Academic Advising Resources

The Global Miami Plan

Beginning in Fall 2010, most new students will be required to complete the Global Miami Plan for graduation. The Global Miami Plan is an integrated, comprehensive curriculum designed for the 21^st Century. Students gain knowledge of issues that face the world today, as well as the historical and cultural background of these issues, and their implications for the future. By focusing upon one or more regions of the world as a means to link their Miami undergraduate experience to a global perspective, students are better prepared for their future endeavors and better prepared to be global citizens. The Global Miami Plan stresses intercultural competence and global perspectives by emphasizing each of the four Miami Plan principles in a global context. 

The Miami Plan (prior to Fall 2010)

Miami students whose calendar years begin prior to Fall 2010 can opt for the new Global Miami Plan. Otherwise, these students will complete the prior Miami Plan. 

The Honors Plan

Rather than the Miami Plans, honors students must complete the Honors Plan for Liberal Education. Like the Miami Plans, Honors Plan curricula is designed to engage students with knowledge in various academic fields, to help them explore the social relevance of that knowledge and its production, and to develop their own sense of personal moral commitment, ethical understanding, and civic engagement.

Study Abroad

For students who studied abroad through another institution's program, credits may not automatically apply to the Foundation III Study Abroad requirement. This typically happens when credits transfer back to Miami as "T" credits (i.e., ART T01). The credits will still apply, but students need to submit a request in writing to the Office of Liberal Education for credits to be applied on the Degree Audit Report. Please have your advisees send an email to miamiplan@muohio.edu. They need to include full name, Banner ID#, and the courses they would like to have applied to Foundation III Study Abroad. The courses should be listed as they appear on their Miami University academic records.

Petition to Modify the Miami Plan

In some cases, students may take a course or courses that incorporate the Miami Plan principles but have not been approved as Miami Plan Foundation, Thematic Sequence, or Senior Capstone courses. These may be courses transferred from another institution, study abroad experiences, or courses taken at Miami that have not received Miami Plan Foundation, Thematic Sequence, or Senior Capstone designation. If you have an advisee who is considering a petition, it may be helpful to review the Miami Plan or Global Miami Plan category descriptions with the student.

Students may submit a petition to the Office of Liberal Education in 313 Laws Hall in order to receive Miami Plan Foundation, Thematic Sequence, or Senior Capstone credit for such courses. Petition forms must be signed by the academic advisor, as well as the CDA of the department that houses the course(s). Petitions are reviewed by the University Director of Liberal Education. Please refer to the Petition to Modify the Miami Plan to view and print the petition cover sheet and instructions. All components of the petition must be turned in before it will be reviewed. 

Petition to Modify the Miami Plan.docx
Petition to Modify the Miami Plan.pdf

Self-Designed Thematic Sequence and Senior Capstone

The purpose of the self-designed Thematic Sequence or Senior Capstone is to provide students with the opportunity to design a specialized Thematic Sequence or Senior Capstone beyond those that are currently offered. Providing this opportunity, the university invites students to create a course of study reflective of requirements and goals represented by the Global Miami Plan and relevant to students' specific academic, professional, social, and political concerns.  

Students may submit  self-designed Thematic Sequence and self-designed Senior Capstone proposals to the Office of Liberal Education in 229 Culler Hall. Proposals are reviewed by the University Director of Liberal Education. Please refer to the Self-Designed Thematic Sequence proposal form or the Self-Designed Senior Capstone proposal form to view and print the proposal cover sheet and instructions. All components of the proposal must be turned in before it will be reviewed. 

Self-Designed Thematic Sequence Proposal.doc
Self-Designed Thematic Sequence Proposal.pdf

Self-Designed Senior Capstone.docx
Self-Designed Senior Capstone.pdf

Foundation III for International Students

International (non-immigrant visa-carrying) students may complete the Global Miami Plan’s Foundation III through 6 hours of Global Miami Plan course work. This exception acknowledges that international students at Miami are, at the very least, matching intercultural and transnational experiences of U.S. students who meet Foundation III through study abroad.  In addition, this exception is designed to allow international students some flexibility in the choice of courses while still ensuring that these courses include liberal education experiences.

Specifically, this exception allows international students to satisfy Foundation III by counting any 6-credits from any course taken at Miami University in the Global Miami Plan that is not being applied to any of the other liberal education requirements. The courses selected to meet Foundation III, in other words, can be approved Foundation courses, courses from a Thematic Sequence, or a Capstone, so long as those courses are not being used to complete other Foundation, Thematic Sequence, or Capstone requirements.  Courses used to meet this requirement must be Miami University courses approved as liberal education courses.  For a full list of approved Global Miami Plan courses, see Global Miami Plan requirements.

Submit the designation form after you have declared your Thematic Sequence (or after you have declared a minor outside your department of major or a second major in another department, if you are planning to complete the Thematic Sequence in these ways).  Also, we advise you submit this form after the courses you list have begun and appear on your DAR as completed or in progress.  Following this process helps us assure that there is no overlap between requirements and helps to reduce need to make substitutions at a later date. 

International Student Foundation III Designation Form.pdf
International Student Foundation III Designation Form.docx