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The Certificate in Global Cultures, Languages, and Education (GCLE) educates students about global anthropological, sociolinguistic, and language policy and planning perspectives, while providing them with tools to think critically about global language, literacy, and sociocultural contexts.

The courses pose key questions about the relationships among cultural diversity, social inequality, and language, and they provide students with skills to work globally, within and beyond schools, in the field of culture, communication, and education.

All current UW-Madison undergraduates are eligible to complete the Certificate in Global Cultures, Languages, and Education. To declare the certificate, students should visit the School of Education's Certificate Programs page to complete the declaration form.

Students pursing the Education Studies major or the Certificate in Educational Policy Studies are not eligible to complete the Certificate in Global Cultures, Languages, and Education.

Course Requirements

The Certificate in Global Cultures, Languages, and Education requires the following course distribution for a minimum of 12 credits. At least 6 credits must be completed in residence.

Completion of the certificate requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in certificate coursework.

Language, Culture and Schooling

Select two of the following courses (6 credits):

ED POL 205 Language and Social Inequality3
ED POL 240 Comparative Education3
ED POL/​ANTHRO  570 Anthropology and Education3
ED POL 595 Language Politics and Education3
CURRIC 312 ESL/Bilingual Issues3

Global Education

Select one of the following Global Education courses (3 credits):

ED POL 220 Human Rights and Education3
ED POL 237 Wealth, Poverty and Inequality: Transnational Perspectives on Policy and Practice in Education3
ED POL 260 Introduction to International Education Development3
ED POL/​INTL ST  335 Globalization and Education3
ED POL 460 Immigration, Education, and Equity3
ED POL 675 Introduction to Comparative and International Education3
CURRIC 292 Globalizing Education3
CURRIC 366 Internationalizing Educational Knowledge3

Global Studies 

Select one of the following courses in anthropology or international studies (3 credits):

ANTHRO 104 Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity3
ANTHRO/​FOLKLORE/​INTL ST/​LINGUIS  211 Global Language Issues3
ANTHRO 237 Cut 'n' Mix: Music, Race, and Culture in the Caribbean3
ANTHRO/​AFROAMER/​C&E SOC/​GEOG/​HISTORY/​LACIS/​POLI SCI/​SOC/​SPANISH  260 Latin America: An Introduction3-4
ANTHRO/​AFRICAN/​AFROAMER/​GEOG/​HISTORY/​POLI SCI/​SOC  277 Africa: An Introductory Survey4
ANTHRO 300 Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography3
ANTHRO/​LINGUIS  301 Introduction to Linguistics: Descriptive and Theoretical3
ANTHRO 307 Urban Anthropology3
ANTHRO/​AMER IND  314 Indians of North America3
ANTHRO 330 Topics in Ethnology3-4
ANTHRO 340 Music, Race, And Culture in Brazil3
ANTHRO/​RELIG ST  343 Anthropology of Religion3-4
ANTHRO 345 Family, Kin and Community in Anthropological Perspective3
ANTHRO 348 Economic Anthropology3-4
ANTHRO 350 Political Anthropology3-4
ANTHRO 357 Introduction to the Anthropology of Japan3-4
ANTHRO 358 Anthropology of China3
ANTHRO 415 The Anthropological Study of Children & Youth3
ANTHRO/​LINGUIS  430 Language and Culture3-4
ANTHRO/​AMER IND/​FOLKLORE  431 American Indian Folklore3
ANTHRO/​AMER IND/​FOLKLORE/​GEN&WS  437 American Indian Women3
ANTHRO/​GEN&WS  443 Anthropology by Women3
ANTHRO 448 Anthropology of Law3
ANTHRO 455 Study Abroad: Topics in Cultural Anthropology1-6
ANTHRO 456 Symbolic Anthropology3-4
ANTHRO 460 The Anthropology of Dance: Movement and Music in Performance3
ANTHRO 477 Anthropology, Environment, and Development3
ANTHRO/​ED POL  570 Anthropology and Education3
ANTHRO 606 Ethnicity, Nations, and Nationalism3-4
ANTHRO 690 Problems in Anthropology3-4
INTL ST 101 Introduction to International Studies3-4
INTL ST/​ANTHRO/​FOLKLORE/​LINGUIS  211 Global Language Issues3
INTL ST/​HISTORY/​LACIS  242 Modern Latin America3-4
INTL ST 266 Introduction to the Middle East3
INTL ST/​AFRICAN  302 Arabic Literature and Cinema3
INTL ST 310 International Learning Community Seminar1-3
INTL ST/​GEOG  311 The Global Game: Soccer, Politics, and Identity3
INTL ST/​GEOG  315 Universal Basic Income: The Politics Behind a Global Movement3
INTL ST 320 Contemporary Issues in International Studies1-4
INTL ST 322 Washington DC Semester in International Affairs Internship Seminar4
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  325 Social Movements and Revolutions in Latin America3-4
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  327 Indian Politics in Comparative Perspective3
INTL ST/​HISTORY  330 Global History of Humanitarianism3-4
INTL ST/​HISTORY  332 East Asia & The U.S. Since 18993-4
INTL ST/​ED POL  335 Globalization and Education3
INTL ST/​HISTORY  366 From Fascism to Today: Social Movements and Politics in Europe3-4
INTL ST/​A A E  373 Globalization, Poverty and Development3
INTL ST/​A A E  374 The Growth and Development of Nations in the Global Economy3
INTL ST 401 Topics in Global Security3-4
INTL ST 402 Topics in Politics and Policy in the Global Economy3-4
INTL ST 403 Topics in Culture in the Age of Globalization3-4
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  423 Social Mobilization in Latin America3
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  431 Contentious Politics3-4
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  434 The Politics of Human Rights3-4
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  436 Political Inequality: Measures, Causes, Effects and Remedies3
INTL ST/​POLI SCI  439 The Comparative Study of Genocide3-4
INTL ST 501 Study Abroad Topics in Global Security1-6
INTL ST 502 Study Abroad Topics in Politics and Policy in the Global Economy1-6
INTL ST 503 Study Abroad Topics in Culture in the Age of Globalization1-6
INTL ST 504 Study Abroad Topics in Global Environment1-6
INTL ST 520 Study Abroad Topics in International Studies1-6
INTL ST 523 International Internship1-3
INTL ST/​GEN&WS  535 Women's Global Health and Human Rights3
INTL ST 601 Topics in Global Security1-4
INTL ST 602 Topics in Politics and Policy in the Global Economy1-4
INTL ST 603 Topics in Culture in the Age of Globalization1-4
INTL ST 620 Topics in International Studies1-4
INTL ST 622 Washington DC Sem in International Affairs Seminar4

 Certificate Completion Requirement

This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the social, cultural, and historical contexts of global language policy and linguistic and cultural practices.
  2. Reflect on one’s own position and the positions of others in global political, social, and institutional structures and the possibilities for growth and change for oneself and others.
  3. Analyze information about culture and communication from diverse perspectives.
  4. Formulate arguments on global topics in language, culture, and education using academic literature and theoretical frameworks, identifying and integrating diverse sources of information.
  5. Collaborate and communicate ideas, reflections, and research effectively with people from a range of perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds.
  6. Use practice to inform theory and research and theory and research to reflect on and modify practice.