The Penn State College of the Liberal Arts seeks to offer students a transformative educational experience that combines core liberal arts values—communication, analytic thinking, ethical decision-making, and appreciation for other cultures and other times—with internships, research opportunities, and global experiences that allow students to apply their skills in real-world contexts and grow personally and professionally. That educational experience also includes providing students opportunities to learn from, and work with, the leading liberal arts scholars within their respective disciplines; and connecting students with the vast network of college and University alumni who can serve as mentors and otherwise assist students as they begin building their professional networks.
Get Started
We are offering on-campus visits on Mondays and Fridays. Please note, these visits do not include a campus tour. For those who are not able to visit Penn State University Park in person, please register for a virtual meeting, which will be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Our on-campus and virtual appointments give students and families a better understanding of our programs and the resources and opportunities available to Liberal Arts students. Use the buttons below to schedule an appointment.
If you have any questions, please contact Recruitment Manager Chantel Harley at 814-865-7141 or cuharley@psu.edu.
Schedule a Virtual One-on-One Meeting
Attend an On-Campus Accepted Student Program
- Global and International Studies
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Global and International Studies Major
Program Spotlight
The Global and International Studies major combines expertise from various humanities and social science disciplines to uncover methods for understanding the dynamic issues humans face around the world.
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Christina Fomunyoh
Student Spotlight
Christina Fomonyoh is a fourth-year student majoring in Global and International Studies and International Politics and minoring in Spanish. Christina worked as a virtual student federal service intern with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In addition, she worked as an au pair in Madrid, Spain, completed an immersive exchange in Nasauvuki, Fiji, and interned with the former president of Kosovo in Pristina, Kosovo.
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GLIS 101N Globalization
Course Spotlight
GLIS 101N explores how people and nations confront the phenomenon of globalization, presenting different perspectives for studying and making sense of the world. This course focuses on a variety of topics from gender, poverty, and human rights and how they connect with their literary representations in global and comparative contexts. In addition, the course focuses on global peace and conflict and how globalization can bring people and nations together. Any student at Penn State can take GLIS 101N as it satisfies General Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and International Cultures requirements.
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GLIS 101N Globalization
Program Spotlight
Thinking about studying abroad or completing a foreign language competency? You're on your way to an International Studies Minor! Students in any major can use those credits towards the International Studies minor.
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Ana Y. Ayala de Barbosa
Alumni Spotlight
Ana, a 2007 Global and International Studies and Japanese alumna, works as a regional policy officer for the IS Department of State and coordinates public diplomacy programs and policy for the Bureau of International Programs (IIP) for South Asia and Central Asia. Ana said, "My degrees set me apart from other job applicants as I could point to the steady approach I took to gain experience, both academically and professionally."
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Global Pathways
Program Spotlight
Students pursuing a degree in GLIS focus their studies on one of the following global pathways: human rights, culture and identity, global conflict, wealth and inequality, and health and environment. Additionally, students who have at least a 3.5 grade-point average can create a personalized pathway.
Explore Global and International Studies, our featured major of the month
- Liberal Arts by the numbers
Social Sciences
The social sciences examine the relationships between individuals and societies, as well as the development and operation of societies. The critical thinking, research, and analytical skills gained in a social science major help prepare graduates for diverse job titles, including economist, psychologist, political scientist, and historian, postsecondary teachers, museum curators, and social workers.
Languages
Intercultural communication, critical thinking and reasoning, cultural adaptability, information and trend analysis, and the other skills that drive the global economy, are in high demand today. Language graduates find jobs in tourism, international development, marketing, policy making, journalism, government, and more.
Humanities
Students in the humanities study how people process and document the human experience. Most majors in the humanities build widely transferable skills that employers appreciate and go on to be writers, counselors, event organizers, social media managers, fundraisers, travel bloggers, and more.
- African American Studies
- African Studies
- Asian Studies
- Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
- Communication Arts and Sciences
- Comparative Literature
- English
- French and Francophone Studies
- German
- Global and International Studies
- History
- Italian and Portuguese
- Jewish Studies
- Korean
- Medieval Studies
- Philosophy
- Russian
- Spanish
- Women’s Studies