Faculty Led Programs
WKU Faculty-Led Global Learning Programs offer students the opportunity to travel with WKU faculty while taking immersive and experiential courses in locations abroad and within the United States. These programs are short-term in length and often occur in Winter and Summer at affordable price points. Virtual opportunities to engage in Faculty-Led Global Learning Programs are also being developed.
Hope, Dreams & Reality: Social Welfare in Metro Los Angeles
Course: SWRK 490
Colonnade Credit? No
This course will focus on the unique history and culture of the Los Angeles metropolitan
area, and the innovative social services provided to its residents. Students will
gain a more comprehensive and complex view of Los Angeles as a diverse, vibrant, and
culturally rich region. They will also discover how the social, economic, and environmental
context shapes the hopes and dreams of the population who live there.
An experiential learning experience, students will explore unique historical and cultural
sites as well as tour state-of-the-art social service organizations in both Los Angeles
and Long Beach that focus on social, economic, and environmental justice issues in
these areas. They will have the opportunity to interact with consumers and providers
from a variety of social services including those that focus on child welfare, mental
health, services to the homeless, formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated
men and women, older adults, veterans, the LGBT community, and other vulnerable, at-risk
populations. Some agencies will provide trainings and students will have the opportunity
to engage in service learning projects with the objective that students will develop
insight, knowledge, and skills applicable to their eventual social services practice
in their home communities.
This program is open to undergraduate students interested in working ina helping profession and to students in the MSW program.
Program Locations
California: Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Long Beach
Program Contacts
Program Leader- Dr. Simon Funge
Program Leader- Amy Nemon
Political Science in Morocco
Courses:
PS 365; PS 407; PS 450; ARBC 101; ARBC 306
Colonnade Credit? Yes
Morocco is a great location to learn about the diversity of the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region. It has been influenced by several European powers (Spain, France
and Portugal), it is a North African state of the Maghreb, which has been the home
of several medieval Islamic dynasties, it is a monarchy that while affected by the
Arab spring has found ways to politically and socially adapt to the forces of modernization,
political Islam and globalization. WKU students will be introduced to a geostrategically
important state and region and will experience Arabic and North African culture and
languages. Interactive learning with local public officials, students and educators,
and focused excursions help enhance the program.
Program Locations
Morocco: Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Ceuta, Chefchaouen, Fes, Marzouga, Marrakesh, Essaouira and Agadir
Program Contacts
Program Leader- Dr. Sol Kiasatpour
Program Leader- Rachid Abouabdellah
Dance in New York City
Courses:
DANC 110; PERF 461
Colonnade Credit? Yes
This program in New York City is designed to provide students with an enriched opportunity to experience dance technique and choreography from a historical and cultural perspective. Students will be immersed in the New York City dance scene by participating in dance technique classes at professional studios, attending a variety of professional dance performances, and touring significant venues that provide creative inspiration to historical and contemporary choreography.
Program Locations
New York City, NY
Program Contacts
Anna Patsfall
Amanda Clark
Imagewest Internship Abroad
Courses:
AD 489; AD 415
Colonnade Credit? No
Imagewest International is a supervised 3-credit hour internship paired with a 3-hour special topics course. The goal of this course is to provide professional development with an international business opportunity to explore career interests while applying knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in a work setting. Interns will work with a team to complete a campaign for The Scottish Community Drama Association.
The planned outcomes include, but are not limited to: web design, poster design, program
design, rack card design, social media (Video clips, photos, status content), press
release, and more. The Scottish Community Drama Association will work hand-in-hand
with Imagewest’s interns to bring their campaign to life on deadline.
These courses also emphasize how interns can integrate their international experiences
into a broader plan for short and long-term professional development, job placement,
and career success.
