diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 13bd95c916d4..80a3ad1707b6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 - `[expect]` Highlight substring differences when matcher fails, part 1 ([#8448](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/8448))
 - `[jest-cli]` Improve chai support (with detailed output, to match jest exceptions) ([#8454](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/8454))
+- `[*]` Manage the global timeout with `--testTimeout` command line argument. ([#8456](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/8456))
 
 ### Fixes
 
diff --git a/TestUtils.ts b/TestUtils.ts
index ba80887bda29..7150270a7b2e 100644
--- a/TestUtils.ts
+++ b/TestUtils.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ const DEFAULT_GLOBAL_CONFIG: Config.GlobalConfig = {
   testNamePattern: '',
   testPathPattern: '',
   testResultsProcessor: null,
+  testTimeout: 5000,
   updateSnapshot: 'none',
   useStderr: false,
   verbose: false,
diff --git a/docs/CLI.md b/docs/CLI.md
index 2530a940879b..079524e58d13 100644
--- a/docs/CLI.md
+++ b/docs/CLI.md
@@ -301,6 +301,10 @@ Lets you specify a custom test runner.
 
 Lets you specify a custom test sequencer. Please refer to the documentation of the corresponding configuration property for details.
 
+### `--testTimeout=<number>`
+
+Default timeout of a test in milliseconds. Default value: 5000.
+
 ### `--updateSnapshot`
 
 Alias: `-u`. Use this flag to re-record every snapshot that fails during this test run. Can be used together with a test suite pattern or with `--testNamePattern` to re-record snapshots.
diff --git a/e2e/__tests__/__snapshots__/timeouts.test.ts.snap b/e2e/__tests__/__snapshots__/timeouts.test.ts.snap
index 19ed2b0400be..4a2e6ad2faba 100644
--- a/e2e/__tests__/__snapshots__/timeouts.test.ts.snap
+++ b/e2e/__tests__/__snapshots__/timeouts.test.ts.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`does not exceed the command line testTimeout 1`] = `
+PASS __tests__/a-banana.js
+  ✓ banana
+`;
+
+exports[`does not exceed the command line testTimeout 2`] = `
+Test Suites: 1 passed, 1 total
+Tests:       1 passed, 1 total
+Snapshots:   0 total
+Time:        <<REPLACED>>
+Ran all test suites.
+`;
+
 exports[`does not exceed the timeout 1`] = `
 PASS __tests__/a-banana.js
   ✓ banana
@@ -13,6 +26,14 @@ Time:        <<REPLACED>>
 Ran all test suites.
 `;
 
