UMD Launches Global Culture and Thought Major

The University of Maryland has launched a new major that combines global languages, cultural study and experiential learning in innovative ways to prepare students to pursue their interests and career goals in an increasingly interwoven world. 

Offered by the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SLLC) in the College of Arts and Humanities, the global culture and thought major builds on the research and teaching strengths of the school by pulling from its portfolio of a dozen world languages and their cultures, literatures, cinema and media. 

Unlike traditional language majors, which focus on one language and its cultures, the global culture and thought major is designed to attract students interested in combining rigorous study of multiple cultures with one or two target languages among the following: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

The program is debuting new core course offerings: “Global Movements,” “Cultural Theory in a Global Age” and “Translation in a Global Context,” all meant to provide a transnational perspective that’s broader than the approach offered by traditional language majors. In addition, one-credit microcourses on special topics expand students’ perspectives while easily slotting into their course schedules.

College of Arts and Humanities Dean Stephanie Shonekan said the new major reflects the school’s effort to respond to shifting student needs and global trends.

“I am proud that our School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is launching this new major in response to our evolving world,” said Shonekan. “It embraces transformative thinking, expands empathy through the study of global cultures and diverse perspectives and creates pathways to meaningful careers and lives of purpose—all elements that align with our college’s mission.”

Professor of German studies and cinema and media studies Hester Baer, the program’s director, said the major was developed to meet the needs of students interested in pathways through language and cultural studies that are more flexible and varied than traditional single-language majors. It can prime students for jobs in community health, public relations and education, as well as for further studies and careers in international business, diplomacy and law. 

“Employers in these areas are better able to serve their diverse communities when they have culturally conscious workers who are bilingual or even multilingual,” Baer said. 

The flexible structure of the program responds to shifts in student demographics, including growth in the number of heritage learners who have grown up with a language other than English at home, she said.

“These students are ready to jump into more advanced language classes from day one and are looking to deepen their understanding of their culture,” she said. This new major makes that possible while giving students the opportunity to take upper-level courses right away.

The first course in the program’s lineup is “Global Movements.” Offered for the first time this semester, it examines the international flow of people, goods and ideas; other topics include human rights, war and conflict, and climate change. The course was designed to be co-taught by two professors from different linguistic and cultural areas in order to provide diverse perspectives, with the inaugural course being led by Baer and Professor of Spanish Ryan Long, whose specializations include Mexican cultures and literature.

Annabella Davis ’26 called it her favorite course of the semester. She is taking it along with Russian classes to supplement her major in international relations and prepare for a career in global aid and diplomacy with an organization like the Peace Corps.

“How can I be competitive in international relations without also learning a second language and deepening my understanding of global cultures?” Davis said. “This is the interdisciplinary education needed to create a better world for all of us.”

Davis studied abroad last summer in Kosovo, taking classes in international conflict management and peacekeeping; she plans to use her Maya Brin Scholarship in Cultural Competency awarded by the Russian program for another study abroad opportunity to deepen her language skills in Russian.

While study abroad is highly encouraged because of the language and cultural immersion that it offers, the major’s experiential learning requirement can also be met through residence in the Language House, participating in the Language Partner Program, completing an internship or taking experiential courses. As part of its focus on experiential application, the program is planning collaborations with off-campus partners to offer service-learning opportunities in the community.

“Incorporating the experiential learning component on top of applied practice is further preparing our graduates to be competitive in today’s increasingly globally connected world,” said Baer.