The world faces complex problems that transcend national boundaries. The field of global affairs brings together diverse approaches and frameworks to better understand and address these challenges, whether they involve terrorism, war and peace, climate change, economic development, political instability, or a host of other issues. Global affairs professionals must be fluent in a range of disciplines and be able to cross academic lines and translate scholarship for practical application.
The international order that the United States and its allies built after 1945 delivered benefits for decades. These included the prevention of war, the sharing of development and security knowledge, and the containment of crises. It also provided a foundation for democracy and the rule of law and strengthened the legitimacy of independence movements.
However, the current order is under attack. China and Russia are unhappy with the status quo and have articulated clear intentions to upend it. The resulting turbulence has reduced the bipartisan consensus on defending the international system.
The global affairs major offers Yale undergraduates a comprehensive, multidisciplinary training to address the world’s most pressing challenges. Students are selected into the major through a competitive process in the fall of their sophomore year. The program requires coursework from a wide variety of departments, including politics, history, sociology, economics and political science, as well as courses from the social sciences and humanities. Up to two summer or term-time study abroad courses may count toward the major with DUS approval. In addition, students complete a senior essay in either the form of a seminar or GLBL 4500 (the global affairs major’s senior capstone course).
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