Global Liberal Studies (GLS) is an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree that brings the liberal arts into the global twenty-first century—equipping you with the skills to excel in a changing world.
In GLS, you take a humanistic approach to Global Studies, building a foundation in world cultures by studying significant literature, arts, politics, philosophy, and history from around the world. All your classes will be seminar-style and taught by full-time faculty who complement classroom learning with visits to museums, theaters, and landmarks to experience the global great works in person.
You will learn how meaning is formulated and circulates within and across borders, as you specialize in one of six concentrations and develop the intellectual framework for understanding globalization.
As a junior, you will test this theoretical understanding against the local experiences you have during a year abroad, a rare opportunity to spend a full academic year studying at one of NYU’s global academic centers. There you will be immersed in the local culture through experiential learning and language study, making your experience in the culture itself a subject of study. With GLS, you can spend up to two full years studying away from Washington Square, as you also have the opportunity to spend your first year away.
In your senior year, you bring all your studies and experience to bear on a thesis that integrates what you have learned of a particular culture into an overarching global context. Working closely with a faculty advisor, you will define, research, and craft this capstone project over the course of the year.
Graduating from GLS, you will have a uniquely global and interdisciplinary lens for problem-solving, which is a critical skill to any potential employer or graduate school in our evolving world.
