Blum Center for Developing Economies
The University of California, Berkeley
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Home > Academics > Global Poverty and Practice > GPP Requirements
Students submit a GPP Minor Declaration of Intent form online and schedule an advising appointment with a GPP advisor to declare the minor. There are no prerequisites for the minor.
Students are encouraged to declare by the following deadlines for priority enrollment in GPP courses for the following semester:
Spring 2025: April 3, 2025
Students will participate in the key theoretical debates about global poverty and inequality. This course will teach students about different models of poverty alleviation and methods for evaluating such models and practices. (4 units, offered fall semester and summer session)
An individualized global engagement Practice Experience is the signature element of the minor, providing an opportunity for students to connect the theory and practice of poverty and its alleviation. This Practice Experience can take place domestically or internationally.
The minimum time expected for the Practice Experience is 240 hours in the field over the course of at least 6 weeks. Field work completed prior to a student beginning GPP 105, while valuable to the overall educational experience, will not be considered for the Minor’s Practice requirement.
Students can complete the capstone requirement of the GPP Minor through one of the following options:
a) GPP 196: Reflection Course/ Group Seminar: Students reflect on their Practice Experience and explore how issues of global poverty and inequality will shape their future academic, personal, and career paths. The course challenges students to express what they have learned through public forums of debate such as op-eds, and allows students to develop practical skills through writing organizational reports. (3 units, offered fall and spring semester)
b) Complete a Thesis Course: Students who are completing a thesis seminar as a capstone for their major can petition to utilize this course to also fulfill the Minor capstone. To pursue this option, the thesis needs to meaningfully integrate a scholarly, pragmatic, or personal reflection of the student’s Practice Experience in his/her major field of study. Many students choosing to complete a thesis find it beneficial to also complete GPP 196 because of the support it provides for reflection on the Practice Experience. Students who use their major thesis to fulfill the Capstone Reflection requirement for the minor may not overlap any additional courses between their major and minor.
*Students may only overlap one course between their Major and Minor. Overlaps between multiple Minors is not allowed.
**All courses must be upper division and taken for a letter grade.
Note: While language courses typically do not fulfill either of the elective requirements, we highly encourage students to take advantage of the many language courses offered at Cal to ensure they can adequately communicate with members of the community they will be working with for their intended practice experience.
© 2024 Blum Center for Developing Economies