GLOBAL U PROGRAM
The Global U Program is an optional, non-transcripted program designed to help students turn their international experience into transferable skills that they can then use in school, their communities, and at work.
Plan Phase
(Before Program)
The Plan phase is an opportunity to set goals, prepare for your experience, and think about your Badges before you go abroad.
Phase 1 Requirements
- Register for Global U Program in program online application
- Complete the “Global U Program: Plan Phase” questionnaire in Learning Abroad online program application before going abroad
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Learn Phase
(During Program)
The Learn Phase occurs while you are abroad and is when you engage in activities and experiences via your Learning Abroad Program and develop skills that you can later adapt upon returning home.
Phase 2 Requirements
- Participate in Learning Abroad Badge activities
- Complete online Badge Reflection(s)
Integrate Phase
(After Program)
The Integrate Phase occurs after you return home from your program. The Integrate Phase helps students convert their experience abroad into transferable skills that can be used at school, in the community, and in the workplace.
Phase 3 Requirements
- Complete the Digital Returnee Seminar
- Attend 1 Returnee Event
- Complete Testimonial
NEW!
The Intercultural Learning Badge is for Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) eligible programs only: exchanges and Utah Asia Campus. Unlike the original 4 badges, the Intercultural Learning badge extends theme specific reflection before and after your program.
This Badge will possibly require that you arrange activities independently. As of now, you can satisfy the 25 hour activity requirement for the badge by:
- Living with a host family (automatically 25+ hours)
- Participating in cultural excursions
- Joining a community or student club
- Taking a host country focused course
- Taking a course with locals or that's taught by a local professor
Some programs may already include cultural excursions, host family stays, or courses with locals. If this is the case, your program automatically earns the badge. If not, you will need to arrange one or more of the options above independently. You can propose an activity not listed above, please send an email to learningabroad@utah.edu to verify.
The Intercultural Learning Badge:
- Requires that you consider how your identity and upbringing informs your view of your culture and others
- Helps you analyze how culture directly impacts community spaces and demonstrate key examples
- Allows you to unpack the complexities of your experience and its influence on how you perceive your growth
- Promotes continuous learning through engagement in communities other than your own
PLAN PHASE
- Register for Global U Program in program online application
- Pay for IES (part of billable program costs)
- Take IES pre-measurement assessment
- Complete the following questionnaires in your Learning Abroad online program application:
- Global U Program: Plan Phase
- Global U Program: Plan Intercultural Learning
- Intercultural Effectiveness Scale Personal Development Plan
Learn PHASE
- Participate in Learning Abroad Badge activities
- Complete the following questionnaires in your Learning Abroad online program application:
- Global U Program: Learn Intercultural Learning Reflection
- Intercultural Effectiveness Scale Mid-Program Reflection
INTEGRATE PHASE
- Take IES post-measurement assessment
- Complete the following questionnaires in your Learning Abroad online program application:
- Global U Program: Integrate Intercultural Learning
- Intercultural Effectiveness Scale Post-Program Reflection
- Complete the Digital Returnee Seminar
- Attend 1 Returnee Event
FAQ
Students earn Badges and complete the Global U Program by completing all of the requirements in each phase. Students automatically fulfill many of the requirements by participating in a Learning Abroad program! A breakdown of the program requirements can be found here.
Please note, students have one semester after returning from their program (excluding summer) to complete all Global U Program requirements.
You can register online for the Global U Program at any time. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll before departing for their program.
- Students who have an active Learning Abroad Application can register through the Learning Abroad: Global U Program Questionnaire in their Learning Abroad Application.
Each Learn Phase Badge offers different benefits and skills to students. During the Plan Phase of the Global U Program, it is important to decide which Badge(s) will help you reach your goals. The benefits of each Badge are listed below. By combining Learning Abroad with skills in Community Engagement, Career Development, Language Immersion, and Research Experience, students intentionally work towards their academic, personal, and professional goals and learn how to articulate the skills they gain from learning abroad in a valuable, marketable way.
