Global and Comparative Programs

Brandeis offers a number of undergraduate and graduate degree programs which are by nature global, international and/or comparative. Here are a few highlights. For a full list of international schools, departments and programs, click here.

IGSInternational and Global Studies

With multiple concentrations, International and Global Studies offers students not only better insight into the economic and political aspects of globalization, but also addresses social and individual impacts.


Programs in Sustainable International Development

The Programs in Sustainable International Development form a community of concerned students and faculty drawn from around the world. Our mission is to help build a new generation of development planners and policy makers in the U.S. and abroad for whom a global society free of poverty, preventable disease and environmental degradation is achievable. Graduate programs include:

New dual degree program in Sustainable International Development and Coexistence and Conflict

The dual master's degree in Sustainable International Development and Coexistence and Conflict has been created especially for those people working or planning to work on development issues in situations in conflict. The first students enrolled in fall 2008.  For more information on the degree, click here.

cultural productionCultural Production

The new interdisciplinary M.A. program in Cultural Production at Brandeis University offers rigorous interdisciplinary study of the production, performance, and preservation of cultural forms and practices, leading to the degree of Master of Arts. This graduate program is dedicated to the critical exploration of questions at the intersections of art, imagination, technology, space and politics.

International Economics and Finance

Whether you plan to manage investment portfolios, design a government's trade and financial policies or oversee a company's finances, you will need to understand the forces driving the global economy and the operations of capital markets. The International Business School MA is an innovative, two-year degree that targets these skills: it's timely and practical, designed to help you succeed. Compared to an MBA, it provides depth in finance and economics. And unlike an economics degree, it's applied rather than theoretical.

Also offered at the Brandeis International Business School:

Anthropology

The anthropology department features faculty specialists in every major international region. The graduate and undergraduate programs cover the discipline's four major subfields: sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, physical anthropology and archaeology.

Coexistence & Conflict

COEXThe vision of the Masters Program in Coexistence and Conflict is to bring greater professional expertise and creative leadership to bear upon the challenges posed by intercommunal conflicts in today’s world.  Since its inception in 2004, the program has become the preferred choice of mid-career professionals who need to understand how better to prevent, manage and resolve such conflicts. At least 80% of our students are international, and they have on average eight years of experience working in their fields.

New M.A. program in Global Studies

The graduate program in global studies, leading to the master of arts degree, offers advanced study of the processes of globalization — without question, one of the fundamental issues of our time. This interdisciplinary program provides a broad perspective on global institutions, critical issues and the complex ways that globalization affects specific regions and countries. The curriculum consists of four foundational courses, two electives and a double-credit master’s thesis. Ordinarily, students are expected to complete this program in a single academic year.

Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies at Brandeis prepares students to tackle the critical environmental issues that face our world today – from global warming to pandemics, to toxic exposure and conflicts over shrinking resources – through an interdisciplinary and field-based approach.

Comparative History

Brandeis’ graduate program in comparative history is the only program in the U.S. designed to train students in the comparative approach to the history of major global themes such as political structures, social relations and institutions, women and family, war and diplomacy, culture and thought.

peace studiesPeace, Conflict & Coexistence Studies

Since the end of World War II, Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies (PAX) has emerged as an interdisciplinary area of inquiry drawing on social science, the humanities, the creative arts and science in efforts to understand reasons for war and possible ways of resolving conflicts without resorting to violence. In the last few years, for many people the primary focus of inquiry is shifting from the Cold War and the nuclear threat to conflict resolution in small and large contexts. Along with the larger goal of ending war altogether, the Brandeis program reflects this tendency.

Comparative Literature

The interdisciplinary program of comparative literature engages the study of literature and cultures within and across national boundaries. It also comprises comparative analysis of literary texts and genres with visual art forms, social discourse and practices, as well as other expressions of cultural innovation.