Global Studies and Human Geography prepares you to succeed in an increasingly globalized world. Our students study global change and the movement of people and resources in the world, focusing in particular on the spatial aspects of issues, communities, and cultures. They develop skills in critical thinking and complex analysis, written and verbal communications, and how to work effectively across cultures – the skills needed to work and thrive in the modern world. Nearly all of our majors and minors go abroad during their studies, often on study abroad trips led by our faculty. These opportunities are life-changing experiences; our students gain confidence, friendships, and experiences working internationally that allows them to thrive after graduation. Our students go on to leadership positions in NGOs and non-profits, government, and business.
All MTSU Global Studies students study abroad at least once, and these are transformative, life-changing experiences. Students live for one month to one year in a country of their choosing and study courses or complete an internship. In recent years, our students have studied in over 30 different countries on five continents. In a globalized world, students are prepared to thrive in business, media, the arts, and non-profit sector.
Brittney Johnson (Global Studies, '20) was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Spain. Fulbrighters meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country; the program facilitates cultural exchange through direct interaction to gain an appreciation of others’ viewpoints and beliefs. While an undergraduate, Brittney also won the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study in Chile for a semester.
The study of Global Studies and Human Geography can open many doors. Below are examples for both concentrations.
A Global Studies degree develops viable, valued employees for the international marketplace. With a broad-based educational background, study abroad, and language skills, the Global Studies student is empowered with tools to pursue graduate work, professional service, and careers in public and private sectors—here and abroad. The majority go to graduate school.
For information on career options available in government, education, media, journalism, business, tourism, non-profit organizations, click here. To learn more about building a career in Global Studies and Human Geography, click here.
There are numerous career options and possibilities with a degree in Human Geography. The nature of the program is built around the diversity and flexibility of geography; therefore, our majors find jobs in many sectors of the economy.
The Global Studies and Human Geography Program offers an interdisciplinary major in Global Studies and Human Geography that leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Students choose from two concentrations:
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.
The major, which leads to a Bachelor of Science degree, consists of 33 hours including 12 hours in required classes, 12 hours in the student's field of study, and 9 hours in a region of study, along with a 12-hour foreign language cognate, general education requirements, electives, and a minor area of study.
The Global Studies and Human Geography (GSCG) Teacher Licensure Program offers an innovative, interdisciplinary teacher licensure track for those pursing Tennessee secondary education (6-12) Social Studies endorsements. This 120-hour GSCG degree option allows students to pursue a "fast-track" B.S. in Global Studies and Human Geography while simultaneously earning credits toward dual teaching endorsements in Geography and one of three additional fields: History, Government (Political Science), and Economics. This program consists of an interdisciplinary, content-driven curriculum with experiential learning courses, education abroad opportunities, and field experiences that makes graduates more attractive to prospective school systems and boosts earning potential. No foreign language requirements make this program the most direct path to the social studies classroom.
Also offered are interdisciplinary minors in Global Studies and in Cultural Geography. The Global Studies minor requires 18 hours and includes 9 hours in required courses and 9 additional hours selected by the student and advisor. The Cultural Geography minor requires GEOG 2000 Introduction to Regional Geography and GEOG 4360 Cultural Geography; the remaining 12 hours are selected from the cultural geography offerings.
The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) College of Education’s teacher licensure preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and are eligible for accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Global Studies and Human Geography with teacher licensure program at MTSU is designed to meet the licensure requirements set by the Tennessee Department of Education. Students should be aware that licensure requirements vary from state to state and are subject to change. MTSU has not made a determination whether a specific program will meet all of the requirements of another US state or territory. MTSU recommends that students who plan to seek licensure outside the state of Tennessee contact the appropriate licensing agency and discuss their plans with their advisor. To obtain current information about each state’s and territory’s licensure requirements and any additional regulations, students should consult the US Department of Education’s website for state contacts at https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html.
Graduates of MTSU teacher education programs certified to teach in Tennessee are eligible for certification reciprocity in many states. Reciprocity is not an automatic or complete transfer of certification, thus individuals should consult the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) site at https://www.tn.gov/education/licensing.html and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) site at https://www.nasdtec.net/page/Interstate as well as the US Department of Education state contacts site for information about any additional state requirements.
Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.
