Proposal process

Timeline & Proposal Process 

• The planning for a brand-new education abroad program should begin at least 18 months in advance of the inaugural travel.

•  In order to finalize your syllabus, plan an accurate and efficient budget, coordinate site visits, invite guest lecturers, secure housing arrangements, and recruit students, faculty leaders will need to invest significant time and energy into the planning process.

• Proposals will be reviewed by the Education Abroad Advisory Council and program decisions will be shared out the month after the deadline. Please note, this is a competitive proposal process and programs are not guaranteed to be approved for summer 2026 or beyond. 

SUMMER 2026 PROPOSAL TIMELINE

• We have opened our application cycle, for inaugural travel in summer 2026, with some updates to the program development process. Prior to starting a proposal, we would recommend a review of our Freestanding Program Website with timelines, program leader expectations, partner requirements, and travel policies. 

• Program proposals can be started through our online portal, TerraDotta and must be completed by April 15, 2025 (including all leadership approvals/recommendations of support). 

• In addition to the online portal requisites, there are several requirements or checkpoints required to support your program development. In order to move forward in the process, each item must be completed by the deadline outlined below. 

December 20: Deadline for hosting initial exploratory discussion about new program proposal; the meeting should include, a minimum of: 

• Faculty/staff program proposer

• Representative of academic leadership from faculty/staff proposer’s unit (department head, assistant/associate dean, director of academic affairs) - if the program is cross-listed or hosted from two different academic units/campuses, a representative from each should attend. 

• Education Abroad customized programs representative (Assistant Director of Customized Programs and/or a Customized Programs Manager)

• Education Abroad leadership team member (Director of Education Abroad or delegate)

• To make an appointment with the Education Abroad team please use this shared bookings page
  
  

January-February: Faculty proposers connect with potential partners or host institutions (Contracted Partner Policy)

• Penn State Global staff can recommend partners

• Penn State Global can arrange introductions and virtual meetings

• Goal of selecting a partner (or partners), developing a proposal, itinerary, and realistic budget by mid-April    

Highly encouraged support activities from the initial meeting through March:

• Roundtable discussion or virtual session on developing learning outcomes and assessment strategies for education abroad courses 

• Penn State Global will provide examples of successful proposals, syllabi, from previous proposal cycles 

• Additional meetings or discussions as needed to support faculty/staff propose
  
  

January-April:  Penn State Global Safety consultation; site safety review, per Penn State Global guidance (i.e., if needed)

April 15:  Deadline to submit final proposal (Link to open a proposal)

To schedule an initial meeting please make an appointment with the Education Abroad team please use this shared bookings page or for questions regarding the proposal process, please email EAcustomized@psu.edu. We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your prospective programs.