2021-2022 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Intercultural Communications Certificate
Website: gvsu.edu/itc
The intercultural communication certificate prepares graduates with skills in effective communication within and across diverse international organizations. Core courses ground students in cultural competency, written and spoken discourse, and experiential learning. Graduates of this program will demonstrate effective multi-modal persuasion and messaging that can be applied within a range of workplace, digital, and societal settings. Skills development is enhanced through interdisciplinary electives that situate global communication skills within particular job sectors and/or contexts.
Students wishing to earn the certificate can do so either as free-standing certificate or as part of a major in integrative studies (B.A. or B.S.). This program also supports students to earn an intercultural competence digital badge, creating stackable credentials that bolster your dossier. Most students complete this program in one year or less.
Courses within this program are offered in fully online, six-week accelerated formats for degree completion students. Any GVSU student can earn an intercultural communication certificate by completing the required courses listed as follows. These courses are offered in traditional, hybrid, and fully online formats.
We encourage you to contact the Integrative, Religious, and Intercultural Studies Department (IRIS) to speak with a faculty advisor who can help you plan the best and most direct course to complete the certificate requirements: (616)331-8020 or email: [email protected].
Requirements for the Certificate (14 credits)
Core Courses (8 credits)
- ITC 100 - Introduction to Intercultural Competence (3 credits)
- ITC 490 - Practicum: Intercultural Learning Experience (1 to 6 credits)
- WRT 354 - Writing in the Global Context: Culture, Technology, and Language Practices (3 credits)
Electives (6 credits)
Students are required to select one course from each category as follows.
Media, Modes, and Methods (choose one)
- COM 378 - Intercultural Communication (3 credits)
- DS 314/ENG 314 - Digital Literacies (3 credits)
- INT 341 - Leadership for Social Change (3 credits)
- REL 335 - Sacred Words, Global Understanding (3 credits)
Theory Into Practice (choose one)