The School of Humanities and Social Sciences offers an interdisciplinary Global Awareness Certificate (GLBLBC). Open to all Penn State Behrend students, the 12-credit certificate program equips students to deal more effectively with the globalizing world in which they will live and work.
Requirements
All students must first gain an appreciation of the contours of the modern world, a foundation that will make a whole range of courses meaningful. This foundation consists of one history and one political science course:
- HIST 011 (GH;IL): World History II
- PL SC 003 (GS): Introduction to Comparative Politics -or- PL SC 014 (GS;IL): International Relations.
Once students have this foundation, they have considerable flexibility in selecting the remaining two courses. For example, since students will know something of the history, politics, and culture of Europe since 1700, they will be able to appreciate courses dealing with Gaelic literature, Adam Smith, and Renaissance art all of which could be used for the additional six credits.
Literally hundreds of Penn State courses can be used to fulfill the additional 6 credits provided they focus on issues outside the U.S. We limit language courses to the 003 level or higher and they must be taken at Penn State. A grade of C or better must be earned in each certificate course. Study abroad courses are encouraged. The descriptor, "Global Awareness," fits the goals of the certificate. Students cannot become experts on the entire world, but they can gain a sense of the modern world and appreciate the diversity, differences, and contrasts between their personal experiences, usually in Pennsylvania, and the wider world. Simply stated, our goal is greater appreciation of the complexity of the modern world.
Contact
For more information, please contact Dr. Lena Surzhko-Harned, Associate Teaching Professor of Political Science, at [email protected]