Home > International Programs > Faculty and Staff

Instructor's Guide for Study Abroad

Instructors interested in teaching in a summer study abroad program and those already scheduled to do so, may find this information useful.

Penn State faculty have the opportunity to lead study abroad programs with their students, either through a free-standing summer program or with a short travel component embedded into residential coursework.

Smeal Faculty-Led Summer Programs

Terrence Guay and the Strickler Office of International Programs (SOIP) manage several summer study abroad programs and make management decisions about the summer schedule each year. One of the key questions every year is: What courses should be offered? Generally, our programs are six weeks long and students earn six credits in two courses. Sometimes, two Smeal instructors pair up to co-teach a course with three weeks each. Usually, one course is taught by Smeal instructor(s) and a second by an instructor provided by the program site. Smeal has established strong partners abroad who help run these programs and offer invaluable support to faculty and students abroad. 

Presently, the program locations for Smeal instructors are Florence, Italy; Brno, Czech Republic; Barcelona, Spain; Singapore, Singapore; London, England. 

We invite faculty interested in exploring options or developing a course abroad to meet with us. Please review the Benefits and Responsibilities page to learn about expectations of teaching abroad. See our Smeal Faculty-Led Summer Programs page for information on how to express interest.

 

Embedded Study Abroad Programs

A faculty-led embedded program is a short-term education abroad experience that is offered as a component or supplement to an academic course taught in residence on a Penn State campus.  The international component is typically scheduled during a semester break or early summer, and it generally lasts 7-14 days. 

This type of study abroad program offers many advantages over a traditional summer program, depending on faculty interests and needs. Consider whether this format might fit well into one of your existing courses. 

 

New Study Abroad Program Proposals

This is a long and complex process. If you have university or corporate connections or ideas for a study abroad program that does not currently fit into one of the two options above, come talk to us. 

 

For more information, email Vanessa Hausmann ()

Navigation