This Certification is intended for undergraduate students in various disciplines across TAMIU who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service, international institutions, non-governmental international organizations, and multinational corporations as well as those who recognize the importance of understanding international issues to virtually any career field. The undergraduate Certificate in International Studies allows students to enhance their degree program with a concentration in international studies. Completion of the requirements is certified by the Office of Global Initiatives/Binational Center (OGI/BINC) and the Office of the Registrar.

Internationalization is a process, which focuses on the social, legal, economic, political, and technological aspects of countries other than the United States. It often involves working with people from several disciplines to define a common goal. No single discipline can provide a thorough understanding of the globalization process. Rather, students must be exposed to several disciplines to obtain the holistic perspective required to analyze its complexity.

The Certificate in International Studies integrates a wide variety of junior and senior level courses and encourages a multidisciplinary approach. The student declares a major in an established academic department and then focuses in international studies as laid out in this certification. The Certification in International Studies meets the needs of the students and proves useful in terms of both career opportunities and contribution to international issues.

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION AND QUALIFICATION

The student must:
      · Have completed 60 or more semester credit hours of coursework
      · Be accepted in an established academic program at TAMIU
      · Submit an Application for the Certificate in International Studies program to the OGI/BINC located at LBV 301 or by email at binationalcenter@tamiu.edu

• Application can be found at https://www.tamiu.edu/binationalcenter/application-certificate-in-international-studies-effective-fall-2020-new.pdf

CRITERIA FOR EARNING THE CERTIFICATE IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

The student must:

• Successfully complete a minimum of four (4) courses herein listed as Approved Courses
• Attain at least a 2.75 GPA in the selected courses with no less than a C in any course
• Participate in at least one event scheduled by the OGI/BINC or one international speaker series event and write and submit a 500-word reflection paper about your learning experience as relates to international studies, and complete and submit an Event Survey provided by OGI/BINC.  For more information on event to be attended, please contact us by email at binationalcenter@tamiu.edu, by phone at 956-326-2834 or visit us at LBV 301.
• Complete and submit an Exit International Studies Survey at the end of your coursework.  Call us at 956-326-2834 or email us at binationalcenter@tamiu.edu to schedule an appointment for survey, at least a month before graduation.

Each 3-credit course has been selected based on its global context and relevancy for fostering cross-national understanding. It is not an exclusive list. Other courses such as an international capstone seminar or those taken under a study abroad experience may be accepted as alternatives to the ones listed below, subject to the approval of the OGI/BINC Advisor.