Global Option in Business
The Global Option in Business (GO BUS) program is a university-approved micro-credential to show your global experience and achievements. While allowing overlap with existing business degree requirements it is designed to guide student's curriculum focused with the knowledge, skills, and qualities to thrive in the global business world.
Application Deadline: Two Semesters before Graduation
My Global Option experience has been a pivotal and rewarding aspect of my academic journey. It has equipped me with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to navigate the complexities of a globalized world.
I once had a professor tell me, “It’s not about being the best; it’s about being unique.” Global Option makes any business student stand out and gives your resume or interview a “wow factor”. It is very possible to complete the requirements with careful planning and dedication.
By participating in the Global Option in Business, students are able to:
- Structure your business curriculum to help you learn and experience education at Fisher College of Business with a global focus.
- Document your global experience, knowledge, and mindset without adding time to graduation, showing future recruiters your global mindset.
- Develop a global perspective and an international network to become a responsible global citizen and globally effective business leader.
You must fulfill the following criteria to apply to the Global Option in Business Program.
- Be fully admitted as a Fisher undergraduate business major student
- Have a 3.0 or above GPA
- Plan to participate in global programs and global courses
If you fulfill the above criteria, complete the online application to request your participation in the Global Option in Business program. It is encouraged to meet with your academic advisor to plan for the Global Option in Business along with your other majors/minors. If you are a business minor, this will not suffice to be eligible for the Global Option in Business program.
STEP 1
- Learn: Research the program and the requirements you must fulfill. Discuss with your academic advisor to create an academic plan including Global Options. Remember to check if you have already completed some requirements with classes and programs you may have already taken!
- Ask: Should you have questions about the program, please fill out the Student Interest Form.
STEP 2
- Deadlines: You must apply to the program at least two semesters before your graduation term.
- Application: Complete the online application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applying in Sophomore year is recommended.
STEP 3
- Funding: Explore various education abroad funding resources for your global experience.
- Admission: After your application is approved, you will obtain access to your Global Option OneDrive file and the Global Option degree audit.
- Reporting: You must keep track and report your progress on Global Option items to the coordinator.
Overview of Program Requirements
To receive the Global Option in Business micro-credential, students must complete the following requirements:
- A. Global Academic Courses (6 credits)
- B. Global Experience (1 experience)
- C. Culture and/or Language Courses (6 credits)
- D. Global Activity (2 activities)
- E. Global Competency Evaluation (ePortfolio + GPA Check)
- Complete sections A-D prior to your graduating term. Courses may overlap with your major, minor, honors curriculum, or general education requirements.
- Submit required forms to verify your participation in programs and/or activities
- Complete all required courses with a "C" or above grade to fulfill requirements
- Complete your Global Option ePortfolio according to the timeline instructed
- Enter your graduating term with an overall 3.0 or above GPA
Hear from past GO Business participants:
Read how past students have benefited from GO Business by visiting the student's shared ePortfolios. You will have to login to U.OSU.EDU with your OSU credentials to access the pages.
- 2021 ePortfolios (Raaga Dabburi / Madison Kelly)
- 2022 ePortfolios (Caylie Cyrus / John Stewart / Kaitlynn Gilbert)
- 2023 ePortfolios (Angela Fisher / Tori Holzwarth)
- 2024 ePortfolios (Sameer Pasumarthy)
- 2025 ePortfolios (Alex Rickabaugh)
Details of Requirements
Start your Global Option ePortfolio
Once you are approved into the Global Option in Business, create your ePortfolio using the resources below and start completing the reflection posts:
- ePortfolio Set Up Instructions
- ePortfolio Sample Page
- ePortfolio Reflections Detailed Instructions
- Complete section A-D posts as you complete the section requirements
- Complete the "Global Option Final Reflection/Accomplishments" evaluation in your graduating term
A. Global ePortfolio & Evaluation (last step)
To complete the Global Competency Evaluation component, you must complete all items on the list below.
- Complete section B-E prior to entering your graduating term
- Maintain an overall 3.0 or above GPA prior to entering your graduating term
- Complete the required Global Option ePortfolio evaluation by submitting a post under "Global Option Final Reflection/Accomplishments" within the first month of your graduating term
B. Global Business Courses
To complete the Global Business Course component, you must take a total of six credit hours of advanced global business courses, with at least one course taken from the business school (Course codes: BUSADM, BUSFIN, BUSOBA, BUSMHR, BUSML) from the list below. Courses must be completed with a “C” or above grade to fulfill the requirement. Business core courses are not considered advanced business courses. GO Business credits may overlap with your major, minor, or honors curriculum. Should your selected course have any prerequisites, you must complete the prerequisites first to successfully be enrolled in the course of your choice to fulfill this section.
