An Exploration of Faculty-led, Short-term Engineering Study Abroad Programs Offered by U.S. Institutions

Faculty-led short-term study abroad experiences, or global seminars, are becoming an additional option for university students interested in international travel or study abroad. Global seminars offered during strategic times in the school calendar and designed by instructors who have key learning outcomes in mind can effectively meet the multicultural education needs of engineering students. The purpose of this research project was to gain a better understanding of what global seminars are being offered for engineering students, informing professors who wish to create one at their institution. Lessons learned cover scheduling, course content, and leverage of the travel locations. A secondary objective was to initiate and grow a list of established seminars for engineering staff and faculty who desire to design an effective global seminar and connect with others who are doing the same. Readers are encouraged to submit suggestions to the website developed for this purpose.