Interdisciplinary Study of Global Challenges

As the world becomes more globalised, more and more institutions are teaching truly interdisciplinary degrees focused on global challenges that require an interdisciplinary approach to solve, rather than studying one subject area.

There isn't a standard name for degrees in this field, but good key search terms are "Global", "Challenge", "Sustainability", "Development". In the USA, "Self-Designed" or "Student-designed" majors can allow you to create your own version.

Good to Know

There aren't any helpful overview sites for this field, because there is too much variety. So, we've put the links to the most innovative and interdisciplinary degrees we know of and that St. Clare's Students apply to, in the links section.

Skills

Common Degree/Major Names

BSc	Climate Science
BA/BSc	Development Economics
BSc	Earth, Climate and Environmental Change
BA/BSc	European Studies
BA/BSc	Global Affairs
BASc	Global Challenges
BA/BSc	Global Challenges
BA	Global Development
BSc	Global Sustainability Science
BASc	Global Sustainable Development
BA/BSc	Globalisation
BA/BSc	Government
BA/BSc	International Development

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Useful Skills

	Aiming High
	Analytical
	Attention to Detail
	Creativity
	Data Manipulation
	Design Mindset
	Empathy
	ICT
	Idea Visualisation
	Leadership
	Listening
	Mathematical
	Note Taking

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FIND OUT MORE

Global Challenges At UC Leiden

Global Sustainable Development

Global Challenges at Brunel University London

DEEPER SUBJECT EXPLORATION

Access resources for you to "Read" around your subject from books, to blogs, taster lectures and events.

This is a great way to help you decide whether this subject area is really something you would want to study at the depth of a degree.

FIND UNIVERSITIES

Explore universities from our search engine that offer degrees within this field to get you started.

You can also use the degree names listed above when searching for courses on other sites

