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Programs abroad offer the opportunity to enhance your curriculum with experiential and immersive experiences.
Designing a faculty-led study abroad program is more than selecting a destination and booking a flight, it's an opportunity to craft a transformative global learning experience. Grounded in research, including a recent study by the University of North Texas and the University of Alabama Birmingham, that examined the nuanced impact of short-term programs, we recognize that intentionality in program design directly shapes student outcomes. From academic alignment and intercultural learning to student development and global competency, a well-structured faculty-led program can leave a lasting impact.
This page offers guidance on building programs with purpose, so that each component, from itinerary to reflection, supports deep learning, inclusion, and meaningful engagement.
Why Intentional Design Matters
Faculty-led programs can have a lasting impact when they are designed with clear learning goals in mind. The study linked above highlights that simply going abroad is not enough; the structure and pedagogical intent behind a program shape the quality and depth of the student experience. Programs that prioritize academic integration, intercultural learning, and reflection foster stronger outcomes related to global citizenship, cultural humility, and personal transformation.
Anchoring in Learning Outcomes
The most effective programs are grounded in purpose. Begin by defining your academic and intercultural learning outcomes:
What do you want students to know, do, or understand as a result of this experience?
How does this program align with your course goals, departmental objectives, or Maryville’s global+ learning priorities?
Consider using tools like Bloom’s Taxonomy or the AAC&U Global Learning VALUE Rubric to guide your outcomes. Clearly defined goals will help you make decisions about content, location, activities, and assessment.
Key Elements of Intentional Design
When developing your program, focus on incorporating these essential elements:
Academic Integration
Link course content to in-country activities.
Build in site visits, guest lectures, and case studies that connect directly to your discipline.
Intercultural Learning
Frame the experience using models like the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) created by Milton Bennett.
Support students in navigating difference, discomfort, and cultural humility.
Structured Reflection
Design moments of reflection before, during, and after travel.
Use writing prompts, group discussions, and digital storytelling to deepen learning.
Student Preparation
Include pre-departure workshops on cultural adjustment, group dynamics, and personal identity abroad.
Help students articulate goals and build awareness of their own perspectives.
Assessment & Evaluation
Align activities with learning outcomes and determine how you’ll measure success.
Use journals, reflections, presentations, or portfolios to assess growth.
Creating Programs FOR ALL STUDENTs
Intentional design also means creating programs for all students. Consider:
Different student needs based on who they are
Financial barriers and ways to reduce cost (e.g., shorter travel, embedded travel)
Designing culturally responsive experiences
Building in time to support a variety of types of students throughout the program
Faculty Roles in Facilitating Learning
As a faculty leader, you’re more than a content expert—you’re a mentor and cultural guide. Intentional program leaders:
Create space for critical thinking, curiosity, and respectful dialogue
Model reflective practice and openness
Manage group dynamics thoughtfully and compassionately
Serve as a bridge between the host culture and your students’ learning
SAMPLE IMMERSIVE ENGAGEMENTS
High-impact study abroad programs move beyond passive sightseeing to active, immersive experiences that connect students deeply to local cultures, people, and challenges. Below are examples of engagements that bring course content to life and promote intercultural learning, community connection, and global awareness
community based learning
Students engage in community service for a few hours or over the course of your program. Students get to participate in hands-on work or dialogue with local communities to build mutual understanding and apply course concepts in real-world settings.
Examples:
Join a reforestation project in Costa Rica with a local environmental group.
Partner with a women’s cooperative in Morocco to learn about fair trade.
Assist in English language activities at a rural school in Vietnam.
cultural exchange & language immersion
Interactive experiences that allow students to engage directly with host culture and practice communication skills.
Participate in a homestay or family meal to experience local daily life.
Join a university peer exchange or discussion with local students.
Attend a traditional tea or coffee ceremony with guided cultural reflection.
arts & expression
Creative workshops or site visits that explore cultures, or storytelling through the arts.
