Leading a Global Seminar
Global Seminars are short-term, faculty-led programs designed around a particular theme or topic and may be specific to one discipline or cross-disciplinary. These programs fill an important niche for freshman as a first experience abroad, students who can't be away a whole semester, graduating seniors who want a capstone experience, as well as others with unique needs. Help the Learning Abroad Center create even more study abroad opportunities by leading a Global Seminar.

We welcome applications for all sites and disciplines, however, we aim to have geographic and academic diversity in our Global Seminar offerings. We are particularly interested in applications for winter break, non-traditional sites, and seminars focusing on the health sciences.

Benefits of leading a seminar during winter break are high demand from students, lower cost, and less crowded tourist areas.

How to Apply
To apply to lead a Global Seminar, complete and submit the Global Seminar Leadership Application by February 1 for winter break or May 1 for May term. All applications are reviewed by a faculty committee, and applicants are notified via email whether or not their application is accepted for the following academic year by June 1. Faculty who are re-applying must follow the same application process. Click here to see a sample proposal.

Faculty interested in teaching a Global Seminar can also contact Christine Anderson, Global Seminars Program Director at 612.625.2311 or ander590@umn.edu for more information.

Faculty Experience
Faculty members who lead Global Seminars work closely with a small group of students in an overseas setting and share the positive experiences that students gain from such a program. Faculty have the opportunity to build on or develop new contacts on-site and perhaps collaborate on education and research topics of mutual interest. Faculty receive a salary stipend of $4,000 plus housing and food per diem.

Working With the Learning Abroad Center
The Learning Abroad Center facilitates all on-campus and on-site arrangements, including academic and cultural advising for students; financial aid advising; marketing and recruitment; design and production of all printed materials; application and registration processing; predeparture orientations; travel, room, and board; classrooms and other necessary instructional support; and other related activities.

Faculty are actively involved in the planning and recruitment for their program. On site, faculty attend all course related activities in addition to teaching their course.

Course Structure Guidelines

These 3-credit seminars, which are at the 3xxx level, are open to University of Minnesota undergraduate students from any college; graduate students and non-U of M students are admitted on a space-available basis. Each seminar should have no prerequisites and be of general interest to students in all colleges on the Twin Cities campus.

Groups of up to 25 students and a faculty member spend three weeks together at one of the sites where the Learning Abroad Center has in-country partners to assist with on-site arrangements.

Each Global Seminar typically consists of predeparture orientation, preparatory readings, on-site orientation, 45 hours of classroom instruction and excursions, a final (take-home essay, paper, or exam), field assignments, and free time. Round-trip group flights are arranged and students have the option to delay their return in order to travel independently.

Last modified on November 21, 2008