Global Program Related Business Courses
- BUSADM 2798 - Selected Global Lab Program Course
- BUSADM 4189 - Fisher Global Consulting Course
- BUSADM 4189 - Fisher Global Internships Course
- BUSMHR 4570 - Ohio Export Internship Program Course
- Student Exchange Program Business Courses (Refer to the "Globally Focused Advanced Business Course" list below)
Globally Focused Advanced Business Course
You are required to complete at least one Fisher College of Business courses (BUSADM, BUSFIN, BUSOBA, BUSMHR, BUSML) from the below list to fulfill this section.
- BUSADM 5797: Study at a Foreign Institution (must be business focused classes)
- BUSFIN 3250: Introductions to International Finance (3)
- BUSFIN 4250: Global Finance (1.5)
- BUSFIN 4255: International Finance (3)
- BUSOBA 4237: International Operations Management (3)
- BUSOBA 4263: Strategic Global Sourcing (3)
- BUSMHR 3000: Advanced Topics in International Business (3)
- BUSMHR 4010: International Business Strategies (1.5)
- BUSMHR 4020: Cross Cultural Management (3)
- BUSMHR 4021: Institutions of the International Business Environment (3)
- BUSMHR 4321: International Labor and Human Resource Management (3)
- BUSML 4254: International Marketing (3)
- AEDECON 4535: International Economic Development (3)
- AEDECON 4540: International Commerce and the World Economy (3)
- INTSTDS 4535: International Economic Development (3)
- INTSTDS 4537: Middle Eastern Economic Development (3)
- INTSTDS 4540: International Commerce and the World Economy (3)
- INTSTDS 4560: Cooperation and Conflict in the Global Economy (3)
Other Pre-Approved Courses
If you wish to use a course not on the above list to fulfill the Global Business Course component, you must have the course pre-approved prior to completing the course. You must submit a Global Options in Business Pre-Approval Form with a full course syllabus of your requested course to the Global Options in Business Coordinator.
C. Global Experience
To complete the Global Experience component, you must complete one experience from the list below.
Office of Global Business Global Programs
- Currently Active Global Labs
- European Innovation Academy
- Fisher Global Internships (in-person and virtual)
- Fisher Global Consulting (in-person and virtual)
- Fall/Spring/Summer Student Exchange Programs at one of our Partner Universities
- Global Business Learning Community Trip
Other Pre-Approved OSU Programs
You can fulfill this item by participating in a program listed on OSU's Office of International Affairs (OIA) Education Abroad search engine. Upon completion of the program, you must submit a completed Global Options in Business Certification Form to verify your successful completion of the program.
D. Global Activity
To complete the Global Activity component, you must complete two experiences from the list below.
Activities must be a minimum of 5 hours of work and must have a supervising adult who can confirm your work hours. The activity must be globally related. To verify your participation in the activity, you must complete a Global Options in Business Certification Form and obtain a signature from a facilitator (faculty, staff, student organization advisor, or supervisor) of the event, student organization, or activity in which you have participated.
Office of Global Business Official Blogger/Personal Blog
You must complete 5 blog posts on Office of Global Business programs following the blog post guidelines. The 5 blog posts must be posted by the semester prior to your graduating term and it must include 3 professional interaction posts and 2 Global Option posts.
Global Peer Mentor to Fisher International Students
You must mentor a student of a different nationality than your own to fulfill this item.
- OIA- Exchange Partner Program
- OIA- Global Ambassadors
- OIA- Peer Advisors
- OIA- Orientation Leaders
- OIA- Signature Event Student Chairs
- OIA- English Conversation Program: Must participate in a Facilitator or Coordinator role.
Leadership Position in an Approved Globally‐Focused University Student Organization
You must be in a leadership position (E-board member) of the below student organizations to fulfill this section. A member status will not qualify. Find the below student organization information on the OSU Student Organization page.
- AIESEC at the Ohio State University
- Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders at The Ohio State University
- Asian Business Student Association
- Association of Latino Professionals for America - ALPFA (aka. Hispanic Business Student Association-HBSA)
- Fisher International Friends
- Global Minds
- Global Trade Consulting Group
- International Business Club
- Mexican Student Association (MXSA)
- OIA- Global Leadership Initiative
Participation in Approved Global Case Competition
Participation in a business Case Competition with a global focus will be considered to fulfill this requirement. Please discuss with the GO Business Coordinator prior to participation.
Some past requests include:
- BISNET Global Case Competition
- RSM STAR Case Competition (in The Netherlands)
Other Pre-Approved Global Activity
If you wish to use an activity not on the above list to fulfill the Global Activity component, you must have the activity pre-approved prior to engaging in the activity. You must submit a Global Options in Business Pre-Approval Form with a proposal statement to the Global Options in Business Coordinator. Post-approvals will not be allowed.