Program Locations
Stirling, Scotland
with long weekend in London, England
Program Contacts
Kara Williams Glenn
Mark Simpson
Conservation & Management of African Wildlife
Courses:
BIO 485; ANSC 475
Colonnade Credit? No
In South Africa, wildlife management is privatized. Wildlife are frequently bought and sold, requiring intensive hands-on management. There is no place in the U.S. or in most African countries where students can experience and learn techniques of wildlife capture at the rate and intensity of the experience in South Africa. Additionally, South Africa has good transportation, communication and medical infrastructure, and most educated people speak English. This is the single best course a student can take to prepare them for veterinary professional schools or zoo work with wild, exotic animals.
Program Locations
Hoedspruit & Johannesburg, South Africa
Program Contacts
Dr. Michael Stokes
Political Science, History & Geography
Courses:
PS 260; PS 367; PS 450
Colonnade Credit? Yes
The relatively small states of Central Europe have often been neglected as an area of study due to their position between the larger powers to the west (Britain, France & Germany) and the east (Russia). Students will have the opportunity to examine the rich history, culture and politics of Central Europe in this program. The site visits are chosen to take advantage of the outstanding museums, galleries and other locations to explain the struggles over national, religious and political identity that have shaped the region. Using the ‘city as text’ approach, students will explore the rich architectural heritage and visit nearly a dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The program is open to all majors and is designed not only to introduce students to Central Europe but also to encourage them to think in comparative terms about politics, society, economics and identity.
Program Locations
Based in Olomouc, Czech Republic with visits to Prague (Czech Republic), Cesky Krumlov (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), Wroclaw (Poland), Krakow (Poland)
Program Contacts
Dr. Roger Murphy
Marek Madr
Agriculture at the Equator
Courses:
AGRI 475/675
Colonnade Credit? No
This interdisciplinary course takes students to the Highland and Amazonian jungle of Ecuador, encompassing the WKU Spring Break. Explore the history and culture of the Ecuadorian people as well as development issues that face the inhabitants and threaten the ecosystem. Gain an appreciation for the land and climate of Ecuador, the political, religious and cultural issues that affect the agriculture sector and Ecuador's relationship with the global community. Students are exposed to elements of the historical and contemporary dynamic of economic concerns through the Andean Highlands and the Amazonian Jungle.
This is a spring term course with a study abroad component.
Program Locations
Ecuador: Quito, Otovala, Ambato, Pillaro, Puyo
Program Contacts
Mr. Roger Dennis
International Speech Pathology
Courses:
CD 496/SLP 596
Colonnade Credit? No
How do services and reimbursement for speech-language therapists in Europe differ from those in the United States? Are their professional standards and academic requirements within speech pathology similar or different from the U.S.? Professionals at host sites will lead students on detailed tours of facilities with discussion, and share their insights on research in the field of speech language pathology. Students will use their experiences with local cultures in the UK, France, and Belgium to engage in discussion and critical thinking about the impact of inter-cultural relationships between client and service provider.
Interested students must be approved by Dr. Kimberly Green before submitting application here. Schedule a time to speak with Dr. Green if interested.
Program Locations
Final Locations for Summer 2021 TBD. Possibilities include London, Paris, and/or Gent.
Program Contact
Dr. Kimberly Green
Global Hospitality & Cuisine
Course:
HMD 476
Colonnade Credit? Yes
Exploration of foods, food preparation, the food service industry, hospitality business, and hospitality management practices in France & Belgium with emphasis on the influence of cultures and customs in the hospitality industry. This program will include the analysis of foods unique to the countries being visited as well as food preparation techniques and customs. The operation from a back of house and front of house perspective will be investigated in hospitality/tourism business. Expect to visit various museums, hotels, cultural sites, food markets, vineyards as well as participate in cooking workshops.
All majors welcome!
