Area Studies Programs

Detailed profiles of schools for Area Studies from the EdRef college search portal.

Area Studies programs focus on instilling students with knowledge of other cultures and peoples. The emphasis is on helping students become global citizens and understand complex nature of society. Students study sociology, economics, anthropology, history, and politics. They also learn to integrate these various studies in an interdisciplinary context so they can better comprehend the interrelatedness of global culture. Students learn the general methodologies of this track of study, and then they usually focus on one or more regions of the world.

Students of area studies usually study international economic relations, where they learn about international trade, macroeconomics, and international financial markets. They study international cooperation, which covers critical thinking about foreign policy and international politics. And they study world politics, including world media and field study.