Some past requests include:
- Global business-focused official research papers
- Organizing and managing globally focused events
- Successfully passing the NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) Exam
- Attending the NASBITE Annual Conference
E. Culture and/or Language Courses
To complete the Culture and/or Language course component, you must take a total of six credit hours of culture AND/OR language courses from either or both lists below. Courses must be completed with a "C" or above grade to fulfill the requirement. GO Business credits may overlap with your minor, honors curriculum, or general education requirements. Should your selected course have any prerequisites, you must complete the prerequisites first to successfully be enrolled in the course of your choice to fulfill this section.
Proficiency in a Foreign Language
You must either complete a Foreign Language Minor or six credits of any 3000-level or above foreign language course in a language that is not your mother tongue including: Arabic, Aymara, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tibetan, Turkish, Urdu, Uzbek, Yoruba, or Zulu.
Advanced Knowledge in a Foreign Culture
You must complete six credits from the 3000-level or above advanced culture course from the course list below. GO Business credits may overlap with your minor, honors curriculum, or general education requirements.
- African-American & African Studies 3260, 3308, 3310**, 3320, 3376, 3956, 4250, 4342, 4551, 5485.01, 5485.03
- Anthropology 3340, 3597.01, 3597.02, 4597.03H, 5602
- Arabic 3301, 3702
- Architecture 3195
- Chinese 4401, 4402, 4403, 4404, 4405
- Classics 3215, 3404, 3956
- Communication 3597.01, 3597.02
- Comparative Studies 3052, 3302, 3603, 3604, 3606, 3607, 3608, 3645, 3657, 3689, 3676, 3692, 3798, 4597.01, 4597.02, 4597.03
- Dance 3402
- East Asian Language & Literature 3241, 3405, 3705
- Engineering 5797.13, 5797.17S* (Virtual OIA Program), 5797.22S* (Virtual OIA Program), 5797.24* (Virtual OIA Program)
- Economics 4130, 4140, 4508
- French & Italian 3052, 3053, 3054, 3061**
- Geography 3601, 3701
- German 3252, 3252.01, 3252.02, 3254H, 3351
- Hebrew 3210, 3245, 3703, 3704, 3705
- History of Art 3002, 3102, 3301, 3365*, 3521, 3601, 3603, 3631, 3901, 4121, 4421, 4810, 4820, 4825
- History 3089, 3106, 3115, 3210**, 3214, 3215, 3216, 3221, 3227, 3228, 3229, 3231, 3232, 3242, 3247, 3252, 3254, 3275, 3281, 3282, 3301, 3302, 3306, 3307, 3308, 3310, 3314, 3353, 3355, 3375, 3680, 3376, 3404, 3405, 3410, 3411, 3425, 3435, 3436, 3475**, 3505, 3550, 3570, 3580, 3675, 3708**, 3710, 3712**, 3715, 3720, 3724, 3750, 3798.02, 3798.03, 3798.04, 3798.06
- Islamic Studies 3205, 3355, 3501, 3702
- International Studies 3350, 3850
- Italian 3051, 3052, 3798.01
- Jewish Studies 3210, 3245, 3371, 3505, 3703, 3704, 3708
- Linguistics 3501, 3603
- Modern Greek 3710
- Music 3347, 3348, 3364
- Near Eastern Languages & Cultures 3111**, 3204, 3205, 3501, 3625, 3625.01, 3625.02, 3700, 3702, 3704
- Persian 3350
- Pharmacy 3708**
- Philosophy 3210, 3220, 3225, 3230, 3240, 3250, 3262
- Political Science 3220, 3225, 4212, 4250
- Portuguese 4597.01, 4597.02
- Religious Studies 3210, 3666, 3680
- Rural Sociology 3580
- Russian 3355.99, 3460, 3460.01, 3460.99, 3470, 3470.01, 3470.99, 3480, 3480.01, 3480.99, 3490, 3490.01, 3490.99
- Scandinavian 3350, 4450
- Slavic Languages & Cultures 3310, 3320, 3333, 4597
- Sociology 3597.01, 3597.02, 5450
- South Asia Studies 3625
- Turkish 3350
- Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies 3310, 3372
- Yiddish 3371, 3399
* Not included in Global Education Legacy General Education course list.
** New General Education Courses
Other Pre-Approved Courses
If you wish to use a course not on the above list to fulfill the Culture and/or Language Course component, including Ohio State’s new General Education courses, you must have the course pre-approved prior to completing the course. You must submit a Global Options in Business Pre-Approval Form with a full course syllabus of your requested course to the Global Options in Business Coordinator. Post-approvals will not be allowed.