Take a street art tour in Bogotá and meet with local muralists.
Participate in a West African drumming or dance workshop.
Explore indigenous storytelling traditions with artists in New Zealand.
company & Organization visits
Visits to businesses, start-ups, NGOs, or social enterprises that provide direct insights into local industries, innovations, or social challenges.
Tour a renewable energy company in Germany and meet with sustainability officers.
Visit a social enterprise supporting youth entrepreneurs.
Learn from a nonprofit in Thailand working on human trafficking prevention
Global Issues in Context
Engagements that provide context and critical thinking opportunities around pressing global or regional challenges.
Meet with a migration-focused NGO in Sicily to discuss border politics.
Visit a water rights organization in Kenya to explore environmental justice.
Attend a policy roundtable on climate change in Brussels.
Historical Justice & Memory Walk: In Berlin, visit memorials and museums that prompt deep reflection on collective memory, responsibility, and reconciliation.
Fieldwork
Students engage in hands-on, field-based research abroad across a variety of disciplines, applying academic methods to investigate real-world questions in a global context.
Applied Fieldwork (Various Locations): Students conduct structured observations, interviews, surveys, or archival research aligned with their major: from ecology and public health to sociology, business, or education - in partnership with local institutions.
Research Across Cultures: Comparative project exploring social norms or institutional structures across cultures, using interviews, site visits, and reflective analysis
Field specific Learning: For example Environmental & Sustainability focused - on ecosystems, conservation projects, or climate initiatives.
Hike through a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with local ecologists.
Tour an urban farm or circular economy project in the Netherlands.
Examine marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods in Belize.
co-Teaching & experts abroad
Collaborate with local scholars, practitioners, artists, and professionals to bring multiple perspectives directly into the classroom or field experience. This adds depth, fosters intercultural dialogue, and models global collaboration.
Guest Lecture by a Local Academic (Jordan): A regional studies scholar delivers a session on Middle Eastern geopolitics, followed by a Q&A with students.
Joint Workshop with Faculty at a Partner University (Ireland): Maryville students team up with local students and professors for a design-thinking lab on rural sustainability.
Guided Field Visit with a Local Anthropologist (Peru): Explore archaeological sites with expert commentary that contextualizes local history and cultural heritage.
Panel Discussion with Industry Leaders (Singapore): Professionals from the tech and finance sectors discuss global innovation trends and cultural differences in business practice.
Collaborative research
Engage students in meaningful, place-based research projects that contribute to global knowledge, foster intercultural collaboration, and build undergraduate research skills in a real-world context.
Community-Based Participatory Research (Ghana): Students partner with a local NGO to study public health outcomes and co-develop culturally responsive solutions.
Environmental Fieldwork (Costa Rica): Conduct biodiversity surveys in partnership with a local conservation institute, with data feeding into regional monitoring efforts.
Oral History Documentation (Bosnia): Interview residents to capture post-conflict narratives, in collaboration with a local university’s peace studies department.
Comparative Policy Research (Sweden): Analyze education or healthcare systems using both primary interviews and secondary policy data for a cross-national study.
Student-Led Inquiry & Reflection
Micro-Research Projects: Assign students to investigate a local issue or practice and present their findings through digital storytelling, podcasting, or community interviews.
Reflective Field Journals: Encourage ongoing intercultural reflection linked to program themes and the Intercultural Development Continuum.
Community Dialogue Events: Organize a small group dialogue between students and local peers to share perspectives on identity, education, or sustainability.
Tips for Faculty Leaders
When planning immersive experiences, ask:
Does this activity connect directly to the course content?
Will students interact meaningfully with local people, perspectives, or systems?
Is there time built in for guided reflection afterward?
Questions? Let’s Collaborate.
The Center for Global Engagement is here to support you in creating high-impact, student-centered programs. Whether you’re just beginning to dream up a program or ready to finalize your syllabus, we’re here to help you bring your vision to life, with purpose and impact.
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