+exports[`exceeds the command line testTimeout 1`] = `
+Test Suites: 1 failed, 1 total
+Tests:       1 failed, 1 total
+Snapshots:   0 total
+Time:        <<REPLACED>>
+Ran all test suites.
+`;
+
 exports[`exceeds the timeout 1`] = `
 Test Suites: 1 failed, 1 total
 Tests:       1 failed, 1 total
diff --git a/e2e/__tests__/timeouts.test.ts b/e2e/__tests__/timeouts.test.ts
index 09d38e6e9d1b..7e9ab43e5da1 100644
--- a/e2e/__tests__/timeouts.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/__tests__/timeouts.test.ts
@@ -60,3 +60,53 @@ test('does not exceed the timeout', () => {
   expect(wrap(summary)).toMatchSnapshot();
   expect(status).toBe(0);
 });
+
+test('exceeds the command line testTimeout', () => {
+  writeFiles(DIR, {
+    '__tests__/a-banana.js': `
+
+      test('banana', () => {
+        return new Promise(resolve => {
+          setTimeout(resolve, 1000);
+        });
+      });
+    `,
+    'package.json': '{}',
+  });
+
+  const {stderr, status} = runJest(DIR, [
+    '-w=1',
+    '--ci=false',
+    '--testTimeout=200',
+  ]);
+  const {rest, summary} = extractSummary(stderr);
+  expect(rest).toMatch(
+    /(jest\.setTimeout|jasmine\.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL|Exceeded timeout)/,
+  );
+  expect(wrap(summary)).toMatchSnapshot();
+  expect(status).toBe(1);
+});
+
+test('does not exceed the command line testTimeout', () => {
+  writeFiles(DIR, {
+    '__tests__/a-banana.js': `
+
+      test('banana', () => {
+        return new Promise(resolve => {
+          setTimeout(resolve, 200);
+        });
+      });
+    `,
+    'package.json': '{}',
+  });
+
+  const {stderr, status} = runJest(DIR, [
+    '-w=1',
+    '--ci=false',
+    '--testTimeout=1000',
+  ]);
+  const {rest, summary} = extractSummary(stderr);
+  expect(wrap(rest)).toMatchSnapshot();
+  expect(wrap(summary)).toMatchSnapshot();
+  expect(status).toBe(0);
+});
diff --git a/packages/jest-circus/src/legacy-code-todo-rewrite/jestAdapterInit.ts b/packages/jest-circus/src/legacy-code-todo-rewrite/jestAdapterInit.ts
index 434dd63675f1..8f75aba0df63 100644
--- a/packages/jest-circus/src/legacy-code-todo-rewrite/jestAdapterInit.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-circus/src/legacy-code-todo-rewrite/jestAdapterInit.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ import {
   buildSnapshotResolver,
 } from 'jest-snapshot';
 import throat from 'throat';
-import {addEventHandler, dispatch, ROOT_DESCRIBE_BLOCK_NAME} from '../state';
+import {
+  addEventHandler,
+  dispatch,
+  getState as getRunnerState,
+  ROOT_DESCRIBE_BLOCK_NAME,
+} from '../state';
 import {getTestID} from '../utils';
 import run from '../run';
 import globals from '..';
@@ -42,6 +47,10 @@ export const initialize = ({
   testPath: Config.Path;
   parentProcess: Process;
 }) => {
+  if (globalConfig.testTimeout) {
+    getRunnerState().testTimeout = globalConfig.testTimeout;
+  }
+
   const mutex = throat(globalConfig.maxConcurrency);
 
   Object.assign(global, globals);
diff --git a/packages/jest-cli/src/cli/args.ts b/packages/jest-cli/src/cli/args.ts
index 2f7c38aa0279..7bba9a038621 100644
--- a/packages/jest-cli/src/cli/args.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-cli/src/cli/args.ts
@@ -622,6 +622,10 @@ export const options = {
       'provided: `<rootDir>/path/to/testSequencer.js`',
     type: 'string' as 'string',
   },
+  testTimeout: {
+    description: 'This option sets the default timeouts of test cases.',
+    type: 'number' as 'number',
+  },
   testURL: {
     description: 'This option sets the URL for the jsdom environment.',
     type: 'string' as 'string',
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts b/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts
index 97e22dc030da..ee69c72b178f 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/ValidConfig.ts
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ const initialOptions: Config.InitialOptions = {
   testResultsProcessor: 'processor-node-module',
   testRunner: 'jasmine2',
   testSequencer: '@jest/test-sequencer',
+  testTimeout: 5000,
   testURL: 'http://localhost',
   timers: 'real',
   transform: {
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap
index b566ee92df51..96d7622c963e 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap
@@ -168,6 +168,16 @@ exports[`testPathPattern <regexForTestFiles> ignores invalid regular expressions
 
 exports[`testPathPattern --testPathPattern ignores invalid regular expressions and logs a warning 1`] = `"<red>  Invalid testPattern a( supplied. Running all tests instead.</>"`;
 
