About the Global Fellows in Washington, D.C. Program
Global Fellows in Washington, D.C. is an innovative fellowship program designed to equip University of Maryland undergraduate students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and experience necessary to become leaders in our increasingly globalized society.
The program provides an integrated
combination of classroom and professional experience designed to provide a deep
understanding of global leadership and policy and the ways in which they are developed,
influenced and carried out.
The center of the program is a fall academic seminar on global leadership and policy related to a specific theme, for example, global development, supported by additional coursework and a spring semester internship experience.
Directed by Dr. Joan Burton and modeled after the enormously successful Federal Fellows, Global Fellows in Washington, D.C. aims to increase student involvement in and access to opportunities within the global arena.
The program is, in a sense, a study abroad experience right here in Washington, D.C.
The University of Maryland is ideally suited for such a program, given our proximity to the nation’s capital and our faculty and administrators’ connections to global change-makers.
The program launched fall 2013, and currently offers five Global Fellows tracks: Responses to Global Challenges, Science Diplomacy, Critical Regions & International Relations, U.S. Diplomacy, and International Security & Intelligence.
Global Fellows in Washington, DC is a program of the Office of Undergraduate Studies, in collaboration with the Office of International Affairs, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the Clark School of Engineering, the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, and the School of Public Health.
Basic Components
- A three-credit fall seminar, based on global leadership and
policy and designed particularly for Global Fellows in Washington, D.C.
participants.
-
A spring internship in a foreign embassy office, federal agency,
international organization, or multinational corporation. The
internship credits vary from 3 to 9 credits, as appropriate
for each student. Students are responsible for securing their
internships; that said, much assistance and support will also be provided by
the Global Fellows in Washington, D.C. staff.
- Two additional University of Maryland courses that supplement the seminar and internship by providing greater depth and context to the academic experience. At least one must be completed prior to the internship semester. Appropriate courses are offered across the university: For example, AREC 365, World Hunger; ECON 317, Global Economic Policies; ENES 472, International Business Cultures in Engineering and Technology; FMSC 110S, Families and Global Health; GEOG 130, Developing Countries; GVPT 305, Global Ecopolitics; HIST 142, Looking at America through a Global Lens. Students may count previously taken courses toward this requirement.
Additional Program Components
The program will host a number of additional activities and workshops throughout the academic year. Round table discussions and guest speakers will give students the opportunity to learn from each other and to discuss important international issues. These meetings will also provide opportunities for alumni to share insights and suggestions with students preparing for their internships.
A final academic showcase event at the end of the year will bring students together for presentations of their work and to share their experiences. This event will feature a display of student posters and fliers describing and reflecting on their internship and program experiences. In addition to current and prospective students in the program, instructors, internship supervisors, University of Maryland administrators, and program alumni will be invited to attend.