Short and compact
What are Global Studies?
Climate change and resource scarcity, wars and flight, hunger and mass poverty, terror and violence are representative of a multitude of unsolved global problems and challenges.
The Master's Studies in Global Studies at Karl Franzens University prepare students to think and act holistically in a globalized world that is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic.
The Master's Studies in Global Studies have developed in a growth process driven by the great commitment and interest of researchers, teachers and students at the University in cooperation with external organizations. They 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 to the contents of the "Sustainable Development Goals" of the United Nations.
The three specializations of the program
The three curricula Economy and Environment, Law and Politics, and Society and Culture were developed to ensure continuity from the preceding Bachelor's studies to the respective Master's studies. Thus, the specialization Economics and Environment was developed especially for graduates of previous studies in economics and environmental (systems) sciences, the specialization Law and Politics for lawyers and political scientists, and the specialization Society and Culture for graduates of sociology, (USW) geography, ethnology/cultural sciences, history, political sciences and educational sciences.
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 subject specialization, although in each of the three studies there is again a choice between several variants.The master's thesis must also be written in the specialization. In addition, there are two "interdisciplinary extensions", which deliberately look beyond the horizon 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 and Interdisciplinary Extension 2.
The non-university internship comprises 150 hours/6ECTS hours (approximately one month full-time equivalent) and is supplemented by an "Interdisciplinary Internship".