Effective Fall 2022:
Students admitted to the major after Fall 2022 are no longer required to write a thesis. Instead, they can choose ONE capstone option during their senior year to fulfill the senior capstone requirement

Applicants: please model your DAR for Fall 2022 from now on to see updated requirements.



Incoming UCLA Students 

Students may be admitted to UCLA as Pre-Global Studies; however, they will still need to apply for the major once at UCLA by Fall of their junior year.  Students admitted under another major may also apply to switch to Global Studies. See our "Transfer Students" tab for more.


 

Current UCLA Students

 Application Requirements

Eligible students: Current Sophomores and Juniors during Fall ONLY. Seniors are not eligible.

Minimum Requirements: By the end of FALL: (courses may be in progress in Fall)

  • Earn at least a 'B' in GLBL ST 1
  • Complete all preparation courses* (may be in progress in the Fall) with a minimum UC GPA in these courses of 3.25
  • Enroll in GLBL ST 102, 103, or 104 in Winter, and register for a GLBL ST 110A/110B travel study program** (Summer)

See the Major Worksheet for preparation requirements.

Language: Completion of level 3 of the foreign language is acceptable when applying for the major. Level 6 of the foreign language is required for graduation, but can be done once accepted to the major. Sophomore applicants do not need one year of foreign language to apply. If you have taken a language placement exam and haven't notified our office, please fill out this form so we can include in your application or update your DAR if needed. 

** Sophomores are not required to enroll in Summer Travel Study until their Junior year.


 

Admission to the Major

Factors considered for admission are:

  • preparatory GPA (minimum 3.25)
  • grade in GLBL ST 1 
  • Statement of Interest- 300 words ( see prompts on our FAQs)

 Due to a limited number of spaces for new admits, meeting the minimum preparation requirements does not guarantee admission. The average prep GPA for the 2021-22 period was 3.7, and the admission rate was 80%. Students are asked to have a backup major in case they are not accepted. Possible back up majors are International Development Studies, International and Area Studies, Asian American Studies, African American Studies, Chicano/a Studies to name a few.

NOTIFICATIONS:Applications will be reviewed after Fall Quarter grades are posted. The notification period is targeted for Week 2 of Winter Quarter, if not before. Students are asked to refrain from inquiring about their application status until then and should constantly check their inboxes and spam boxes during Weeks 1 and 2 of Winter for their decision email. 

 


 

2023-24 APPLICATION

Application opens November 15th-Dec 2nd 2023

IMPORTANT: Before you start the Application,  model your DARS for Global Studies and check that all preps for Global Studies are showing up in the correct fields. If they are not, please contact the Global Studies Advising Office. Prompt for Statement of Interest can be found under our FAQs

 APPLY HERE

 



 Travel Study and Winter Coursework

Third year Global Studies applicants must do the following**:

  • Enroll in Glbl St 102, 103 or 104 in the Winter Quarter
  •  Register for a Global Studies Travel Study program (GLBL ST 110A/110B)** for the following Summer any time after November 18th via the UCLA Travel Study website. Certain destinations fill up quickly so if you have a preferred program, enroll early. A non-refundable deposit is required to enroll (exceptions may be made due to COVID related issues. Please consult with IEO) . Sophomore applicants have the option of enrolling in the Travel Study program their second or third year.

Students who are not admitted to the Global Studies major will have the option of dropping GLBL ST 110A/110B, but the deposit will not be refunded. These courses can be used towards two of the three electives for the Global Studies minor.

**Students who are not able to meet the travel study requirement must meet with a Global Studies counselor to explore their options.



Checklist to declare the Global Studies minor:

  • Be in good academic standing (minimum 2.00 GPA cumulative)
  • Have completed all preparatory courses for the minor with a minimum prep GPA of 2.00 (grades for all preps should be posted on the Degree Audit Report). You do not need to complete any upper division coursework including GLBL ST 102, 103, and 104 prior to declaring.

Only students who have satisfied all the above requirements may request to be declared Global Studies Minor by submitting a petition no later than the quarter prior to your last quarter at UCLA.

 

Minor Requirements

For all minor requirements, please see 'Minor Requirements' under the 'Current Students' tab. 