Program Locations
France (Paris & Bordeaux)
Belgium (Brussels & Bruges)
Program Contacts
Dr. Ann Embry
Art in Germany
Courses:
ART 102; ART 496
Colonnade Credit? Yes
Perspectives & Realities of Climate Change
Courses:
GEOG 452
Colonnade Credit? Yes
The Iceland study abroad course is designed to demonstrate the importance of and interconnectedness between climate change science, sustainable tourism and development, and environmental communication. The course explores glaciers, glacier lagoons, fishing villages, industrial facilities, and many natural sites to study these topics. The country of Iceland is circumnavigated via the Ring Road, to expose students to the complexity of these issues from urban (in Reykjavik) to rural (in Vik and other small towns) perspectives. We work with partners at the University of Akureyri in the north of Iceland to also learn directly from Icelandic faculty and study alongside Icelandic students at that institution. Students complete service-learning projects throughout the duration of the program and present these to an audience at the University of Akureyri at the conclusion of the course.
Program Locations
Iceland: Reykjavik; Vik; Akureyri
Program Contacts
Dr. Leslie North
Dr. Jason Polk
Mystic Landscapes of the Emerald Island
Courses:
GEOG/GEOL 103; GEOG 452
Colonnade Credit? Yes
The Mystic Landscapes of the Emerald Island is a program designed to explore the Republic
of Ireland and Northern Ireland from a physical, cultural and environmental geography
perspective. This is a three week program that starts and finishes in Dublin along
with an opportunity to circumnavigate the entire island while exploring these themes.
As this program is now in its seventh rotation there has been many relationships created
with locals to create an amazing program for the students to explore and investigate
the area. This program travels by bus with an experienced driver that the program
uses regularly.
Students will have the opportunity to register for one or two courses for this program
. These courses are both included in the Colonnade requirements at WKU. Geography
103 in in the Explorations category and Geography 452 is in the Local to Global category.
Students may take both of the courses or six hours of the 452 course. Many students
from a variety of majors are drawn to this program because of the flexibility of the
courses within their graduation requirements.
Program Locations
Ireland & Northern Ireland: Dublin, Killkenny, Killarney, Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Galway, Aran Islands, Donegal, Ballintoy, and Belfast
Program Contacts
Amy Nemon
Scott Dobler
Khanuy Valley Archaeology Project
Courses:
ANTH 432
Colonnade Credit? No
This is a 3 credit, three-week intensive class designed to train students in the basics of archeological fieldwork techniques. The course incorporates most of the phases of archaeological field investigation, including site recording with GPS, mapping, shovel probing, excavation, screening, and elements of data recovery and cataloguing. Students will investigate the roots of the First Steppe Empire of Mongolia through archaeological fieldwork in Mongolia. They will learn state of the art field methods and conduct hands-on work on Bronze and Iron Age sites with an international team of archaeologists who are investigating human-environment relationships and the development of complex societies in Inner Asia. Along the way, they will be exposed to a radically different culture and way of life by living and working among Mongolian pastoral herders who make up one of the world's last remaining nomadic cultures.
Interested students should contact Dr. Houle. Students will be required to complete an application through Dr. Houle before submitting official study abroad application.
Program Locations
Participants will stay in a hostel in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia’s capital city) before and after fieldwork. The field camp consists of sleeping tents,a kitchen gear(more commonly known by foreigners as a 'yurt'), an ‘office’ gear, as well as pit toilets. All participants sleep in their own tents and sleeping bags that they take to the field. Meals are not covered in the city but are in the field. Hired cooks will be responsible for buying and preparing all of the food consumedin the field.
Program Contacts
Dr. Jean-Luc Houle
Fashion Merchandising in New York City
Course:
IDFM 423
Colonnade Credit? No
Students will participate in professional appointments to fashion and design centers to gain firsthand knowledge concerning design, production, marketing, and promotion of textiles, and clothing. New York provides a variety of opportunities for students to meet professionals in the industry. Whether students are interested in design, historic costumes, theatre, manufacturing, or marketing, New York provides a perfect environment for students to have real world experiences. Students meet with industry professionals across the spectrum of diverse career areas in fashion.
Students must have a declared Fashion Merchandising Concentration to participate.
Program Locations
New York City
Program Contacts
Dr. Carrie Cox
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