Global Citizenship Graduation Requirement [GCIT]

Note: Effective Fall 2025, the Global Citizenship graduation requirement replaced the World Cultures graduation requirement. Courses approved for Global Citizenship also fulfill the former World Cultures requirement. Students following older catalogs who need to complete the World Cultures requirement should refer to the Global Citizenship course list.

Each baccalaureate student must demonstrate competency in the Global Citizenship requirement which deals primarily with supporting students in furthering their knowledge of globally diverse groups, issues, and identities to support a worldview based in the critical understanding of all who live in it. The experiences may include such topics as literary, artistic and other cultural achievements; religious and ethical values; social, economic and political systems; or intellectual and historical trends. Students may explore how various socially marginalized groups navigate the world with different and ever-changing social disparities, furthering the understanding to be conscious and reflective in regard to their own lived experiences as well as the lived experiences of those around them. Transfer students seeking approval of a previous credit taken at a prior institution substitute course to meet this requirement should contact the Registrar’s Office and provide a course syllabus for the course they wish reviewed.

The intention of the requirement is to advance students’:

1. Understanding of how culture is expressed in terms of historical evidence, artistic accomplishments, technology, customs and texts.
2. Engagement with and respect for social and cultural diversity, demonstrating an understanding of global interconnectedness.
3. Understanding of how factors (such as race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, social class, marginalization and ability) affect how groups within a culture relate to each other.
4. Articulation of the important achievements and contributions of various cultures in such areas as the arts, literature, philosophy, ethical values, religion and science.

This requirement can be achieved 1 of 3 ways:

Option #1 - A course from the list of approved Global Citizenship courses (identified by *)

Option #2 - An NMU approved Study Abroad course using the following description

The Global Citizen requirement may be met by successful completion of a course through participation in an NMU-approved Study Abroad program during which the participant resides in a country outside of the U.S. and actively engages with the people and practices of the host culture. Study Abroad programs should require that the student utilize a wide variety of skills, both academic and inter/intrapersonal, to interact with globally diverse groups to negotiate shared experiences through cross-cultural communication and exposure to new ideas, worldviews, histories, cultural identities, as well as political, religious, and economic trends outside of the U.S. Students should have had an opportunity to analyze their experience and reflect on how their worldview is newly shaped by it.

Option #3 - A lived experience outside of the first two options.

A student who believes they have a lived experience that meets the Global Citizenship requirement must submit a petition to the General Education Council for the experience to satisfy the requirement. 

Some examples may include:

• Attending university in another country and transferring back to the U.S.
• Completing an NMU approved course during which the participant resides in a country/culture outside of the U.S. and actively engages with the people and practices of the host culture (i.e. Internship, Directed Study).  Any courses considered for this option must give students the opportunity to analyze their experience and reflect on how their world view is newly shaped by it.
• Living in/coming from a culture other than U.S. culture.  Under usual circumstances individuals must have lived in that culture for at least 3 months.

Petition for Lived Experience to Fulfill the Global Citizenship Requirement

To request approval, students must work through the Registrar’s Office to submit a formal petition to the General Education Council, which includes the following:

1. A Brief Letter (1-2 pages) Addressing:

• Description of Experience - Provide a clear summary of your lived experience, including when and where it took place.
• Connection to Global Citizenship Goals - Explain how this experience furthered your knowledge of globally diverse groups, issues, and identities.
• Personal Growth & Reflection - Discuss how this experience shaped your worldview, challenged assumptions, and deepened your understanding of global interconnectedness.

​2. Supporting Documentation (if applicable):

• Evidence such as transcripts, syllabus, course materials (if studying abroad), program details, work records, or any relevant materials that support your petition.

3. Submission Process:

• Students should work with the Registrar’s Office to first identify if their experience qualifies.
• Petitions should be submitted to the General Education Council.
• The review process typically takes 2-4 weeks, and students will be notified of the decision via email.

Below are the approved list of courses that may be applied toward the Global Citizenship Requirement: