Students can advance their GEP status by participating in globally focused academic courses offered by departments across campus. Approved GEP courses include GIST 3100: Global Studies in the Field (CRN: 13749 and 13748).

This course is run by the College of Arts and Sciences' School of Environment, Geography and Sustainability in collaboration with Global Engagement Program, an initiative of the Haenicke Institute for Global Education. In this course, students:

• Explore the culture, history, politics and social life of countries they hope to visit;
• Learn how to adapt to new environments and communicate across cultures;
• Build cultural awareness and confidence for travel, global internships and international careers; and
• Connect classroom learning to real-life experiences abroad.

Taking GIST 3100 and continuing involvement in the GEP allows students to earn a $1,000 study abroad scholarship. GIST 3100 is open to all levels of students and satisfies the WMU Essential Studies Level 2: Exploration and Discovery, Societies and Cultures category. First-year students are encouraged to apply. 

In addition to GIST 3100, courses from various disciplines covering international content also qualify for GEP status. For a complete list of 100+ qualifying courses, contact @email. These academic offerings ensure students build global awareness and intercultural skills not only through events, but also through structured classroom learning.

Students who earn any GEP status are honored each spring at the Global Engagement Program Award Ceremony. The ceremony recognizes student achievement and highlights the university’s commitment to global learning.

A crowd of 50 met at the WMU Student Center to celebrate the global achievements of WMU students. The Global Engagement Program (GEP) honors students with an awards ceremony each year. Through participation in global events and courses, students earn different statuses like Global Bronco, Global Explorer and Global Citizen. Each status comes with unique rewards, including scholarships for studying abroad. Nearly 180 students were recognized for earning a new GEP statuses this year.  

Photos by Libby Stefanich for the Haenicke Institute for Global Education.

The Global Engagement Program (GEP) at Western Michigan University is a no-cost initiative open to all WMU students. There is no application required—students are automatically included and may participate as they choose. GEP supports student engagement in campus events, curriculum with embedded global perspectives and international programs. Through these activities, students build cross-cultural competencies and earn one of three Global Engagement status levels: Global Bronco, Global Explorer, or Global Citizen. Each status reflects a student’s level of global engagement and is recognized annually by the Haenicke Institute for Global Education. The Global Engagement Program directly supports WMU’s internationalization efforts by embedding global and intercultural learning into both academic and co-curricular experiences. Whether you are new to campus or preparing for graduation, GEP helps you build skills valued by global employers and graduate schools. Students can track eligible activities and monitor their status through ExperienceWMU, the campus engagement platform.

GEP Study abroad scholarships are repeatable – you can re-earn any of the statuses as well as the scholarships. However, scholarships are not stackable. Students can only redeem one GEP scholarship per study abroad experience. GEP scholarships can be combined with additional study abroad scholarships from HIGE and throughout WMU.