Graduate Certificate in International Research
What it is
The Graduate Certificate in International Research allows graduate students already working towards a graduate degree to attain special recognition for work in international development. The specialization provides guidance in the choice of electives, course alternatives within the discipline, and thesis topics. It is designed to broaden students' academic experience so as to enable them to better face international challenges.
Areas of Specialization
International Development is a process of improving the lives of people in developing countries. It has three components: education and training, collaborative research, and technical assistance. Development work is multidisciplinary in nature, often involving members of several disciplines working together to define a common goal. No single discipline can provide a thorough understanding of the development process. The Graduate Certificate in International Research encourages a multidisciplinary approach on the part of the student.
Admission Requirements
You must register no later than the last day to add courses of your last semester. Additionally, you must:
- be accepted as a graduate student in an established academic department
- have at least one faculty member with experience in international development on your graduate committee
- have your application signed by your major professor
- submit your program of study
1. Fill out the Graduate Certificate application form from the Graduate School: http://www.grads.vt.edu/forms/index.html
Under "Enrollment", click on "Application - Certificate" to open a pdf file. Print this out, fill it out, then turn it in to the Graduate School in Sandy Hall (campus mailstop 0325).
2. Fill out the OIRED form as well (click here for the form).
Print this out, fill it out, and send it to Miriam Rich at OIRED (campus mailstop 0378).
Certificate Requirements
To receive a certificate, you must:
- take at least three courses from the approved list
- ensure that one course is outside your department, and one course is outside your college
- write your major paper or thesis on a topic related to international development
Expand your career options
The Graduate Certificate in International Research is helpful not only in introducing you to the world of international development, but also in expanding your career opportunities. Often, international research provides that extra edge that employers seek.
- S.K. De Datta - Associate Vice President for International Affairs, Director of the Office of International Research, Education & Development and Committee Chair
- Karen DePauw - Vice President for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School
- Antonio Fernandez - Associate Professor of Foreign Languages, College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences
- Larry Grossman - Professor of Geography, College of Natural Resources
- Vinod Lohani - Associate Professor, College of Engineering
- Patrick Miller - Professor/Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Outreach, Dean of the College of Architecture & Urban Studies
- George Norton - Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
- Nammalwar (Nathan) Sriranganathan - Professor of Biomedical Science, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
- Rodney Thompson - Professor of Finance, Insurance and Business Law, College of Business
- James Turner - Professor of Mathematics, College of Science
Note: Independent and Special Studies as well as courses taken abroad are accepted but must be relevant to international development and are subject to approval by the Certificate Advisory Committee.
- College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
- AAEC 4304: Environment and Sustainable Development Economics
- AAEC 5174: International Agricultural Development and Trade
- AAEC 5244: Rural Development
- CSES 4124: Soil Survey and Taxonomy
- CSES 4544: Forage Crop Ecology
- ENT/PPWS 4264: Pesticide Usage
- ALS/GEOG/NR/UAP 4404: Approaches to International Developmen
- GIA 5034: Democratic Governance of Economy
- UAP 4184: Community Involvement
- UAP/SOC/GEOG 4764: International Development Policy and Planning
- UAP/WS 4214: Women, Environment and Development in a Global Perspective
- UAP 5274: Comparative Social Movements
- UAP 5404: Strategies for Urban Development in the Third World
- UAP 5394: Nature, Society, and the Global Economy: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
- UAP/SOC 5524: International Development
- UAP 5764: International Development Studio
- UAP 5364: NGOs in International Development
- FIN 5184: Currencies and Global Finance
- MGT 5784: International Management
- MKTG 5704: International Marketing Strategy
- BIT 5494: International Operation and Information Technolog
- HIST 5534: Imperialism, Nationalism, and Decolonization
- HIST 5914: Race and Slavery in Comparative Perspective
- SOC/GEOG 5654: The Global Division of Labor
- SOC 5504: Population Processes and Policies
- PSCI 5434: Politics of Developing Areas
- AHRM 5304: Family Economics
- AHRM 6214: International Production and Trade of Textiles and Apparel
- EDCI 6034: Education and Anthropology
- SPAN 5234: Spanish - American Institutions and Concepts
- SPAN 4334: Special Topics in Hispanic Life, Literature, and Language
- STS 6664: Advanced Topics in Science & Technology Policy
- PSCI/GEOG/UAP 5264: Global Change and Local Impacts
- ECE 4364: Alternative Energy Systems
- BSE 4394: Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries
- ISE 4304: Global Issues in Industrial Managemen
- College of Natural Resources
- FOR/CSES 4334: Principles and Practices of Agroforestry
- NR 5114: Global Issues in Natural Resources
- GEOG 4204: Geography of Resources
- GEOG 5204: Geography of Third World Development
- GEOG 5214: Health and Global Environment
- GEOG 5424: Topics in Political Geography
- ECON 4124: Growth and Development
- ECON 6054: Development Economic
Emily Van Houweling and several of her friends blow bubbles with children in a Tuareg camp north of Timbuktu, Mali.
“The Graduate Certificate in International Research will give my degree in urban and regional planning an international focus. Pursuing the certificate made a lot of sense and it should help me with my future ambitions of working for an international non-governmental organization.”
--Emily Van Houweling