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further resources

Universities

Universities Offering Degrees within Accounting and Finance

Institution	Country	Campus Type	Size	Education Model	Selectivity
Curtin University	Australia	Suburban Campus	Very Large Institution >30,000	We are a global university recognised for innovation in learning and teaching, with our curriculum, learning experiences and delivery methods highly responsive to the changing needs of industry and careers. Our diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses provide you with the right skills, knowledge and experience to enable you to follow your passion and put it to work at Curtin.	Somewhat Selective (50-75% admitted) - Some programs (like our quota health programs) have a high selective rate due to minimal places available. Other courses like arts and commerce are easier to achieve in admission in if the minimum score has been achieved.
UNSW Sydney	Australia	City Island Campus, Suburban Campus	Very Large Institution > 30,000	UNSW’s strategic priorities actively address the challenges we face today - from climate change and renewable energies to lifesaving medical treatments and breakthrough technologies. We aim to make an impact on people’s lives around the world. In 2020, UNSW evolved its motto to “Scientia corde mente et manu” - Knowledge by Heart, Mind and Hand. This is more than just a slogan of renewed values and aspirations. It captures the fact that we serve higher purpose, and are committed to serving society through knowledge sharing and new discovery.	Selective (25-50% admitted)
Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences	Czech Republic	City Campus	Small Institution <5000	Single Subject Focus and several interdisciplinary programs.	Number of accepted students varies slightly every year depending on the cohort.
Lafayette College	USA	City Island Campus	Small Institution <5000	Lafayette blends liberal arts and engineering, with a keen focus on interdisciplinary studies.	Selective (25-50% admitted) ~30% acceptance rate
Durham University	UK	City Campus, City Island Campus, Suburban Campus	Large Institution 15,000-30,000 A high volume of applications means a number of programmes can be more selective than others	Single Subject Focus (Joint degrees available), Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model), Integrated or Thematic degrees, Researched Focused Institution, Vocationally Focused Institution (multiple integrated internships)	Extremely Selective (<10% admitted)
Carleton University	Canada	City Island Campus	Large Institution 15,000-30,000	Over 26 degrees & over 200 programs with an emphasis on hands-on learning	Open Admission (almost all admitted) - For most programs, if a student meets the requirements, they will be admitted.
Carleton College	USA	Rural Campus	Small Institution <5000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model)	Highly Selective (10-25% admitted)
Leiden University College	The Netherlands	City Campus	Small Institution <5000	Leiden University College is part of Leiden University, which is a Research University.	Selective (25-50% admitted) Leiden University College accepts 200 students each year out of approx 800 applications.
Queens University	Canada	City Island Campus	Large Institution 15,000-30,000	Medical-Doctoral Research University	Highly Selective (10-25% admitted)
York University	Canada	City Campus	Very Large Institution >30,000	Single Subject Focus (Joint degrees available), Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model), Integrated or Thematic degrees, Single Focus Institution (e.g. Business School, Researched Focused Institution	Somewhat Selective (50-75% admitted) Admission requirements vary by programs.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Techonology	Hong Kong, China	City Island Campus, Suburban Campus	Large Institution 15,000-30,000	Single Subject Focus (Joint degrees available), Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model), Integrated or Thematic degrees, Single Focus Institution (e.g. Business School, Researched Focused Institution, Teaching Focused Institution, Vocationally Focused Institution (multiple integrated internships)
The London Interdisciplinary School	UK	City Campus	Small Institution <5000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model), Teaching Focused Institution	Highly Selective (10-25% admitted)
Sciences Po	France	City Campus	Medium Institution 5000-15,000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model)	Highly Selective (10-25% admitted)
Duke Kunshan University (DKU)	China with a semester in the United States	City Island Campus	Small Institution <5000	Unique, new mutli-disciplinary model that results in both a Duke (US) degree and DKU (China) degree.	Highly Selective (10-25% admitted)
Bard College Berlin	Germany	City Campus	Small Institution <5000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model)	Selective (25-50% admitted)
Amsterdam University College (AUC)	The Netherlands	City Campus, City Island Campus	Small Institution <5000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model)	Selective (25-50% admitted)
Bryant University	USA	Suburban Campus	Small Institution <5000	Business and Arts/Sciences	Somewhat Selective (50-75% admitted) Average GPA 3.4/4.0 and SAT 1220
University of Essex	UK	Suburban Campus	Large Institution 15,000-30,000	Single Subject Focus (Joint degrees available), Researched Focused Institution, Teaching Focused Institution	Selective (25-50% admitted)
Brunel University London	UK	Suburban Campus	Medium Institution 5000-15,000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model), Integrated or Thematic degrees, Researched Focused Institution, Teaching Focused Institution	Selective (25-50% admitted) Admissions rate varies by subjects, with Medicine and Healthcare subjects extremely selective
California State University, Long Beach	USA	Suburban Campus	Very Large Institution >30,000	Liberal Arts and Science (Major/minor Model): Accessible, Practical, Affordable	Selective (25-50% admitted)
Minerva University	USA, South Korea, India, Germany, Argentina, UK and Taiwan.	City Campus	Small Institution <5000	Fully active learning in every class. Small, engaging seminar format.	Extremely Selective (<10% admitted) - https://www.minerva.kgi.edu/undergraduate-program/admissions/applicant-qualifications/
University of Warwick	UK	Suburban Campus	Large Institution 15,000-30,000	Warwick have single and joint degree courses available with a focus on Interdisciplinarity	Highly Selective (10-25% admitted)
Modul University Vienna	Austria	City Island Campus, Suburban Campus	Small Institution <5000	A mix of practical learning and theory based lectures/seminars.	Selective (25-50% admitted) - Holistic Admissions Approach: no entrance exam, acceptance is merit based mixed with motivations.
New College of the Humanities	UK	City Campus	Small Institution <5000	We teach interdisciplinary humanities degrees inspired by the Liberal Arts model.	Selective (25-50% admitted) - We use interviews as part of our admissions process
Tilburg University	The Netherlands	Suburban Campus	Medium Institution 5000-15,000	Tilburg University offers singe subject focus degree, such as Economics or Psychology, as well as interdisciplinary, such as Global Management of Social Issues or Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, and an even more flexible Liberal Arts & Sciences program.	Less Selective (>75% admitted)

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