Overview: Students declaring this thematic area specialize in understanding the bearings of a globalized world on the culture, traditions, religion, social interactions and assimilation of different population groups. The medium of this cultural exchange can be migration of people, international trade in goods and services, globalization of business strategies and pervasive presence of media and advertising. Students expand their knowledge horizons by learning about the socio-cultural beliefs and lifestyles of other ethnicities, nationalities, religions and gender. This enables them to develop their own local and global identities and embrace cultural diversity around them. Students gain practical skills such as communication strategies, social action strategies and effective decision-making strategies that can help them to negotiate competing interests in an increasingly multicultural workplace.

Coursework examples: A student aspiring to work with migrant populations can declare Cultures in Contact as their thematic area and choose to specialize in "social and economic assimilation of migrants." To complete such a thematic area and topic, the student would take classes in sociology, economics and political science, to name a few. Similarly, a student wanting to work for an international or global news agency can take classes in communications, history and anthropology. There are several course options for this thematic area; please speak with an academic advisor to discuss possibilities!

Possible career paths: Some possible career paths for students who declare Cultures in Contact as a thematic area include - human resources in MNCs, social and news media companies, NGOs focusing on cultural competencies, advertising, fashion and international organizations such as UNESCO etc. For more information, visit the career prep section.