U21 Certificate in Global Issues (Understanding Globalisation)

Universitas 21 (U21) is an international network of leading research-intensive universities. Established in 1997, U21 currently includes twenty one member universities in thirteen countries. These partner institutions are committed to advancing the internationalism of education and offer exemplary tertiary study across a variety of disciplines.

The Universitas 21 Certificate in Global Issues is the University of Melbourne's name for the U21 Programme in Global Issues. It is an undergraduate multidisciplinary concurrent certificate administered through the Faculty of Arts and taught by the University of Melbourne in conjunction with the Universities of British Columbia (Canada), Hong Kong (China), Nottingham (United Kingdom), Queensland (Australia), Lund (Sweden) and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico).

The Certificate is designed to address the particular demands of undergraduate students who have an interest in global studies and who wish to combine this study with a bachelor's degree at the University of Melbourne.

Students are expected to complete fifty percent of the Certificate through at least one other partner university, whether online or by studying overseas on exchange.

The U21 Certificate in Global Issues has as its objectives that graduates should gain:

• knowledge of the current theoretical principles relating to globalisation and how these are understood by students from universities around the globe;
• an ability to evaluate and synthesise the literature relating to globalisation, and its relationship to environmental, economic, political and social change;
• an understanding of the interconnectedness between individuals, societies, and countries by encouraging students to consider the cultural, environmental, economic and political dimensions of globalisation;
• a capacity to work with others located around the globe in identifying and grappling with significant global issues; and
• a set of skills related to learning in an on-line, interactive environment.

University of Melbourne students accepted into the Certificate are required to complete 50 points of study comprising:

• one compulsory on-line core subject (12.5 points)
and
• elective subjects chosen from the lists below (37.5 points).

At least one of the three elective subjects must be taught (either on-line or via an exchange program) by a Global Issues Program partner university, ie. not by the University of Melbourne.

Subjects listed below and offered as part of the Certificate are subject to availability. Students should check subject prerequisites with relevant teaching programs where it will be determined whether prospective students can satisfy prerequisites.

Core Subjects

All students are required to complete ONE of the following core subjects:

Online/ Elective Subjects

Select 3 subjects from the following lists:

Overseas Campus Based Elective Subjects

Lund University:

• Democratization
• Environmental Governance
• Global Environmental Justice
• Human Rights – A Multidisciplinary Introduction
• International Business and Multinational Enterprises
• Sociology of Human Development
• Terror in the Name of God – Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism
• The Politics of the Environment and Sustainable Development
• The Role of Religion in the Middle East Conflict
• Violence, Gender and Culture- a Global Survey

University of British Columbia:

• Indigenous Peoples in Comparative and International Law
• International Business Management
• International Financial Management
• International Law Problems
• International Macroeconomics and Finance
• International Marketing
• International Taxation
• Introduction to International Finance
• Introduction to International Trade
• Understanding Globalization
• World History From 1500 to the 20th Century

University of Hong Kong:

• Global Political Economy
• Globalisation & Information Society
• International Finance
• International Marketing
• Managing e-Business Transformation
• Multinational Corporations
• Theory of International Trade

University of Nottingham:

• Global Security
• Human Rights and the Global Sex Trade
• International Firms
• IPE and Global Development
• Modern Classics in International Relations
• Past as Present: International Relations and International History
• The Impact of Globalisation, Regionalism and the State
• Transatlantic Security Relations
• War, Disaster and Political Psychology

Melbourne University Campus Based Elective Subjects

Applicants must satisfy the following selection criteria:

• be concurrently enrolled in an undergraduate degree course at the University of Melbourne; and
• have obtained a weighted grade point average of at least H2B (70%) across all subjects so far completed in the concurrent degree course; and
• have completed at least 100 points of study in the concurrent degree course; and
• be at least six months (50 credit points) away from completing the concurrent degree course.

Once enrolled, students may not graduate from the Certificate until their degree studies have also been completed. Students will be enrolled in the Certificate on the same fee-paying basis as their degree course. The application form is available via the Universitas 21 website: http://www.universitas21.com/globalissues.html. Places in the Certificate are limited to 25 students per year. Applications will be assessed on a competitive basis.

Students enrolled in an Honours program are ineligible to commence the Certificate. Students enrolled in a bachelor degree program that is being taught out may not be eligible to commence the Certificate.

Graduates of the U21 Certificate in Global Issues should develop the following generic skills:

• Skills and techniques in solving problems and an ability to communicate these techniques in verbal and written form in cross-cultural context;
• A sensitivity to the impact of globalisation on the world from a variety of theoretical, individual and international perspectives;
• A sound attitude towards undertaking life-long learning in this field;
• A well-developed capacity to understand and participate as an individual and in collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, as a leader or as a team member;
• Working skills in the use of simulations, interactive material and technologies designed to enhance collaborative and team work;
• An understanding of students’ own choices and responsibilities within their political, social, cultural and professional contexts; and
• An ability to participate as active global citizens.