GLOBAL SCHOLAR DISTINCTION
From Fall 2023 to Summer 2024, 292 panthers were awarded the Global Scholar Distinction!
Students who earn the Global Scholar Distinction are recognized by Georgia State University for their development of global competence: the skills, knowledge and awareness that enhance the ability to succeed in a global environment. The Global Scholar Distinction is open to all Bachelor degree-seeking majors in all colleges. A Global Scholar Distinction for Associate degree-seeking students is also available at Perimeter College; opening doors to rewarding global career opportunities at home and abroad!
Students earning the Global Scholar Distinction will receive an official notice from Georgia State, a digital badge and a cord at graduation. Recipients are encouraged to include this and other university distinctions on resumes, curricula vitae, professional portfolios and other methods of documenting academic accomplishments
Prospective Global Scholars
Talk to an advisor about including the Global Scholar Distinction in your degree plan. It’s never too early to chart your path! Use these links to find an advisor:
University Advisement by Program
Undergraduate Department Advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences
Take courses across the university that count toward your major, minor or electives. Earn a grade of “B” or better and keep an institutional GPA of 3.0 or higher. All Global Scholar courses are at the 3000 or 4000 level. Global Scholar courses can be found on GoSolar or PAWS. Watch the video above to learn how to find these courses. More information is available in the GSU Course Catalog.
Enjoy these former workshops to learn more about how to develop and market your global competencies and professional skills.
Global Scholars will receive an official letter and digital badge from Georgia State University. Global Scholars may add the distinction to their resume and digital profiles.
Student Audit Process
If you did not receive the Global Scholar Distinction after graduation and the conferral of your degree, but graduated with a 3.0 GPA or higher and feel you took five applicable Global Scholar Distinction courses, receiving a B or better in each course, follow the procedure below.
- Email [email protected] requesting a formal review and audit of your transcript to receive the Global Scholar Distinction.
- Include in the body of the email the list of the five or more courses, you believe to be eligible to count towards the Global Scholar Distinction. Courses must be 3000 or 4000 level.(NOTE: These courses should include significant global, cross-cultural or world regional content and should present global and cross-cultural perspectives during course activities. For example, they may be cross-listed graduate courses for a 3+2 or 4+1 program, virtual exchange and/or study abroad courses.)
- As an attachment in the email, include a screenshot or copy of your transcripts indicating your graduating GPA and your grade for each of these courses.
- With this information, the Global Scholar Distinction team will work with the Office of the Registrar to evaluate your request and make a final determination.
- Once a decision has been made, you will be informed by email. If it is determined that you have met the requirements for the Global Scholar Distinction, you will receive a congratulatory email and a digital badge acknowledging your accomplishment.
Advisors and Colleges
Students who take five or more courses across the university and earn a grade of "B" or better and keep an institutional grade-point average of 3.0 or higher at the time of graduation will be recognized as Global Scholars. Courses with the Global Scholars designation are noted in the catalog course description.
Courses that count toward the Global Scholar Distinction may be from the major, minor, disciplines or other electives across the university. However, the intent of the Global Scholar Distinction initiative is for students to earn this designation within the bounds of their current undergraduate program. Students are not encouraged to take additional classes beyond those in their major, elective area or minor (if applicable) in pursuit of this distinction. Find more information on the GSU Course Catalog.
Global Scholar courses can be found throughout the university. Each year, departments identify existing courses or add new courses with global content to the Global Scholars course list; the availability of courses may change by semester.
Colleges and academic departments can invest in their students' global competency and intercultural fluency by adding existing or new courses to the Global Scholar course list. Adding Global Scholar courses to a curriculum adds value and raises the profile of a degree program by integrating international perspectives and by meeting the needs of students who want to prepare for 21st-century careers requiring the ability to work in diverse global contexts.
Courses that receive the “Global Scholars” designation should include significant global, cross-cultural or world-regional content and should present global and cross-cultural perspectives during course activities. More information is available in the GSU Course Catalog.
How to tag relevant global, cross-cultural or world regional courses in your degree program.
How to make a proposal to CAP.
- Department / College / Institution
- Contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Impact on other units
- Offices, departments, committees and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
- Approval path for program proposal, noting all formal department- or college-level votes.
- Attached listing of proposed Global or City Scholars courses, including prefix, number, full title and catalog description.
How to submit a proposal for approval by CAP.
- Each proposed Scholars course should be considered and approved by the originating academic department. Approval by the departments at this stage, including any formal vote, should be noted as specified in the program proposal.
- Proposals require the approval of the dean of the college responsible for the administration of the courses. Individual colleges may elect to require that proposals first be reviewed or formally considered by college faculty, a college undergraduate or graduate committee, or some other college-level body. Approval at this stage, including any formal vote, should be noted as specified in the proposal.
- The dean should send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) by October 31 for implementation by the following fall. Within CAP, the proposal will be deliberated on by the Undergraduate Council subcommittee. The subcommittee chair will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The APIE may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a final decision on the proposal and will report the results of the review as an information item at the next full CAP meeting.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP, copying the dean of the college submitting the proposal. The college may implement approved changes for the indicated term following this notification.
- Once approved, the college scheduler should tag the course as indicated and updated the course description in the catalog.
Additional Information
The development of the Global Scholar Distinction began in Spring 2013 and by Spring 2017, 154 courses were designated Global Scholars courses with an attribute in Banner and 2399 students had taken at least one Global Scholars course. In 2018, the Undergraduate Course Catalog was revised to clarify the requirements of the distinction.
By Fall 2019, 430 courses were listed as Global Scholars courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Robinson College of Business, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the School of Public Health and the College of Education and Human Development. Each year, departments identify existing courses or add new courses with global content to the Global Scholars course list.
In Fall 2018, Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology received a four-year Title VI grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch the Atlanta Global Studies Center. One of the priorities of the Atlanta Global Studies Center is to promote and support global education across partner universities, to increase achievement of the Global Scholar Distinction by 10% at the end of the grant period.
The Atlanta Global Studies Center is committed to being the catalyst and coordinator of the Global Scholar Distinction program in collaboration with the Office of International Initiatives. With a centralized effort, Georgia State University will promote the program to more students across more colleges and track the progress students make toward earning the Global Scholar Distinction.