WE Go Global Certificate
The migration from traditional engineer to global engineer is happening. As the world continues to become smaller through innovations and technology, it calls upon socially conscious, globally minded engineers to solve problems. Western Engineering (WE) is tackling this reality by offering the innovative WE Go Global Certificate Program. This program can be completed within the timeframe of the regular four year B.E.Sc. degree with proper planning.
The Global Engineer can be described as one who has three distinct skill sets:
- Technical Skills - engineering science fundamentals, analysis, design, innovation, problem solving.
- Professional Skills - management, leadership, teamwork, communications, work ethic, social responsibility.
- Global/Societal Skills - multi-cultural global environments, global challenges, language, global citizenship, cross-culture communications, cultural diversities, global and political awareness, adaptability.
The goal of this certificate program is to enhance and strengthen the third skill set through three aspects:
- Courses focusing on global issues, cultures, or environments.
- Foreign language (must be different from first language, and/or usual language of communication).
- International experience (12 weeks) via either exchange opportunities, volunteer or paid work experience, or experiential learning opportunities. This international experience will be considered part of a course called ES 4500 Global Externship for Engineers.
By augmenting traditional engineering courses with additional specially selected courses in ethics, language, and global studies, students will be able to appreciate and understand the impacts of engineering in international cultures. Engineering graduates from this program will also participate in a 12 week Global Externship (ES4500). Participation in the Global Externship course will allow students to experience cultures and settings different from their own. Students will develop an appreciation for how Canadian or North American engineering principles and solutions may or may not fit into different cultures and environments. As part of the certificate requirements, students will prepare and present a report based on their experiences in the field and also present a leadership workshop.
Admission and Program Structure
To be eligible for this certificate, students must obtain a weighted
average (YWA) of 65% in first year Engineering with no failures. In
addition, students must complete the application form on the
Undergraduate Services website. Admission is not guaranteed and space is
limited. Students should apply as early as possible to this program in
order to maximize the use of non-technical electives in the engineering
degree structure. Enrolment in the program and some courses may be
limited. Furthermore, some students may need to take an additional term
or year, or take summer courses if available.
ES 4500: Global Externship for Engineers
course is restricted to students in year 2 or 3 of their Engineering
program and who have enrolled in the WE Go Global Certificate Program.
Requirements
To complete the WE Go Global Certificate Program
successfully, students must
complete the following 5.0 courses:
(Note: some courses may not be offered certain years and other courses could be approved with permission of the faculty)
1.0 course: Business 2299 Business Organization for Engineers*
0.5 course: ES 4498F/G Engineering Ethics, Sustainable Development and the Law*
1.0 course from:
CGS 1021F/G: Introduction to Problems in Knowing the World
CGS 1022F/G: Introduction to Globalization
CGS 1023F/G: Introduction to Global Development
GEOG 1300A/B: Physical Geography
GEOG 1400F/G: People, Places and Landscapes
GEOG 1500F/G: Society and Nature
1.5 courses from:
CGS 2002F/G: Problems in Global Development
CGS 2003F/G: Discourses of Global Studies
CGS 2004F/G: Critique of Capitalism
GEOG 2020A/B: Latin America and the Caribbean:Landscapes of Inequality
GEOG 2040A/B: Geography of East and Southeast Asia
GEOG 2045A/B: Russian and the Former Soviet Union: The
Legacy
GEOG 2050A/B: Western Europe
GEOG 2131A/B: The Natural Environment
GEOG 2142A/B: Geopolitics
GEOG 2143A/B: Foundations of the Geography of World
Business
SOCI 2107A/B: Population and Environment: Theory, Practice and Debate
CGS 3001F/G: Applied Research Ethics for Global Studies
CGS 3002F/G: Participatory Research Methodologies
CGS 3003F/G: Gender and Development
CGS 3004A/B: International Development Project Management
CGS 3005F/G: Contemporary Critical Theory in Global Studies
GEOG 3411A/B: Cultural Geography
CGS 3508F/G: Africa in Transition
CGS 3509F/G: Indigenous Peoples and Development in Global
Perspective
CGS 3511F/G: Language and Cultural Discourses
CGS 3512F/G: Human Displacement and Refugees
CGS 3513F/G: Small Scale Economies
CGS 3514F/G: Global Resistance Movements
CGS 3515F/G: Global Cultures of Gendering
CGS 3523F/G: Law in Global Relations and Languages of Power
CGS 3524F/G: Postcolonial Global Studies
CGS 3525F/G: Community in Global Modernity
Political Science 2240E: An Introduction to Third World Politics
1.0 language course (first language and/or language of normal communication not permitted)
Plus:
Global Externship for Engineers (ES 4500): A 12 week (minimum) International experience in a specific setting: exchange opportunity, volunteer or paid work experience, or experiential learning in an International setting. This course is restricted to students in Year 2 or 3 of their Engineering program who are enrolled in the WE Go Global Certificate Program (non-credit course).
*part of standard engineering curriculum; up to 1.5
credits of the non-technical elective courses listed above are counted
as non-technical electives in the B.E.Sc. degree.