Required of all Global Studies majors or minors and Human Geography majors. Establishes a broad-based foundation for understanding varying perspectives and values in a culture other than one's own. Differing global and international views on cultural and environmental issues past, present, and future. The student's cultural background will be used for comparative purposes. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Serves as an introduction to U.S. culture and higher education in the U.S. for international students. Emphasis on various topics that beginning students who are new to the U.S. need to know in order to be successful in academic, research, or business programs in the U.S. (Fall)
Required of all Global Studies and Human Geography majors. Explores concepts and history of globalization including forms and processes. Introduces historical antecedents and contemporary issues of globalization such as globalism verses globalization and Americanization, migration and cultural diffusion, civil discord, global and regional governance, technology, environment, media, gender and inequality, regionalism, and the cultural landscapes of globalization/globalism. Requires off-campus activities. (Spring)
Prerequisite: GS 2010 or approval of department chair. Required of all Global Studies majors and minors. Completed after returning from the required education abroad experience, students reflect on their experiences abroad and its application to their coursework in the major/minor and application to their personal and professional lives. (Fall)
Examines past and present trends in global migration; causes and effects of human movement; the impact migration has on host and home societies; emergence of transnational communities; evolving concepts of race, gender, and class in an era of accelerating globalization; and socioeconomic challenges caused by transnational immigration. Requires off-campus assignments. (Fall odd-numbered years)
Utilizes films to examine issues of globalization such as human diversity, movement of people and goods, and conflict. Compares and contrasts film's history (specifically Western cinema) from creation, promotion, and perpetuating views of global cultures with those films produced in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Middle East. Some off-campus film viewing possible. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisites: GS 2010, permission of department, and junior standing. Practical experience in a professional setting relating to Global Studies. Number of credit hours determined by hours interned and subject to advisor's approval. Six (6) hours can be applied to the major and three (3) to the minor. Pass/Fail. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Critical examination of the immense changes taking place in contemporary People's Republic of China. Topics covered include government, economy, political culture, family and children, sexuality, the Internet, films, avant-garde art, rock and roll, and sports with a special focus on how power and resistance to power exercised in various ways. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Critical examination of the nature and scope of China's global impact. Topics include international trade, human rights, security and cultural clashes with a special focus on understanding the complexity of China at the international level. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Allows senior students to explore a topic of interest related to global studies under supervision of a faculty member. May take many forms including but not limited to directed readings, applied work, assisting a faculty member with a research project, carrying out an independent research project, or other activities deemed appropriate by the supervising faculty member and the department. Public presentation of results required at completion of course. Not repeatable. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
(Same as PS 4150.) Prerequisite: Junior standing. Human trafficking examined globally in regards to issues of recruiting, transporting/transferring, and harboring/receiving persons through force for the purpose of exploitation. Laws and preventative measures also examined. Students research trafficking issues in global contexts and engage in Experiential Learning activities by volunteering in service projects with registered and certified local non-profit organizations, whose missions are to combat human trafficking locally and globally. (Spring even-numbered years)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Examines the philosophical and organizational influences upon the evolution of warfare and culture through societal, strategic, organizational, military, and human dynamics. Development of a warrior ethos among various cultures also considered. Case studies and off-campus activities required. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
(Same as PS 4030.) Fosters critical thinking about human rights by developing skills in weighing powerful but opposing arguments in complex moral situations. Familiarizes students with the role of both national and international organizations in global politics.
In-depth examination of ecotourism (low-impact study and travel), geotourism (human engagement with abiotic resources), and sustainable development (interaction with and preservation of the natural environment). Examines the role humans play in interpretation and preservation of our natural and cultural surroundings from local, regional, and global perspectives. Requires field component(s). (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisite: GS 2010. A detailed examination of a problem or topic pertinent to Global Studies. Topics vary and may be taken as an independent study or in a traditional classroom setting. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. No more than three (3) hours may apply toward the Global Studies major or minor. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
(Same as PS 4275.) Key topics and issues surrounding the environment and competing pressures that international non-governmental organizations and domestic non-profits confront. Formal readings paired with discussions from practitioners in the field and hands-on professional exercises.
(Same as GEOG 4990.) Required of all Global Studies majors or minors. Capstone course requiring projects reflecting integration and demonstration of knowledge and skills used by all successful global citizens. Projects determined by the student with advisement of the program director and may be completed on campus, abroad, or in the field. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Required for all Global Studies and Human Geography majors and Cultural Geography minors. Examines world regions using the geographical perspective, identifying the main physical and cultural features, especially through the use of maps. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
(Same as SPAN 2105, PS 2105, SOC 2105, ART 2105, ANTH 2105.) A multidisciplinary, team-taught introduction to Latin America. Covers the cultures and societies of the region: pre-history, history, geography, politics, art, languages, and literatures. Required course for all Latin American Studies minors. (Fall)
Geography's influence upon Tennessee and the American South's development in local, regional, national, and global contexts. Examines the physical, cultural, political, and economic geographies and their role in shaping the state and the region. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisites: Permission of department. Required for all Human Geography majors. Supervised study in some geographical area/topic. Emphasis on cultural elements of the environment with special attention directed toward interpretation of cultural landscapes. For fees and specific credit, consult the instructor. Course has required off-campus activities. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Study of cultural and physical features of the U.S. and Canada with focus on culture regions, settlements patterns, natural resources, and cultural landscapes. (Fall odd-numbered years)
Comprehensive survey of the human and physical geographies of Latin America. Examines the ecological, historical, cultural, economic, and political processes that shape the region. Emphasis placed on socioeconomic development, migration, globalization, and linkages. (Spring odd-numbered years)
Explores the past and present physical and cultural processes that influence Europe (including Russia) by examining ideas and concepts about economics, politics, culture identity, environment, and territory from a geographical perspective. (Fall even-numbered years)
Inclusive geographic survey of sub-regions of Asia such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Asia along with areas comprising the Pacific Rim. Focus on linkages and diversity within this geographic region specifically those dealing with culture, religion, politics, economies, resources, transnationalism, migrations, and globalization. Emphasis on Japan, China, India, and Pacific Rim.
