Stanford Global Studies

The Stanford Global Studies Division (SGS) is the university’s hub for education, research, and community engagement centered on exploring issues, societies, and cultures in regional and global perspectives. Drawing on an active network of over 300 affiliated faculty across the university, SGS equips Stanford students with the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills essential to leading in a global context.

By facilitating innovative research, language training, and immersive international experiences, SGS makes learning about and engaging with the world an integral part of a Stanford education.

Academic Programs and Global Pathways

SGS provides students with diverse curricular and co-curricular pathways to integrate global perspectives into their academic careers:

• Global Studies Minor: Available to Stanford undergraduates from any major, this minor allows students to pursue interdisciplinary regional study alongside in-depth language training. Students who have participated or plan to participate in the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) opens in a new tab are especially encouraged to enroll, as most units earned through the BOSP program satisfy the Global Studies minor. The minor offers six distinct specializations:

  • African Studies opens in a new tab

  • European Studies opens in a new tab

  • Iranian Studies opens in a new tab

  • Islamic Studies opens in a new tab

  • Latin American Studies opens in a new tab

  • South Asian Studies opens in a new tab

• Global Studies Internship Program (GSIP): Provides highly qualified Stanford students—including frosh, sophomores, juniors, seniors, coterms, and undeclared majors—with fully funded opportunities to extend classroom knowledge to immersive cultural and professional experiences abroad every summer.

• Graduate and Language Pathways: Offering advanced interdisciplinary degrees, research fellowships, and language fellowships (such as FLAS) to support specialized regional expertise and foreign language mastery.

Research Frontiers, Centers, and Community Engagement

SGS fosters research and data collection across academic, national, and regional boundaries, enabling the next generation of scholars to creatively address global issues. The division is home to 14 distinguished centers and programs within the School of Humanities and Sciences:

• Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies opens in a new tab

• Center for African Studies opens in a new tab

• Center for East Asian Studies opens in a new tab

• Center for Latin American Studies opens in a new tab

• Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies opens in a new tab

• Center for South Asia opens in a new tab

• France-Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Studies opens in a new tab

• Global Studies Internship Program opens in a new tab

• Center for Human Rights and International Justice opens in a new tab

• Middle Eastern Studies Forum opens in a new tab

• Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies opens in a new tab

• Program in International Relations opens in a new tab

• Taube Center for Jewish Studies opens in a new tab

• The Europe Center opens in a new tab

Community Engagement and Outreach: SGS contributes to a vibrant campus community by hosting public conferences, lectures, and cultural performances. Committed to sharing expertise beyond the university, SGS partners with programs across campus to provide resources and professional development opportunities for K-14 educators, strengthening world language training and global education.

Connect with Us

Use these channels to learn more about our academic programs, international internships, and upcoming public events.

• Follow SGS on Instagram opens in a new tab, Twitter opens in a new tab, Facebook opens in a new tab, and YouTube opens in a new tab

• Subscribe to one of our newsletters opens in a new tab