Rice is an excellent university, the best in Texas, and like so many colleges, has a full suite of majors for students to avail themselves of. We’ve discussed some of Rice’s offerings before, but today we’re going to dive into one major in particular: Global Affairs. This is a relatively new major at Rice, and quite an interesting one.
In this article, we’re going to break down what this major is, and who it’s meant for. We’ll also cover how to apply to this major, and how you can prepare yourself in high school to best take advantage of the resources and opportunities Rice offers. Let’s take a look under the hood!
What is the Global Affairs Major?
Global Affairs is a joint program between the humanities and social sciences. While based in the Department of Political Science, it’s run by the colleges of social sciences and humanities in combination. The program offers both an undergraduate major and a master’s degree, but we’ll be focusing on the major in this article.
The major has the following course requirements (note that these are required for the major specifically; Rice also has core courses which all students are required to take):
- There are 17 courses required, total, for the major (though you can take more)
- A minimum of four of these must be from the core requirements
- A minimum of eight of these must be from electives within the major
- A minimum of four of these must be in a single language other than English
- A minimum of one course in the capstone requirement
- Five of the total courses you take in the major must be at the 300 level or above, taking more advanced coursework is permitted
- You need 120 credit-hours total to meet Rice’s degree requirements (including courses both inside and outside the major)
- You may apply a maximum of five courses from study abroad to the major requirements after matriculating at Rice
The four required core courses for the major are fairly standard fundamentals; an invitation to global affairs, introductory courses in international relations and comparative politics, and a course on the history of globalization. Elective courses are grouped into areas of specialization; you may choose to specialize or not based on your interests. It doesn’t impact the degree you earn, but may prepare you for different fields. These specializations are:
- Global Order, Peace, and Conflict
- Global Wealth and Sustainability
- Regional Communities and Identities
The final thing to note is the language requirements. You must take a global language; Latin doesn’t count. Your options are: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, or Spanish. While you may take other languages while you are at Rice, they won’t count for this major’s requirements.
An optional component of this degree is a fifth year master’s; offered by the same program, and allowing you to earn both degrees in just five years. This is a reasonable option for students who are especially interested in the field, though in general a master’s degree won’t provide you with significant opportunities beyond what you get with the bachelor’s degree alone.
What Can You Do With a Global Affairs Major?
The point of college majors isn’t explicitly to prepare you for a job, but different majors do act as springboards for different careers. This major specifically prepares students for careers in public policy, politics, and international relations. We live in a globalized world, and connections between countries are quite important (at any glance at the headlines will show you). Your exact career path after majoring in Global Affairs can vary, but we’ll look at a few reasonable options.
Public Service
The US (and pretty much every other country), has a major need for civil servants with an understanding of international relations. These careers aren’t the sort of international thrillers you see on screen, but can be quite rewarding, and are vital to keeping the global web of connections strong. These are not the highest paying careers, but they do tend to be stable and have excellent benefits.
Nonprofits and NGOs
While governments do much of the work between nations, non-governmental organizations do a lot as well. Everyone from Doctors Without Borders to Human Rights Watch rely on well-educated and dedicated individuals to keep their organizations running smoothly. These tend to be careers of passion, much like those in public service, but do let you make tangible positive changes to the world around you.
Business
Businesses work globally, and understanding foreign markets and cultures is increasingly imperative to running a globalized business. While this degree may not prepare you directly for consulting or finance, there are many businesses which need exactly this kind of expertise, especially those who work with governments.
How to Apply for Rice’s Foreign Affairs Major
Rice has the same application for all majors, and applicants are all viewed as a single pool. That said, you are required to state your major of interest, and one of Rice’s writing supplements asks specifically about what has drawn you to this major. Here is the exact prompt, for reference:
- Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected. (150 word limit)
This is not a very long essay, but it is quite important, as your alignment with your chosen major is a major factor admissions officers at Rice consider when weighing your application. They want to be sure this is something you are genuinely passionate about and dedicated to.
The rest of your application can contribute to this narrative as well, but it’s your activities list and this essay which are your chance to show off your alignment with Global Affairs, your passion for and interest in politics and international relations. This essay especially should discuss past activities you’ve done which relate to this field, and how these experiences got you interested in pursuing it at a higher level.
This is going to be a less competitive major than computer science or economics, but that will also make admissions officers more invested in making sure your application is aligned with the major. The rest of your application, grades and test scores, must of course be excellent, but this is true of anyone who wants a good chance of getting into Rice.
How to Prepare for the Global Affairs Major in High School
We have made clear that it is your alignment with the major that is most important for the application, which raises the very important question of how exactly a high school student can demonstrate an interest in global affairs. There are several different options, depending on what specifically is available at your high school and area; we’ll go through the most common, and the most useful.
High School Coursework
In general, high schools don’t offer a ton of courses about this topic. We do recommend ones like AP World History, or AP Modern European History if you have some choice in which history and social sciences courses you take. More important are languages. You should take four years of the same language in high school, ideally getting to the AP level in it.
School Associated Extracurriculars
The big one to talk about here is Model UN. This is a great way for high school students to get involved with international relations and global politics, to begin understanding both the theory that underlies them and the current milieu. MUN also can allow for a high level of involvement, and provide opportunities to demonstrate leadership and initiative. While it shouldn’t be your only extracurricular, it is popular for good reason.
Nonprofits and Volunteering
There are opportunities for high school students to volunteer with varying nonprofits and other organizations which engage in international issues. These can be local organizations dealing with migration services in your area, to large NGOs like Human Rights Watch, to UN associated programs which are open to high school students.
We advise finding one of these opportunities that appeals specifically to your interests, and dedicating significant time to it. Doing something meaningful in collaboration with a nonprofit takes a lot of work, and you only have so many hours in a day.
Summer Programs
There are many summer programs which let you study abroad. Here, however, you must be careful, as many of these are little more than glorified vacations. We recommend looking for language intensives and exchange programs, ones organized by schools, where you spend a month or two in a foreign country and study the language intensively.
Summer coursework on college campuses is okay, but generally isn’t the ideal way to spend your summers. Increasing your volunteering or involvements with the nonprofits or NGOs you’re working with is a far more valuable way to spend your time.
Research
Research isn’t the domain of the hard sciences alone, and there are research fields available to students interested in international relations and global affairs. Working alone or with a mentor, you can find fields in the humanities or social sciences to investigate and publish research. Colleges don’t expect you to complete original research, certainly, but it makes for an excellent capstone accomplishment.
Final Thoughts
There are many possible majors at Rice, each of which appeals to different students, and each of which provides different opportunities. We hope that this deep dive into the Global Affairs major has helped you understand what it offers, and whether or not it’s a field of study which may appeal to you. Finding the right major to match your interests is an integral part of the application process.
If you’re looking for help finding the major that best meets your dreams and goals, or want help showcasing how your experiences have properly prepared you for a top college, then Ivy Scholars can help. Our mentors are well versed in every aspect of college admissions, from picking the perfect major to crafting excellent essays. If you want advice on your own applications, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We’re always happy to speak with you.
