Intercultural Engagement Endorsement

How to Add the Endorsement: Add the Intercultural Engagement Endorsement to your academic record here

How to Start Tracking Requirements: Start and submit an application here to complete the endorsement

The Intercultural Engagement Endorsement through the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs prepares graduates to engage with a variety of people with different histories, beliefs, values, and experiences. Through meaningful activities, courses, and off-campus experiences, you’ll get an intercultural education that will lend itself to a variety of post-graduate opportunities.

In addition to supporting a well-rounded off-campus experience, this endorsement also supports your freedom of courses while abroad. At Bethel, the Course Program of Study (CPoS) policy requires students to take at least 12 credits each semester that directly relate to their major, minor, or general electives in order to receive aid. It used to be a problem for study abroad students who just wanted to go abroad and take some fun courses that may not necessarily align with their major or minor. So, we created this endorsement as a way to bypass the CPoS policy and allow study abroad students to have the flexibility to take those "fun" courses while still being eligible for external and federal aid (which requires having at least 12 credits per semester that meet major/minor requirements).

Goals and Outcomes

Develop skills that will help you communicate and collaborate across cultural differences.
Learn how to engage in meaningful interactions and develop personal relationships with a wide variety of people with different backgrounds.
Grow your appreciation for the value of different perspectives, especially those rooted in cultural experience.
Understand how becoming more globally engaged enhances one's experience as a Bethel student and prepares you for a global workforce.

Academic Requirements

To earn an endorsement in intercultural engagement, you'll need to complete the following academic requirements.

Core Courses (6-7 credits)

Choose two of the following:

World Cultures (U) course
Second Language (S) course
Comparative Systems (G) course

Required Experience (3-18 credits)

Choose one:

One semester abroad (12-18 credits)
One semester off-campus in a Bethel-approved domestic program that engages a different culture (12-18 credits)
One summer abroad (3-6 credits)
One January session abroad through an affiliated third-party provider (3-6 credits)

Required Activities

Membership in United Cultures of Bethel (UCB) for at least one semester
Attend five relevant events on campus (e.g. Reconciliation Studies forum) or off-campus (e.g. colloquium, reading, etc.)
Attend the Office of International and Off-Campus Programs' Pre-Departure Orientation and Re-entry workshops

Total Credits: 9-25

Potential Importance and Impact on You

To ensure you receive aid for the semester, it's important to either add the endorsement or make sure you successfully register and take the courses you have petitioned for. Remember, you must have a minimum of 12 approved credits to be eligible for federal aid.

Our Recommendation:

You should add the endorsement if:
- - You are petitioning individual courses from your host university to transfer back to Bethel,
  - Your program starts significantly after Bethel’s semester (ie. South Korea programs start in March, later than Bethel’s February start date), OR
  - You have an authentic interest and motivation to study intercultural engagement while at Bethel.

You do not need to add the endorsement if:
- - Studying abroad for a semester is a requirement for your major (ex. Reconciliations majors, Spanish majors, International Relations majors, etc).

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