Career Development- Puts student in an environment that develops problem-solving skills and adaptability
- Teaches students to ask questions, learn quickly, be resourceful, and analyze information across cultures
- Provides global context to a student’s career goals
- Helps students to develop emotional intelligence and leadership skills
- Provides unique insights into the host culture
- Gives firsthand experience with the infrastructure of the host country
- Requires that students creatively adapt to conditions in a social setting
- Contributes to local and international communities
- Allows students to practice using a language in everyday life
- Creates the opportunity to understand how language interacts with culture
- Provides students with cross-cultural communication skills that can be used in academic, social and professional settings
- Students gain new perspectives in their area of study
- Learn how culture impacts international research initiatives
- Participate in intense academic inquiry
- Students share their scholarly work with the U community
Many programs are designed to automatically earn Badges in the Learn phase. To determine if your program automatically earns the Career Development, Community Engagement, Language Immersion, or Research Badge, see the Fact Sheet at the top of your program website. If your program doesn't automatically earn one of those Badges, you can earn a Badge by coordinating Independent Options.
Independent options allow students to customize the Global U Program to their personal, professional, and academic goals. Independent options may include optional program activities or independently organized activities. You can combine credit and non-credit activities to earn badges through independent options. A breakdown of the requirements for independent options is below. Your host institution, affiliate, or Faculty Director may be able to help you coordinate independent options while abroad. Contact these individuals for details about the options available on your program.
| DO ONE OR THE OTHER: | |||
| Learn Badges | For-Credit Activities | Non-Credit Activities | Online Badge Reflection |
|---|---|---|---|
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Complete a minimum of 3 internship credits while abroad | Complete a minimum of 25 hours of business visits, internships, job shadowing, networking, career counseling & informational interviews while abroad | Complete the “Learn Career Development Badge” questionnaire in Learning Abroad online program application while abroad |
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Complete a minimum of 3 service-learning or community engagement credits while abroad | Complete a minimum of 25 hours of a community service project while abroad | Complete the “Learn Community Engagement Badge” questionnaire in Learning Abroad online program application while abroad |
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Complete a minimum of 6 language credits (includes courses taught in host country language) while abroad -------OR-------- Complete a minimum of 3 language credits and 48 hours attending pre-sessional/non-credit language classes while abroad |
Complete a minimum of 96 hours attending pre-sessional/non-credit language classes while abroad | Complete the “Learn Language Immersion Badge” questionnaire in Learning Abroad online program application while abroad |
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Complete a minimum of 3 research credits (or special designation) while abroad |
Complete a minimum of 25 hours on a research project while abroad | Complete the “Learn Research Experience Badge” questionnaire in Learning Abroad online program application while abroad |
Returnee events help you expand your network by connecting with experts here on campus. There are dozens of approved returnee events each year. A list of pre-approved events can be found below. Other events may be eligible. Contact Learning Abroad at learningabroad@utah.edu to request to add an event to the pre-approved list.
- Volunteer at the Fall or Spring Learning Abroad Fair
- Advising session with an International and Areas Studies academic advisor
- Advising session with a Department of World Languages and Cultures academic advisor
- Bennion Center Events
- Career Coaching Sessions
- DESB Business Career Services
- Fulbright, Marshall, or Rhodes Scholarship Events
- Hinckley Institute of Politics Forum
- HIP Talks (Hinckley Institute of Politics)
- International Education Week Events [BROKEN LINK]
- Learning Abroad Returned Student Social
- Office for Global Engagement Events
- Office of Undergraduate Research Events
- Sorenson Impact Center
By combining learning abroad with skills in Community Engagement, Career Development, Language Immersion, and Research Experience, students intentionally work towards their academic, personal, and professional goals and learn how to articulate the skills they gain from learning abroad in a valuable, marketable way. In addition, students can market their experience on job and graduate school applications and via LinkedIn with digital badges administered through the U.
See below for an example of how you can include the Global U Program on your résumé.
