Developing and Proposing a Program
There are several different kinds of education abroad programs that faculty or staff may want to develop for their students. Please review the program types and relevant program development processes.
Develop a New Faculty-Led Program
Faculty members who want to develop a new education abroad program where they are the instructors and program leaders have a variety of support mechanisms available to them throughout the process. One of the first considerations for such a faculty member should be the academic structure of the course. Will the vast majority of the academic instruction and student assignments be completed while abroad? Or, will the international travel component be built into a residentially-taught Penn State course so that most of the instruction happens before and after the short travel experience? The answers to these questions will aid in determining which type of faculty-led program will best fit the course that the faculty leader visualizes.
Develop a New Semester/Summer Direct Enroll Program
A direct enrollment program is one where Penn State students enroll in courses at a foreign institution, university, or third-party provider for the duration of the education abroad experience. This type of program often provides broad course offerings that appeal to students from a wide variety of majors.
Develop a New Exchange Program
An exchange program is an education abroad program where Penn State students enroll in courses at a foreign institution or university, and, in exchange, students from the foreign university enroll in courses at Penn State for one or two semesters. This type of program often provides broad course offerings that appeal to students from a wide variety of majors.
Develop a Graduate Education Abroad Program
Graduate students may seek international experiences to enrich their academic program at Penn State. In many cases, international research that is not part of a formal education abroad program is an excellent fit for graduate students. In other instances, it might work well for a graduate student to study abroad with either a Penn State faculty leader or by directly enrolling in relevant coursework at a partner institution abroad.
Funding for Program Development
There are several funding opportunities for which faculty members can apply in order to support the development of a new education abroad program or to make a significant impact on the internationalization of curriculum. Please review the Global Programs faculty travel grant criteria and deadlines for more information.
Non-Credit International Experience Development
Non-credit international experiences such as research, co-ops, some internships, volunteer work, or other engaged scholarship activities may be directly related to an education abroad experience or they may be undertaken rather independently. The Education Abroad staff can assist in determining whether the proposed activity should be included in an education abroad program proposal or whether the international experience should be recorded as a non-credit experience in the Travel Safety Network for group or individual travel.
