Stonehill’s faculty-led seminars abroad

By LilyBelle Cogliano

If you’re a student craving adventure, cultural exploration, or just itching to change your usual routine, you may want to consider going on an educational and hands-on, intensive travel seminar. It’s a unique way for students to earn credits while experiencing the world firsthand. Not only do these seminars offer a once-in-a lifetime travel and learning opportunity for students, these faculty-led seminars also fulfill three class credits through the Skyhawk Core Curriculum, Cornerstone Programs, and the Experimental Educational requirement for the class of 2029.  

If you’re interested in a more intensive, historically focused seminar, join Rev. Kevin Spicer and travel to the Christian Churches in Nazi Germany. This program takes place in Nuremberg, Berlin, and Munich, with a seminar that provides an in-depth experience with history while exploring German cuisine, daily life, and culture. This is a three-credit class that fulfills the Skyhawk Core Curriculum as well as the Old Cornerstone Program.  

For those seeking a more interactive and immersive program, you can visit Costa Rica with Professor Ben Marcus for a nine-day seminar focusing on sustainable coffee value chains and culture. Developing a firsthand understanding of sustainable production, this program gives students the chance to visit coffee cooperatives, smallholder farms, and family-run processing facilities in a more hands-on type of learning. Students can also earn three credits while satisfying the Global Perspectives, Cultural Environment requirement, or the Global Economic issues requirement for international business majors.  

There are a wide range of opportunities for students with different academic focuses. If your interests lean toward environmental studies, in a three-credit course following a more biodiverse journey, to the heart of Malaysian Borneo. Here, the students have the opportunity to trek through ancient rainforests and witness the highs and lows of protecting the environment, while engaging with resort managers, conservationists, and expert guides. Students gain insight into how to finally operate and sustain this environment. This is a great opportunity for environmental-minded students and fulfills the Global Perspective and ECO elective within the Skyhawk Core Curriculum. 

Photography enthusiasts might prefer the seven-day journey to Colorado, traveling with Professor Adam Lampton. Students will visit remarkable locations such as the Great Sand Dunes, Red Rocks, and Glenwood Canyon. Within this course, students are taught how to operate a digital camera and learn about American West Photography while reflecting on the landscapes. This three-credit course fulfills the Humanities Requirement, the 100-level requirement for Arts and Visual Culture Majors, as well as satisfying the Experimental Educational requirement for the class of 2029. 

If an internship sparks your interest, there's a research intensive-program in a Peace and Conflict Studies travel course to Armenia. In addition to examining the drivers of armed conflict and various case studies, students will also examine the conditions that foster peaceful coexistence. They’ll visit historical monasteries, including Geghard, Noravank, Tatev, and Khor Virap, as well as the Temple of Garni. This internship trip also consists of many other cultural excursions and performances. This course satisfies several Skyhawk Curriculums. 

Professor Piggford, leads an immersive course in Ireland with guided tours and on-site presentations, examining Ireland's cultural and political history. He always promotes his seminar to his students: “It’s amazing not just to read about a place, but to experience locations that inspired important literary works. James Joyce called Ireland ‘the island of saints and sages,’ so we’re able to visit places that are holy, thought provoking, and really enjoyable.” 

These travel seminars are a great option to consider for students who aren’t comfortable or uninterested in longer trips abroad and would rather something short yet educationally focused.

Many students might not face the time or opportunity like this to travel again while also fulfilling college credit, so it’s important to take advantage of all the traveling abroad opportunities Stonehill provides. If you’re interested in any of these seminars, you can find more information in the Navigation Center for Student Success under Myhill. You can also reach out to one of the many professors/faculty leaders to get firsthand insight into your decision.