Master's Programme

Climate change and resource scarcity, wars and flight, hunger and mass poverty, terror and violence represent a multitude of unsolved global problems and challenges. The Master's degree programs in Global Studies at the University of Graz prepare students to think and act holistically in a globalized world that is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic.

Global Studies are interdisciplinary and cross-faculty in terms of teaching. During their studies, students develop the sensitivity and integrative thinking skills necessary in a variety of multicultural settings. These competencies enable graduates to professionally analyze the numerous international and intercultural challenges society currently faces as a result of globalization. They learn to develop meaningful concepts for acting and to implement these concepts in our complex world

The Master's programs Global Studies was developed in an ongoing process driven by the great commitment and interest of researchers, faculty, and students at the University in cooperation with external partnering organizations. Global Studies combine the professional expertise of the University of Graz in the fields of globalization and (sustainable) development: poverty reduction, world hunger, education, climate and environmental protection, human rights, worldwide production and working conditions, diversity and gender, peace and justice, etc. are central topics of Global Studies. This also corresponds with the contents of the "Sustainable Development Goals" of the United Nations.

Since winter semester 2018/19, three curricula with different specializations have been implemented:

• Global Studies - Specialization: Economy and Environment
• Global Studies - Specialization: Law and Politics
• Global Studies - Specialization: Society and Culture

The three curricula were developed to ensure continuity from the preceding bachelor studies to the respective master studies. Thus, the specialization in Economics and Environment has been developed especially for graduates of previous study programs in economics and environmental (systems) sciences, the specialization in Law and Politics for graduates of law and political science, and the specialization in Society and Culture for graduates of sociology, (enviromental systems sciences) geography, ethnology/cultural studies, history, political science, and education.

The first semester consists of a series of courses introducing Global Studies (Modules A and B). This is followed by the "disciplinary specialization" in the respective specialization, but again there is a choice from a variety of topics in each of the three studies. The master's thesis must also be focused on the specialization. In addition, there are two "interdisciplinary extensions" that deliberately head "out of the disciplinary box" and offer content from other disciplines or interdisciplinary content. Again, there are many choices available in all disciplines. Please note that one entire submodule must be completed from each of Interdisciplinary Extension 1 (module D) and Interdisciplinary Extension 2 (Module E).

The practitioner internship comprises 150 hours/6ECTS hours (equivalent to a month of full-time employment) and is supplemented by an "Interdisciplinary Internship".

With the beginning of the winter semester 2022, the curricula will be reformed again in order to straighten out inconsistencies in the W18 curricula and to make studying smoother. However, the basic ideas and concepts of the three curricula will essentially remain the same. Students from the W18 curricula will be transferred to the new curricula. As far as possible, recognition of ECTS will be carried out automatically according to the equivalence list, but in some cases recognition will be complex and applications for recognition made by the students will be necessary. We will provide information on this in a timely manner.