Skip to main content
Skip to main content

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

The ARHU Global Engagement Requirement extends the college’s long-standing commitment to international education, and is part of a larger effort to enhance cross-cultural learning for all of our undergraduate majors.

Satisfying the Global Engagement Requirement

Study of a Foreign Language

Students will take foreign language coursework to the designated level at UMD. Please consult an ARHU advisor for a list of the required course sequences.

Cultural Immersion Through Study Abroad

Students will participate in a semester long Study Abroad experience in a country where English is not the primary language.

The study abroad experience must include:

  1. At least the first year/elementary level language of the host country before or during the experience or equivalent as determined by the ARHU foreign language placement policy;
  2. A reflection component that will challenge students to assess their pre-departure, during and post experience (0-3cr.);
  3. Participation in one of the following pre-approved engagement experiences:
  • Internship (0-6 cr.)
  • Service learning (0 cr.)
  • A living situation involving daily interaction with host nationals (e.g. a pre-approved home stay with a host national family) (0 cr.)
  • Other –a preapproved engagement experience

Student must develop a learning contract with an ARHU advisor in advance of studying abroad in order for the experience to count toward fulfillment of the Global Engagement Requirement. Experiences will not be considered retroactively.

Individually-designed Engagement Experience

Students will create an individually-designed experience that achieves the learning outcomes of the global engagement requirement.

This option must include:

1. At least the first year/elementary level language of the host country before or during the experience or equivalent as determined by the ARHU foreign language placement policy;

2. A pre-approved menu of short- and long-term study abroad programs appropriate for inclusion in this option has been developed by ARHU in conjunction with the Education Abroad office;

3. Students must develop a learning contract with an ARHU advisor and petition to have the experience approved in advance;

4. Students who plan to study abroad in an English-speaking country must choose to study a language that has significance to the historical or current culture of the host country. Students will need to research and discuss the intersection of the chosen language and culture in their petition.

Examples of individually-designed experiences:

1. A pre-approved short-term program plus language of the host country and a reflection component. This program must include:

  • One semester of foreign language taken pre-departure or as part of the experience. In rare circumstances students can petition to complete the elementary level of language upon their return to campus (3 -6 cr. depending on language choice/placement)
  • Pre-approved short term program (3-12 cr.)
  • Reflection component

2. A pre-approved semester program in an English-speaking country plus language and a reflection component. One semester of foreign language taken pre-departure or during the study abroad experience. In rare circumstances students can petition to complete the elementary level of language upon their return to campus (3 -6 cr. depending on language choice/placement)

  • Pre-approved program in an English-speaking country (3-15 credits)
  • Reflection component