core courses in the major provide the foundation for this understanding. Your choice of a thematic or regional concentration helps you tailor your degree to your particular interests and career goals.

We encourage you to take your education beyond the classroom. Our program has one of the highest study abroad rates in the university. You tell us where you want to go in the world, and we’ll show you how it can fit into your major—without delaying time to graduation.   Global affairs students find incredible internships by taking advantage of the political and cultural resources of Washington, DC, for example working on Capitol Hill, at the US Department of State, the FBI, Human Rights Watch, and in embassies here and abroad.

As a global affairs graduate, you will:

  • Gain a deep understanding of political, social, economic, and cultural globalization
  • Understand the use of different kinds of data and theories to analyze current global issues
  • Be trained in writing effectively for policy and other audiences
  • Be prepared to work in cross-cultural environments
  • Have advanced language skills
  • Have expertise in your concentration, be it a world region or issues such as global governance, the global economy, international development, or environment

Major Map: Blank

  First Year Middle Years Last Year
Academics

Mason Core: Focus on the Foundation and Exploration categories. Speak with academic advisor to see how you can align career interests with Mason Core requirements.

Meet with your academic advisor once a semester.

Make sure to discuss any AP, IB, Dual Enrollment or other transfer credits with your advisor; if you think you have credit, or think you have taken the class, it's better to wait than to lose credits.

Take your foreign language waiver or register for your language classes.  

Meet with your academic advisor once a semester.

Consider applying for Honors in Global Affairs.

Explore BAM [accelerated MA] pathway, apply after completing 60 credits.

Start exploring or declare your concentration.

Continue taking your language courses.

Consider a study abroad language program or Critical Language Scholarship.

Consider a minor in Area Studies to complement your thematic concentration.

Present your research at GLOA Research week (every semester).

Meet with your academic advisor the semester before your last to ensure you are completing all requirements for the major.

Apply for graduation before the deadline. 

Consider submitting an abstract for the CHSS Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Add the title of your Mason Apex paper, IMPACT+ (in GLOA 400, or GLOA 492) to your transcript.

Present your research at GLOA Research week (every semester).

Apply to OSCAR for funding to travel to an off-campus conference, such as NCUR.  

 
Career and Professional Prep

Visit the Career Services Center to learn about Handshake; create your first resume or improve the one you have.

Meet with your professors during office hours to learn more about your class and their professional interests; use this as a networking opportunity. 
Attend GLOA Alumni Career Panel.

Take GLOA 305 (1 credit) - focuses on networking skills and effective self-presentation for students looking for jobs and internships.

Schedule a meeting with Career Services for internship opportunities and career interests. 

Look into internships through the Career Services Center and Handshake.

Attend job and internship fair.

Attend GLOA Alumni Career Panel. 

Register for GLOA 495 if you want 3 credits for your internship (can potentially be applied to concentration).

Look into internships through the Career Services Center and Handshake. 

Schedule a meeting with Career Services for career information and potential opportunities upon graduation.

Attend job and internship fair.

Attend GLOA Alumni Career Panel. 

 

 

 

 
Experiences

Attend the GLOA welcome event for a delicious meal and great company at the start of each semester.

Join a student organization, like GLOA club, Women in Diplomacy, or Southwest Asia and North African Alliance (SWANAA), and others. 

Follow Global Affairs on social media pages to stay up to date on events and opportunities.

Spend 2nd semester on our Mason Korea campus (fulfill the Mason core or your GLOA major credits there).

Consider doing study abroad with Global Gateway (through GEO).
 

Attend the GLOA welcome event for a delicious meal and great company at the start of each semester.

Attend the Study Abroad Fair.

Apply for Arlington Fellows program.

Spend a year or a semester on our Mason Korea campus (fulfill the Mason core or your GLOA major credits there)

Attend the GLOA colloquium speaker series each semester.

Seek out conferences, workshops, and opportunities for hands-on learning and network building, such as: Korea-America Student Conference, South Asian Youth Initiative conference, and Duke-UNC China Leadership Summit.

Attend the GLOA colloquium speaker series each semester.

Prepare for graduation.

 

 

Opportunities

All students have opportunities for research, global engagement, public service, and career preparation.

Tags:

Globalization World Cultures Global Views International Development