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Medallion Capstone

Choosing and declaring your Global Learning Medallion Capstone option

The capstone portion of your Global Learning Medallion experience is a significant, in-depth learning experience meant to solidify your Global Learning experience by immersing you in one of several available high impact opportunities.

This page provides extensive information regarding the Capstone options, and how to get started with each of the potential options. Your options include:

  • Original research
  • Language study
  • Study abroad
  • Global internship
  • Global fellowship

Read more about each option below, then visit the submissions page to submit a capstone experience for approval.

The OGLI Student Programming Team must approve your project before it is designated as your capstone project. Please reach out to us at glmedal@fiu.edu before completing your project.

  • Global internship option

    Qualifying internships should expand your awareness of interconnected global topics, develop a broader perspective, and inspire you to take action to solve problems that transcend cultural and national borders. Strong internship opportunities can be taken abroad, locally, and even online dealing with topics such as human trafficking, immigration, sustainability and international trade.

    In order for an internship to count as your Capstone:

    • The minimum duration of the internship has to be one month.
    • You must have completed the minimum duration of the internship as stipulated by the employer. This means if an internship is advertised as a six-month position, you must complete all six months.
    • Your internship supervisor must report that you have successfully and satisfactorily met all requirements and expectations of the position.

    How do I get started?

    • Review internship opportunities distributed via the Global Learning Medallion newsletter, social media and email list.
    • Keep your resume up to date so you are ready to apply when you find the right opportunity. Please review our resume advice or contact us for additional guidance. You may email it to us at glmedal@fiu.edu or schedule an appointment.
    • Email us at glmedal@fiu.edu before applying for any internship to discuss if it would count, or you can submit any internship you did while you were an FIU student via our Capstone submission system for consideration.

    Internships that you find through a different FIU department or on your own can count, however, this determination is made on a case-by-case basis.

    Before you do this, simply consider: does it make sense that you would get a Global Learning award for the type of work you did in this internship? If not, it probably is not a good fit for our program.

  • Education abroad option

    EFFECTIVE SUMMER 2024 for current students only: Completing any for-credit FIU Education Abroad course, where you spend at least 10 days outside of the United States.

    FIU has a variety of education abroad opportunities, including those led by FIU faculty members, exchange programs, and approved programs through third-party providers.

    If you are abroad for less than 10 days, or are not receiving course credit, your experience may still count toward your Medallion as activity points, but not your Capstone.

    How do I get started?

    Visit the FIU Education Abroad site for more information. The process begins with a general information session.

  • Research option

    The research project option is ideal if you are curious about a question – and the answer is unavailable or limited in scope in the existing literature that you can find through FIU’s library resources.

    Doing a research project consists of proposing a research question, designing a method for answering the question, collecting the necessary data, and presenting your findings. While it can certainly be based on a paper you did for a class, it is more than your standard class essay.

    The requirements for this option are:

    • Original research design and findings
    • Written report
    • Mentored by an FIU faculty advisor
    • Presented AND published in any conference or journal (We can help you with this!)
    • Topic addressing an international or intercultural issue of global significance

    How do I get started?

    1. See whether there are any opportunities in your academic department to engage in undergraduate research for course credit toward your degree. (examples: Engineering senior project, Honors College ARCH project)
    2. Identify your research question and a faculty member at FIU to supervise your project.

    If needed, we can assist you in finding a faculty mentor for the project. We require that your research project address a global issue. We’re glad to chat with you about how to look at any subject you’re interested in from a global perspective, and welcome questions from all fields – as well as interdisciplinary projects.

    Exploring the research option is most efficient when you communicate regularly via email with the Global Learning Medallion program manager.

    Please email us at glmedal@fiu.edu if you’d like to propose a research project idea. Do not submit anything via the online MedalTrack portal until the project is complete.

  • Language study option

    Completing 4 courses in one foreign language or sign language, taken at FIU. Demonstration of proficiency through exam and transfer credits will not count.

    Courses must be language study courses, or courses taught in the language being learned. Cultural and area studies courses will not count.

    For more information on language course offerings at FIU, visit the Department of Modern Languages.

    How do I get started?

    1. Talk to your academic advisor – this will require planning to fit into your degree program’s Major Map, or signing up for a minor.

    You will want to be careful not to encounter excess credits for your degree. You can submit each of your language courses through the MedalTrack portal as you take them.

  • Global Fellowship option

    Qualifying fellowships are ones that help you expand your awareness of interconnected global topics, develop a broader perspective, and inspire you to take action to solve problems that transcend cultural and national borders. Fellowships abroad qualify as do national and local ones.

    Strong examples of qualifying fellowships include:

    In order for a fellowship to count as your Capstone:

    • You must have completed the minimum duration of the fellowship as stipulated by the organization sponsoring it.
    • The supervisor for the fellowship must report that you have successfully and satisfactorily met all requirements and expectations of the fellowship.

    How do I get started?

    1. Review fellowship opportunities distributed via the Global Learning Medallion newsletter, social media and email list.
    2. Keep your resume up to date so you are ready to apply when you find the right opportunity. Please review our resume advice. We are also glad to go over your resume in person. Email us at glmedal@fiu.edu or schedule an appointment.
    3. Fellowships that you find through a different FIU department or on your own can count, however, this determination is made on a case-by-case basis.

    You can email us at glmedal@fiu.edu before applying for any fellowship to discuss if it would count, or you can submit any fellowships you did while you were an FIU student via our Capstone submission system for consideration. Before you do this, simply consider: does it make sense that you would receive an award for global learning for the type of work you did in this fellowship? If not, it probably is not a good fit for our program.