 

Declare the Minor

   

WELCOME NEW BRUINS!!!

UCLA admitted transfers declared under ANY major are eligible to apply to Global Studies, however, pre-Glbl St students will have priority to be admitted over students planning to switch or add Glbl St as a double major.

Incoming transfer students must apply Fall of their junior year (your first quarter at UCLA). Application information is available under the 'Applying to the Major' tab. Sign up for summer orientation and attend the Glbl St Departmental counseling session.  Please email us if you can't attend orientation at idps@international.ucla.edu
 


FUTURE UCLA APPLICANTS

In addition to reviewing Assist.org and UCLA's Admissions page, make sure to review our website for additional major information. Please remember:

  • You will have to submit a supplemental application to be admitted to the Global Studies major after you are admitted to UCLA.
  • You may complete the foreign language requirement (intermediate level) at UCLA via placement exam, appropriate coursework, or language immersion abroad.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

If you hold an F1 visa and attended high school where instruction was not in English, the Global Studies foreign language requirement may be waived. Please check with your Global Studies counselor.



CURRENT UCLA STUDENTS

Please review the Transfer Student Handbook and let us know if you have questions!

student handbook

Also, don't forget to visit the Transfer Student Center!

 

 

The Global Studies Major at UCLA requires students to complete the intermediate level of a foreign language. For Spanish, completion of Spanish 5 is acceptable.

Exemptions:

You may be exempted from the Foreign Language requirement for the following reasons:

  • Completion of a Language Placement Test. Placement Tests are offered through a language's respective department (i.e. Department of Asian Language & Cultures). You must take the Placement Test, not the Exemption Test, for the major. *Note: successful completion of the Exemption Test will only waive the requirement for the College Foreign Language requirement, which equates to one year of the elementary year. For clarification, please contact our Advising Office.

  • AP Test credit can be accepted depending on the AP score. Please contact our Advising Office.

  • Students with an F1 visa who attended a high school where the primary language of instruction was not English may be exempt. International Students from a Spanish or Portuguese speaking country may be exempt. Please contact our Advising Office.

Students minoring in Global Studies do not have to complete the language requirement.

When applying to the Global Studies major, completion of the elementary year of the foreign language is acceptable (i.e. Spanish 3). *Sophomore applicants are exempted from this requirement.

Completion of the intermediate year of the foreign language must be completed by graduation in order to fulfill all major requirements.

 

International Institute Events

Attend numerous events on specific world regions and pressing global issues. For upcoming International Institute Events, visit the Event Calendar. 

 

 Event Calendar

 

International Institute Open House

International Institute Career Panel

Recommended Campus Groups

  • Global Development Lab - Equips students with skills and resources necessary to foster global development initiatives.
  • GlobeMed at UCLA  - Promoting global health equity through partnerships and sustainability.

       Find more UCLA student groups HERE

 

Meet your Major/Minor Advisors!

We strive to provide holistic and comprehensive support to our students through one-on-one advising, workshops and events. Our ultimate goal is to encourage our students to make a positive impact in the world both during and after their college careers as informed and responsible global citizens.

 

Global Studies & IDS Advisor Sandy Valdivieso

Sandy Valdivieso

 

Global Studies & IDS Advisor

Liz Alvarez

We can assist you with:

• Thoughtful academic and professional planning
• Exploration of research
• Inspire internship opportunities and experiences abroad
• Helping you connect your major to your career and personal goals
• Clarifying the scope and requirements of the major or minor

Contact your Counseling Unit with questions about GE/IGETC Requirements, Course Add/Drop Petitions, Degree Plan Contracts, College-specific requirements, Holds, Grad Checks, Probation status, Readmission, etc.

Contact the Registrar's Office with questions about registration, fees, classes, etc.- view FAQ's

E-mail us:  

Please include your name and UID in all emails. idps@international.ucla.edu

Appointments

Current UCLA students only. If you're not a UCLA student, please e-mail us. The appointment will be cancelled if you're not present (online or in person) within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. Our offices are located in Bunche Hall 10270 & 10274. MY.UCLA APPOINTMENT SCHEDULER