+exports[`testTimeout should throw an error if timeout is a negative number 1`] = `
+"<red><bold><bold>● <bold>Validation Error</>:</>
+<red></>
+<red>  Option \\"<bold>testTimeout</>\\" must be a natural number.</>
+<red></>
+<red>  <bold>Configuration Documentation:</></>
+<red>  https://jestjs.io/docs/configuration.html</>
+<red></>"
+`;
+
 exports[`watchPlugins throw error when a watch plugin is not found 1`] = `
 "<red><bold><bold>● <bold>Validation Error</>:</>
 <red></>
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
index 88e557f1939e..3930cd473e09 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
@@ -1562,3 +1562,19 @@ describe('displayName', () => {
     },
   );
 });
+
+describe('testTimeout', () => {
+  it('should return timeout value if defined', () => {
+    console.warn.mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const {options} = normalize({rootDir: '/root/', testTimeout: 1000}, {});
+
+    expect(options.testTimeout).toBe(1000);
+    expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('should throw an error if timeout is a negative number', () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      normalize({rootDir: '/root/', testTimeout: -1}, {}),
+    ).toThrowErrorMatchingSnapshot();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/index.ts b/packages/jest-config/src/index.ts
index 337e7ab47c81..9290126323df 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/index.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ const groupOptions = (
     testPathPattern: options.testPathPattern,
     testResultsProcessor: options.testResultsProcessor,
     testSequencer: options.testSequencer,
+    testTimeout: options.testTimeout,
     updateSnapshot: options.updateSnapshot,
     useStderr: options.useStderr,
     verbose: options.verbose,
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts
index 813706ab60f2..d31047ac538d 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.ts
@@ -789,6 +789,16 @@ export default function normalize(
         value = oldOptions[key];
         break;
       }
+      case 'testTimeout': {
+        if (oldOptions[key] < 0) {
+          throw createConfigError(
+            `  Option "${chalk.bold('testTimeout')}" must be a natural number.`,
+          );
+        }
+
+        value = oldOptions[key];
+        break;
+      }
       case 'automock':
       case 'browser':
       case 'cache':
diff --git a/packages/jest-core/src/lib/__tests__/__snapshots__/log_debug_messages.test.ts.snap b/packages/jest-core/src/lib/__tests__/__snapshots__/log_debug_messages.test.ts.snap
index fc4ae3ee76e0..357612825f0a 100644
--- a/packages/jest-core/src/lib/__tests__/__snapshots__/log_debug_messages.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/jest-core/src/lib/__tests__/__snapshots__/log_debug_messages.test.ts.snap
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ exports[`prints the config object 1`] = `
     "testNamePattern": "",
     "testPathPattern": "",
     "testResultsProcessor": null,
+    "testTimeout": 5000,
     "updateSnapshot": "none",
     "useStderr": false,
     "verbose": false,
diff --git a/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/index.ts b/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/index.ts
index 1860ad51bf96..7c5e887ed88d 100644
--- a/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/index.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ async function jasmine2(
   const jasmine = jasmineFactory.create({
     process,
     testPath,
+    testTimeout: globalConfig.testTimeout,
   });
 
   const env = jasmine.getEnv();
diff --git a/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/jasmine/jasmineLight.ts b/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/jasmine/jasmineLight.ts
index bde9103904fb..837f04906805 100644
--- a/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/jasmine/jasmineLight.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-jasmine2/src/jasmine/jasmineLight.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import Timer from './Timer';
 const create = function(createOptions: Record<string, any>): Jasmine {
   const j$ = {...createOptions} as Jasmine;
 
-  j$._DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL = 5000;
+  j$._DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL = createOptions.testTimeout || 5000;
 
   j$.getEnv = function(options?: object) {
     const env = (j$.currentEnv_ = j$.currentEnv_ || new j$.Env(options));
diff --git a/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts b/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts
index 0793c60d5b38..00a78f0bd1ca 100644
--- a/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-types/src/Config.ts
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ export type InitialOptions = {
   testRunner?: string;
   testSequencer?: string;
   testURL?: string;
+  testTimeout?: number;
   timers?: 'real' | 'fake';
   transform?: {
     [key: string]: string;
@@ -344,6 +345,7 @@ export type GlobalConfig = {
   testPathPattern: string;
   testResultsProcessor: string | null | undefined;
   testSequencer: string;
+  testTimeout: number;
   updateSnapshot: SnapshotUpdateState;
   useStderr: boolean;
   verbose: boolean | null | undefined;
@@ -489,6 +491,7 @@ export type Argv = Arguments<
     testRunner: string;
     testSequencer: string;
     testURL: string;
+    testTimeout: number | null | undefined;
     timers: string;
     transform: string;
     transformIgnorePatterns: Array<string>;