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Studies & Degrees in Regional Studies

Regional studies is the study of one part of the world, or one region within a country, from several disciplines at once. The label covers two traditions. The first, usually called area studies, looks at a world region such as Latin America, East Asia or Eastern Europe: its languages, history, politics, society and culture. The second, closer to geography, economics and planning, looks at how regions inside a country develop and how public policy can shape them. It is often called regional development or regional science.

What students learn

Area studies combines language training with courses from history, political science, sociology, literature and the arts. The Oxford School of Global and Area Studies describes its aim as understanding cultural, economic, political and social questions through the study of world regions in local, global and comparative contexts. Its programmes cover Africa, China, Latin America, the Middle East, Japan, Russia and Eastern Europe, and South Asia.

Language is central. At Johns Hopkins University the East Asian Studies major comprises language and area studies, every student must study an East Asian language, and each chooses a disciplinary focus such as history, political science or sociology. The B.A. in Latin American Studies at the University of Miami requires competence in two Latin American languages and advises students to spend at least one semester in Latin America.

Regional development programmes are different. The Community and Regional Development major at the University of California, Davis focuses on how economic, political, environmental and socio-cultural forces transform countries, regions and local communities. Students must complete an internship before they graduate.

A region can also be the one around the campus. Mars Hill University in North Carolina teaches Appalachian Studies as an interdisciplinary minor on the history, culture and natural environment of southern Appalachia. It presents the minor as a way to develop the skills to study any region.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's level. In the United States the subject is taken as a major or minor within a four-year bachelor's degree. The Miami major, for example, requires 36 credits, including 6 in a foreign language.
  • Master's level. Many area studies degrees are one-year or two-year master's programmes; Oxford alone lists seven MSc and six MPhil degrees. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Desarrollo Regional of the Universidad de La Laguna has 60 ECTS credits, lasts one year and is taught online. It addresses graduates in social sciences and law and aims to train researchers in regional development.
  • Doctorate. Research degrees are usually taken within area studies schools or within a discipline such as history, geography or economics.
  • Short and non-degree options. The Faculty of Polish Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków lets students from other universities spend one semester or a full academic year there. International People's College in Denmark, a folk high school, offers courses in global studies of four to six months; it has no fixed curriculum and gives no grades.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 14 active schools for regional studies. Seven are in the United States and three in Spain. Ethiopia, Poland, Denmark and the United Kingdom have one each.

The US schools include Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of California, Davis, the University of Miami, Mars Hill University and Morehead State University. In Spain the list has the Universidad de La Laguna, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and the Universidad de Alcalá. Santiago lists official master's degrees in territorial and urban planning and in economic development and innovation. Alcalá is home to the Instituto Franklin-UAH, which specialises in North American studies; its official master's in North American studies is being phased out and admits no new students. Elsewhere the list includes Cardiff University, Addis Ababa University and the Jagiellonian University.

The language of instruction follows the country, with English in the United States and the United Kingdom and Spanish in Spain. Area studies adds the languages of the region studied.

Careers

Area studies graduates use their language and regional knowledge in diplomacy and public administration, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, journalism, education, translation, and companies that trade with the region. Regional development graduates work in planning and local development agencies, public administration and consultancy; UC Davis reports internships with local, county and state planning agencies. Official labour statistics do not treat regional studies as an occupation, so no employment figure is given here. Ask each school where its graduates work.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between regional studies and area studies?

Area studies looks at a world region, such as East Asia or Latin America, through its languages, history and society. Regional studies can mean the same thing, or the study of how regions inside a country develop, which is closer to geography, economics and planning.

Do I need to learn a language?

For area studies, usually yes. Johns Hopkins University requires every East Asian Studies major to study an East Asian language, and the University of Miami requires competence in two Latin American languages.

Can I study regional development in Spanish?

Yes. The Máster Universitario en Desarrollo Regional of the Universidad de La Laguna is an online programme of 60 ECTS credits that lasts one year.

Is regional studies a full degree or a specialisation?

Both exist. In the United States it is often a major or a minor within a bachelor's degree, as at Mars Hill University; in Europe it is more often a master's degree.