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Global Issues.

Global Issues - Undergraduate Certificate

The Global Issues undergraduate certificate program explores critical global issues and develops valuable skills to make a difference in our interconnected world.

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Program Information

Program Description

Full Description

The Global Issues undergraduate certificate examines a range of global issues through the framework of sustainable development, an approach to public policy-making that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable development policies seek to address the world’s most pressing "wicked problems" through cooperative action as a global community. Examples include poverty, hunger, inequality, access to education, health and well-being, climate change and sustainable communities. The certificate is an excellent complement to any major and enables students to more fully understand how their major field of study can have a positive impact on the world around them.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Communicate the basic concepts of sustainable development policy approaches to global issues and their relevance to the student’s major field of study.
  2. Articulate the importance of international cooperation for addressing global issues.
  3. Articulate the importance of strong local, national and international public institutions for addressing global issues.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Certificate Requirements

Certificate Requirements
POL 30820INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AND LAW 3
or POL 43389 GOOD GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ELR)
POL 43499CAPSTONE IN GLOBAL ISSUES (ELR) 1
Global Issues Elective, choose from the following:3
ESCI 43189
WICKED PROBLEMS: TACKLING GLOBAL ISSUES IN THE 21ST CENTURY (ELR)
or GEOG 43189
WICKED PROBLEMS: TACKLING GLOBAL ISSUES IN THE 21ST CENTURY (ELR)
or POL 43189
WICKED PROBLEMS: TACKLING GLOBAL ISSUES IN THE 21ST CENTURY (ELR)
POL 40540
POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT (DIVG)
Certificate Electives, choose from the following: 19
ENVS 22070
NATURE AND SOCIETY (KSS)
ESCI 21062
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE (KBS)
ESCI 21080
ALL ABOUT THE OCEANS (KBS)
ESCI 33025
WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT
GEOG 31070
POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
GEOG 41066
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
GEOG 41073
CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
GEOG 46060
FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
GEOG 46080
URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
INTS 30101
WORLDS OF WEALTH AND POWER
INTS 30301
HUMAN SECURITY
INTS 30501
ORDER AND RESISTANCE
INTS 40560
HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (DIVG)
or POL 40560
HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (DIVG)
PACS 31002
GENDER, POWER AND CONFLICT
PACS 32030
INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION (DIVG)
PACS 35050
ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION
or POL 30350
ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION
POL 10500
WORLD POLITICS (DIVG) (KSS)
POL 30810
POLITICS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
POL 40440
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICIES
POL 40589
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE (ELR)
POL 43289
WEALTH, CONSUMPTION, POVERTY AND HUNGER: THE POLITICS OF INEQUALITY (ELR)
Minimum Total Credit Hours:16
1

Certificate electives must be from at least two different disciplines.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Certificate GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus