The Minor in Global Engagement is open to all UW Tacoma students of any major.

Cultural understanding and innovative thinking are essential to navigate our complex, interdependent world.  The Minor in Global Engagement (25-28 credits), an extension of the Global Honors program, offers interdisciplinary curriculum that integrates theory with practice. Connecting students to the places and communities they are studying through community-engaged seminars, coursework is focused on orientation to solutions, community engagement, and the global framework as well as experiential learning to develop sustainable and practical solutions to global challenges.  

Students enrolling in the Minor enjoy many of the benefits of the Global Honors Program:  a small faculty to student ratio, globally themed classes, funded experiential learning opportunities, and a close-knit community. With an emphasis on the development of critical thinking, writing, research and leadership skills, students develop expertise in areas familiar to their major, and are also able to stretch their thinking and studies to include new academic territory. 

Students who complete the Minor in Global Engagement maintaining a 3.3 GPA across all required courses and with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher are automatically considered for Global Honors Distinction.

Program Structure and Required Courses

The curriculum for the Minor in Global Engagement (25-28 credits) is highly interdisciplinary. Research and experiential learning projects are driven by compelling questions that require rich diversity in academic background and lived experience.  Students are introduced to the basic concepts of globalization through a series of core courses which emphasize critical thinking and help students develop a foundational level understanding of the major themes and topics throughout the curriculum.  Classes may include presentations, individual or group projects, research papers and peer reviews.  Students then bring their exploration of a global topic to completion through research methodology and capstone courses. Students complete the Minor working with a faculty advisor of their choice to complete the capstone project. As a final requirement for the Minor in Global Engagement, students present their work at the annual Global Engagement Conference.

INTRODUCTORY COURSE (2-5 credits)

  • T GH 203:  Themes in Global Honors (5 credits) or T GH 300:  Re-Orienting the Global (2 credits)

CORE COURSES (15 credits)*

  • T GH 301:  Global Interactions (5 credits)
  • T GH 302:  Global Imaginations (5 credits)
  • T GH 303:  Global Challenges (5 credits)

CAPSTONE COURSES (8 credits)

  • T GH 490:  Research Methods (2 credits)
  • T GH 491:  Thesis Symposium (1 credits)
  • CAPSTONE:
    • T GH 494:  Thesis (5 credits)
    • or T GH 495:  Independent Study:  Reflection Essay (5 credits)**
    • or T GH 496:  Experiential Learning (5 credits)

*Students majoring in Business Administration, Healthcare Leadership, and Urban Studies have the option to substitute some Core Courses for honors-approved courses in their major.  

**T GH 495 is only available to students who complete a study abroad program.

Visit our Curriculum & Courses page for more information on each course offered in the Minor in Global Engagement. 

STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES

Study abroad is strongly encouraged for students enrolled in the Minor in Global Engagement. It is an outstanding opportunity for students to develop empathy and understanding about the topical issues and themes examined throughout the Minor's curriculum. Students have the opportunity to substitute one of the Core Courses (T GH 301, T GH 302, or T GH 303) (up to 5 credits) through participation in a UW study abroad program. Program duration must be a minimum of 3 weeks in order to qualify for course substitution and funding opportunities offered by the Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement.  

Information about UW study abroad opportunities can be found on the Office of Global Affairs website.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Learning Outcomes

  1. Demonstrate enhanced skills in research, critical thinking, writing, working cooperatively, and oral communication
  2. Demonstrate ability to produce collaborative solutions for global challenges
  3. Demonstrate understanding of global interdependencies in economic, political, social, and cultural systems
  4. Demonstrate understanding of processes of globalization
  5. Demonstrate proficiency in researching, synthesizing, and presenting global topics
  6. Demonstrate understanding and appreciation of interdisciplinary perspectives

Assessment

  • Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all minor course work to earn the Minor.
  • Completion of a capstone thesis, independent study: reflection essay, or internship under the supervision of a faculty advisor, earning a 2.0 minimum grade.
  • Presentation at the annual Global Engagement Conference.