Departments & Programs

Global and International Studies, School of

Introduction

The School of Global and International Studies (SGIS) was established in 2012 to focus the talent, resources, and energy of Indiana University to address globalization as a defining organizing principle of the twenty-first century. By further integrating highly regarded educational, scholarly, and research activities, SGIS will take its place among the world’s leading centers for international studies. SGIS will serve not only as a research center, but also as an academic unit within the College of Arts and Sciences offering a wide variety of graduate and undergraduate degrees.

Students enrolled in SGIS can opt for more than twenty distinct undergraduate degrees and certificates and enroll in more than 70 languages. Overseas study and internship opportunities for students extend to more than 250 destinations around the world.  SGIS academic programs will prepare students to meet the global competencies of the twenty-first century by providing a thorough and interdisciplinary education in the study of economics, culture, politics, business, law, technology, and countless other fields.

The School of Global and International Studies builds on Indiana University’s and the College of Arts and Sciences’ long and distinguished record of international engagement dating back to 1901, when IU education professor Fred Atkinson was appointed as the general supervisor of education in the Philippines, becoming a global ambassador for an IU education and recruiting Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese students to come to Bloomington.  As the focus of the United States’ strategic interests has evolved, IU’s international studies offerings have expanded. When the Cold War intensified in the late 1940s, we were one of the only American universities offering Russian language studies. At the start of the twenty-first century, as the nation’s security focus has shifted toward Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding region, we have strengthened our programs in Central Asian languages, Islamic Studies, and Turkish Studies.

SGIS will provide a nexus for expertise and excellence at IU through support provided by the College in the area of collaborative research in global studies. By enabling and facilitating partnerships inside and outside the academy and by enhancing the strengths and visibility of this university, SGIS will place IU at the forefront of global research in the twenty-first century. A key component to bolster and facilitate increased collaborations will be the new state-of-the-art Global and International Studies building (GIS) which will elevate the visibility and prestige of Indiana University's Global Studies programs. The resultant intellectual and administrative centralization of units within SCIS will provide opportunities for collaboration on international topics in both research and teaching.

The School will eventually be housed in the new facility, to be located between the Wells Library and the Radio-TV Building, just north of the IU Auditorium and east of the Arboretum. In the interim, we are operating out of the College of Arts and Sciences offices in Owen Hall.

Contact Information

School of Global and International Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
Indiana University
Owen Hall, 790 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47405

sgis [at] indiana [dot] edu

sgis.indiana.edu