FSU undergraduate students can register for Global Perspectives, the foundational course for the Global Citizenship Certificate (GCC), on October 12 when registration opens. In the course, students explore global issues and develop intercultural communication skills while meeting several of FSU's liberal studies requirements.

"Global Perspectives is a fantastic class for students to learn about global issues, understand how to interpret cultural values and communication strategies used across cultures and become more effective in engaging in the 21st-century globalized world," said Dr. Elçin Haskollar, GCC Program Director and Teaching Faculty. "In this class, students attend a variety of intercultural events and experiential activities, learn from a diverse array of guest speakers and FSU international students and apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life settings."

As part of the Global Perspectives coursework, FSU students participate in a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative with students from The Technology College of Americana in São Paulo, Brazil. "What is most unique about this course is that each student is partnered up with a Brazilian student who is living and studying in Brazil to complete a variety of different assignments together," Dr. Haskollar said. "If you want to learn about the world and its cultures and desire hands-on applied learning, this class is perfect for you."

FSU students who have taken Global Perspectives said that their experience with COIL was integral to gaining a firsthand knowledge and understanding of another culture. “During my correspondence with my Brazilian counterparts, I learned a great deal about how different our two worlds are,” said Joshua Matzner, a junior studying management at FSU. “My experience in the COIL program has helped expand my understanding and appreciation for other cultures. Because of this program, I am better able to recognize differences between my culture and the cultures of others while embracing these differences at the same time.”

The general FSU student population can enroll in sections 3 and 4 of IDS 2431– Global Perspectives. Sections 1 and 2 are reserved for students enrolled in the GCC and need to obtain a permission code by emailing globalcitizen@fsu.edu.

Students who take Global Perspectives are encouraged to enroll in the Global Citizenship Certificate to increase their intercultural competence and show future employers they're ready for an increasingly globalized workforce with a transcript notation. In addition to taking this course, students choose three elective courses from a list of 500+ approved liberal studies courses with a cross-cultural or global theme (one of which can be a language course); attend eight intercultural events; and complete one sustained intercultural experience domestically or abroad. Completing GCC also satisfies one of the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society requirements.

Learn more at cge.fsu.edu/globalcitizen or schedule a personal information session by emailing globalcitizen@fsu.edu.