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Faculty-Led Global Seminars

Students Gathered Around Artwork by Cindy Merlin, Paris, France

Basic Information

Global Seminars offer a unique opportunity for a faculty member to lead a group of university students abroad. Generally, Global Seminars meet the following criteria:

  • are taught outside of the United States
  • last approximately 12 days to several weeks
  • are offered in the summer or between the fall and spring semesters
  • are taught and directed by a CU-Boulder faculty member
  • involve a group of students (typically 15) going to the same location for the same time period
  • offer a CU-Boulder course (or courses) or are part of a CU-Boulder course for which students may receive CU-Boulder credit
  • are sponsored and supported by CU-Boulder

Current Global Seminar Offerings

To get a better idea of the breadth of existing offerings, look at the Global Seminars currently offered by CU-Boulder.

Proposing a Global Seminar:

If you are interested in proposing a Global Seminar, please follow these steps:

  1. Learn about the proposal process (note the proposal deadlines):
    Policy on Eligibility (.doc)
    Proposing a Global Seminar (.doc)

  2. Learn about Faculty Director responsibilities and guidelines:
    Faculty Director Responsibilities (.doc)
    Policy on Family & Visitors (.doc)

  3. Set up a meeting with Study Abroad Programs (SAP):
    You must set up your meeting prior to completing your program proposal. To request a meeting time, email Sylvie Burnet-Jones, Director of Global Seminars in the Office of International Education

  4. Download the proposal form:
    Global Seminar Proposal Form (.doc)

Additional Resources

  • Opening Doors: Alternative Pedagogies for Short-Term Programs Abroad
    by Peter Hovde — NAFSA's Guide to Short-Term Programs Abroad, Sarah E. Spencer and Kathy Tuma, Editors. You can skip to page 7 of the PDF document which is a discussion of various pedagogical approaches to short-term study abroad courses.

  • Reflections on Field Experience
    by Ron Lee — NAFSA's Guide to Short-Term Programs Abroad, Sarah E. Spencer and Kathy Tuma, Editors. You can skip to page 7 of the PDF document where a long-time faculty director shares his perspective.

  • Standards for Short-Term Education Abroad Programs from the Forum on Education Abroad
    The standards cover the following areas: Mission, Objectives, and Purpose, Student Learning and Development, Academic Framework, Extra-Academic Framework, Preparation for the Learning Environment Abroad, Student Selection and Code of Conduct, Organizational and Program Resources, Health, Safety, and Security, Ethics and Integrity

  • Education Abroad Faculty Toolkit
    This toolkit has been developed to be used primarily by faculty to aid in the development and implementation of embedded programs (i.e. international components to a course taught on campus) but it also includes helpful information for faculty developing a global seminar where the whole course is taught abroad.

  • Travel and Safety Information
    This page will help you learn more about travel and safety conditions abroad.

Photo Credits: “Students Gathered Around Artwork” by Cindy Merlin - Paris, France - Summer 2007 - Art in France Global Seminar - Faculty Director: Frances Charteris