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A group of students sit around a large table in Kelley Hall and listen as one person explains the rules and expectations of the Model UN simulation they're all participating in.

Behavioral & Social Sciences

Model United Nations

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Where small town Colorado takes on big world diplomacy.

Model UN is a unique opportunity to build public speaking, debate, research, and policy-writing skills in the context of global issues and crises. With a chance to travel to compete at the international conference, students assume the role of diplomats representing their assigned country’s interests and work together to debate global issues, negotiate solutions, and draft resolutions.

The Model UN Experience

Represent a Nation

Your team will represent the interests and positions of an assigned country during the simulation.

Research, Write, Revise

You’ll then engage in extensive work on policy and bill research, writing, editing, and implementation proposals sustained over 4-6 months as part of a team.

Train as a Team

You’ll collaborate closely with your teammates over a full semester (or two), building toward the conference.

Compete at the Conference

In the culminating event, you’ll put your research and diplomacy skills into practice on the national and even international stages.

Beyond the Conference

Leave the experience with confidence, enhanced critical thinking, lifelong friendships, and professional connections.

See Our Teams in the News

  • Maria Struble with students at Model UN in Banff.

    Western Students See the Power in Diplomacy at Model UN Conference in Banff

    At a time when international alliances are strained, and the role of the United Nations is openly debated, a group of eight Western Colorado University…
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  • Western Students Tackle the World’s Biggest Challenges at Model United Nations

    Western Students Tackle the World’s Biggest Challenges at Model United Nations

    War, corruption, hunger, climate change, the struggle for human rights. The next generation of leaders has their work cut out for them. Professor Maria Struble…
    Read More
  • Women Move Mountains: Western Students Attend UN Conference in Aspen

    Women Move Mountains: Western Students Attend UN Conference in Aspen

    Katya Koepsel, a first-year student in the Master of Environmental Management (MEM) program, was among eight Western students who attended the United Nations Mountain Partnership…
    Read More
  • Model UN Provides Global Experience for Western Students

    Model UN Provides Global Experience for Western Students

    You never know when a class at Western Colorado University and the involvement in a club can result in the launching of a career. Such…
    Read More

Hear From Our Past Delegates

Model UN gave me the courage to embrace my hardworking nature and the strength to build lasting friendships and dreams.

Hannah Zimmer

2023 Delegate Model UN
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It’s so much more than a simulation of the United Nations, it’s a community of people who come together from around the world to discuss these issues with much-needed nuance.

Emory Hopkins

2025 Head Delegate Model UN
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Model UN is the greatest opportunity Western has to offer for students to engage with high-stakes international issues facing our generation and those to come.

Morgan Milmore

2019 Delegate Model UN
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Develop Career-Ready Skills

Through Model UN, you'll gain valuable skills and experiences including:

  • Researching and writing policy positions and bills
  • Representing an assigned country’s diplomatic interests
  • Collaborating with a team over a full semester toward the conference
  • Debating and negotiating real-world global issues
  • Competing at the national Model UN conference
Two students walk down a hallway and talk during an informal session for a Model UN simulation.
A scenic autumn view of a town nestled among trees with vibrant orange and yellow foliage, set against rolling hills and distant mountains under a soft, cloudy sky.

See Yourself on the World Stage at Western

Curious about where Model UN can take you? Visit campus to learn more and discover how you can turn your interest in global affairs into practical experience.

Schedule a Visit