Global Career Accelerator Provides Essential Skills, Career Experience

In a world where experience speaks louder than ever, The University of Texas at Austin is opening doors to international opportunity through the Global Career Accelerator (GCA) — a dynamic, for-credit program designed to launch students into the global workforce. 

Powered by Texas Global and Podium Education, this semester-long experience connects undergraduates with virtual internships at top-tier companies across the globe. Students earn three to six UT Austin credits and industry certifications while diving into high-impact fields like digital marketing, data analytics, web development, and UX/UI design — all through collaborative work on real-world projects crafted by global innovators like Uber, Spotify, Google, Netflix, and Shopify. 

Participants also gain exclusive access to Global Career Base, a curated job network, and UpWork, a platform where paid freelance opportunities help students build portfolios that stand out. With 95% of program alumni reporting career benefits and 84% asserting that the experience made their degree more valuable, this program is redefining what it means to be career-ready. 

Gaining a New Skill Set  

Sarah Abramovitz, a sophomore pursuing degrees in Asian Studies, Chinese, and international relations, is no stranger to prioritizing a global education. After participating in a language program in high school, she spent nine months in Taiwan for a Mandarin Chinese immersion program. Upon her return to the United States, she wanted to continue expanding her horizons and decided to enroll in the Global Career Accelerator. 

Since all Abramovitz’s majors fall within the College of Liberal Arts, she wanted to expand her capabilities to include technical skills she may not otherwise learn with a liberal arts concentration. Seeking a new functionality without a barrier to entry that she could still connect to international relations, she decided on the program’s data analytics track. Despite her lack of prior internship or data analytics experience, Abramovitz was pleased to find she could keep up with the work because of the course module design. 

“They did such a good job of making the class environment super-comfortable. Our instructor was amazing,” Abramovitz said. “That makes a big difference, especially with an online class, where it can sometimes be harder to be engaged, but they did such a good job. The [instructors] clearly enjoyed what they were doing.” 

When Abramovitz first heard about the program, she’d felt hesitant, fearing that the program only “looked good on paper.” However, after speaking with a former participant who explained how the GCA experience can be helpful for any major, Abramovitz decided to enroll. Since then, her experience has opened her eyes to data analysis opportunities within the field of international relations. 

“It’s always helpful to have multiple different skill sets you can talk about because, maybe on paper, data analytics wouldn’t be related to liberal arts, but you can make it work,” Abramovitz said. “The data analysis aspect made me consider the career connections between data, econ, and stats ... And then, how does that loop into international relations?” 

An Expansive Curriculum 

An integral feature within each GCA track is providing students with practical, real-time work experiences that mimic what they might expect in their prospective careers. Under the data analytics track, Abramovitz and her classmates examined data for clients such as Warby Parker, YouTube, Door Dash, Spotify, and the Grammy Awards.  

They also learned to work with AI and how to best prompt ChatGPT, which Abramovitz found helpful and believed was a realistic way to teach students how AI will be used in the workplace.  

In addition to the data and AI certificates Abramovitz gained, she earned an intercultural skills certificate — another important distinguishing feature of the program, according to Education Abroad Director Thomas Ward. 

“The intercultural competency teaching framework requires students to reflect on their own intercultural backgrounds while learning employable skills to interact with students from cultural backgrounds different from their own,” said Ward. “Students who can articulate these experiences to potential employers will have an immediate advantage in their job search.”  

Abramovitz said she and her classmates experienced the value of those cross-cultural lessons firsthand as they worked through the curriculum. 

“We would have group meetings [to discuss], ‘What are some potential issues or misunderstandings you could see arising in workplaces you’re going to be working in?’” Abramovitz said. “You need to be able to communicate with people from a variety of different backgrounds.” 

While the career benefits of participating in GCA are robust, they also benefit students in class settings. For Abramovitz, the knowledge she gained from the program equipped her to better understand course material. 

“We’re talking about political economy, so that’s where the econ, data, and stats connections appear,” Abramovitz said. “Having more of a data background and visualization experience gives me a unique insight into our class discussions and the readings we have to analyze.” 

Advice for Prospective Participants 

When reflecting on her career accelerator experience, Abramovitz said she wished she had seized opportunities beyond the required classes, such as resumé workshops, after-class tutoring and career advice sessions. For students interested in participating in the program, Abramovitz advises them to connect with classmates and take advantage of the instructors’ knowledge. 

“With a fully online class, it’s very easy to never engage with your classmates, [but doing so] can enhance your experience,” Abramovitz said. “If you’re confused, you can reach out to a student peer ... and they can teach you a bit, especially if you have quick questions and don’t want to email one of the instructors.” 

Abramovitz said completing the program has expanded her career options and the scope of internships she's considering. She recommends the GCA to students who are hoping to augment the educational experience they already have and encourages them to try learning something new. 

“Make the most of those other opportunities you have, beyond just the required class time,” Abramovitz said. “Ask questions and be curious ... because it does go a lot faster than you think.” 

Details and Application Information 

Financial aid is available for the UT Austin Global Career Accelerator, as long as the class counts toward a student’s total number of courses for graduation. Enrollment for Spring 2026 is open now. Visit the UT Austin Global Career Accelerator website for more information.