Virtual Study Abroad Opportunities

"I wouldn't have thought to take any classes abroad...as far as being able to travel/take time off of work. Now that I have [taken this course], my interest in traveling has become stronger and it makes me want to broaden my scope of what is possible for my education experience. " - PSU student Jenna K.

Faculty-Led Virtual Study Abroad

PSU students need skills in cross cultural competency that will help them succeed in an increasingly global economic environment. However, many students cite finances, the inability to take time off work, and family obligations as primary reasons they will not study abroad while at PSU. Consider creating a course that serves these students and delivers academically relevant content through a virtual international experience. These programs can deliver the same skills students develop while abroad but at the same cost as their regular tuition.

PSU faculty can access our network of high-quality education abroad partner to source virtual guest lectureres, site visits, cultural activities, and even help with the technology to put it all together. Meet with Hannah Fischer, the Faculty-Led Coordinator.

Meet with Ed Abroad

Example Faculty-Led Virtual Programs

View of Tibetan peace flags and monastery in the mountains.

Syllabus - The Psychology of Well-Being & Tibetan Buddhism

Chris Allen
Psychology

Students spent 10 weeks in a synchronous course; once a week a guest lecture was brought in via Zoom, example activities included virtual tours of monasteries, meditation practice, and live discussions with Tibetan monks. Class sessions were also held for students to discuss their reading and experience.

Syllabus - Book Publishing in Scotland

Rachel Noorda
Book Publishing

This synchronous online course offered a comprehensive view of the book publishing industry in the UK, particularly in Scotland. Various parts of the publishing process and ecosystem were explored through guest speakers joining the course virtually each week.

View of Spanish countryside with castle in the distance

Syllabus - Discovering Spain Capstone

Suzanne Savaria
Music & UNST

This synchronous online course involved virtual travel from southern to northern Spain. Artistic mediums were identified and discussed on a per student basis, giving students a chance to find a medium that inspired them, and class projects were collaborative efforts using Spain as inspiration.

A-la-Carte Virtual Options

Create or enhance your existing courses with dynamic and engaging virtual content at no cost to your department or students, courtesey of our partners at USAC Study Abroad. They have a an excellent array of high-quality instructors from abroad who can supplement your course to add a cross-cultural experience for your students. This is a great way to introduce students to global perspectives with minimal work on the part of the faculty leader.

This option is free for PSU faculty and can be requested with USAC directly. View a complete list of international faculty available in the 20/21 guest speaker series here.

Request a Guest Lecturer

COIL: Collaborative Online International Learning

Partner with a classroom abroad to create a course in which students complete shared assignments with faculty from each country co-teaching. Faculty can either create a new course from the ground-up with an international co-teacher, or they can adapt an existing syllabus (recommended) to the COIL model.

At PSU, we are linking regularly taught PSU courses with partner classrooms in Japan, Germany, Algeria, Mexico, South Africa, and Qatar. Faculty and students collaborate on shared or complementary assignments using Zoom, Facebook, Google Docs, or other applications.

Learn More About COIL