Cultural and physical geography of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Emphasis on geography of humans specifically their demographics, settlement patterns, urbanization, internal and external migrations, ethnicity and ethnic tensions, humans and natural resources, and globalization. (Spring even-numbered years)
Prerequisites: 3 hours anthropology or geography. Comparison of ecological systems utilized by tribal, peasant, and industrialized peoples of the world. Special attention paid to the theoretical approaches examining the interface of the environment and culture, the evolution of modes of subsistence, and contemporary development and indigenous people. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Allows senior students to explore a topic of interest related to geography under supervision of a faculty member. May take many forms including but not limited to directed readings, applied work, assisting a faculty member with a research project, carrying out an independent research project, or other activities deemed appropriate by the supervising faculty member and the department. Public presentation of results required at completion of course. Not repeatable. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Detailed examination of problem or topic pertinent to cultural geography. Topics vary and may be taken as an independent study or in a traditional classroom setting. May be taken more than once for credit with different topics. (Upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. A consideration of geographical and geopolitical influences upon military operations and strategic decision-making as well as the cultural and economic implications of a military presence. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisite: GS 2010, GEOG 2000, ECON 2410, or PS 1010. Overview of global economic and political systems from a geographic perspective. Emergence and growth of a global economy and changing geo-political boundaries examined historically to present day using spatial and temporal analyses used by geographers. Examines role of transnationalism in global economies, the changing concept of nation-states, and evolution of sections of the global economy. Global case studies such as NAFTA, OPEC, and EU examined along with regional and local examples. Requires field work. (Spring odd-numbered years)
Prerequisite: GEOG 2000 or permission of instructor. The changing human geography of the United States during four centuries of settlement and development. Emphasis on changing population patterns as well as patterns of urban and rural settlement. (Spring odd-numbered years)
Prerequisite: GEOG 2000 or permission of instructor. Required for all Global Studies and Human Geography majors and Cultural Geography minors. Description and explanation of spatial patterns and ecological relationships in human culture. Emphasis on "reading" the cultural landscapes. (Fall)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Explores different geographies of cities through contemporary socioeconomic processes that shape urban development. Cityscapes of North America and abroad surveyed to determine how cultural, economics, globalization, infrastructure, race, geography, and policy influence urban growth. Global networks and associations emphasized. (Fall even-numbered years)
Through behavior, cognition, and perception people assign meaning to the environment and transform spaces into places and create a sense of place. These dynamic processes result in cultural landscapes. Explores the types, methods, and meanings used by geographers to "read" those landscapes constructed by humans. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisites: GEOG 2000; junior standing. A geographical analysis of forms, structures, and distribution of rural settlements in distinctive parts of the earth based upon their origin, function, and development. Special emphasis in analyzing rural settlements of middle Tennessee.
Prerequisite: Junior standing. A geographical analysis of natural and cultural factors influencing use of space for recreation and tourism. Concepts and themes such as globalization's influence on recreation and tourism, long-term sustainability of recreational space/place, cultural landscapes of tourism, and public geography/history and the role of interpretation of places examined. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Situated at the intersection of Europe, Africa and Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa together form a complex and dynamic region linked by similarities such as environment, culture, and religion. Explores the geography of the region emphasizing current issues such as population and migration, religion, conflict, natural resources, geo-political alliances and globalization. (Spring odd-numbered years)
Prerequisite: junior standing. Historical and current examination of indigenous peoples from a geographic perspective including their locations(s), history, diffusion and migration, human/land relationships, cultural traits, and cultural landscapes. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
An examination of current global issues in the context of their geographic environment. Emphasis on geographic factors impacting those issues. Topics examined vary from year to year. (Spring even-numbered years)
Prerequisites: Permission of department; junior standing. Practical experience in a professional setting relating to geography. Number of credit hours determined by hours interned and subject to advisor's approval. Six (6) hours can be applied to the major and three (3) to the minor. Pass/Fail. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Prerequisite: Junior standing. Intensive field-based exploration of selected themes of the human and physical environment. Depending on instructor, course can take many forms including but not limited to faculty-led excursions, research-oriented data collection projects, and/or service learning. Involves field trips which may occur locally, in other regions of the United States, or abroad. No more than six hours of GEOG 4600 may count toward the Global Studies and Human Geography degree. (Offered on sufficient demand).
Prerequisites: HIST 4860 and ANTH 3210; junior standing; permission of department. Key elements of historical geography explored using archaeologically generated data. Themes such as migration, economic interaction spheres and linkages, public history/geography, and historical landscape change examined through archival and field work. Requires off-campus activities. (Offered upon sufficient demand)
(Same as GS 4990.) Prerequisites: Permission of department; senior standing. Required capstone course for all Human Geography majors. Implements acquired knowledge from previous cultural geography courses to develop a research project. Offers preparation for graduate study and/or job opportunities in geography. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
This program is available .
Contact your department / program coordinator or advisor for more details about the program OR work one-on-one with your advisor to explore your options.
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