Skip to main content

study abroad & Gen eds

Earning General Education Credits Abroad

 

Study abroad is a curricular experience, allowing you to take courses while you travel and live in another country. While some study abroad programs may cater directly to your major or minor, study abroad is also a great way to meet general education (“gen ed”) requirements.  

Including gen ed courses in your study abroad plans may offer you more program options and broaden your academic experience overall!

Gen eds abroad are often courses built around another country’s history, society, or culture. You might discover a passion for a new area of study!

Understand Your Gen Ed Requirements

To understand how study abroad can help you meet gen ed credit requirements, start by reviewing your gen ed requirements. They depend on when you were admitted to the U of A:

For either set, start planning early with your academic advisor, who can help you understand what these mean for your plan. 

How to Find Gen Eds Abroad

  1. Look through the courses below or explore programs in our study abroad program search. In the search, you’ll find available courses in the Academics section of each program.
    • For programs offering Direct U of A credit, like faculty-led programs, each course's general education applicability will be listed in the Academics section.
    • For programs offering Transfer credit, like Arizona Abroad locations or exchanges, there may be a spreadsheet listing various courses and how they transfer to the university, including their pre-approved gen ed applicability. Additionally, there may be a partner university catalog full of courses that you can discuss with your academic advisor about possible gen ed approval.
  2. Save the programs that interest you as Favorites on your study abroad profile and note the interesting courses so you can find them again.  
  3. Meet with your academic advisor, share the programs and courses you found, and together you can map out how they will apply to your gen ed degree requirements.  

Getting Transfer Credit Preapproved

Even if a transfer course does not have gen ed applicability listed, you may still be able to use it to fulfill a gen ed requirement if you receive your academic advisor's approval. Per the University of Arizona Catalog, academic advisors may determine transfer course applicability on a course-by-course basis. In cases where your advisor may not be able to determine transfer course applicability due to alternative processes established by the college or department, they will guide you through the necessary steps to obtain preapproval for the courses. 

Study Abroad Is a Great Way to Learn a Language

Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to build your language skills both in the classroom and through everyday experiences in another country.

While language courses aren't included in the Exploring Perspectives and Building Connections categories listed below, second-language study is an important degree requirement for many U of A students. Requirements vary by degree and catalog year, so talk with your academic advisor about how a language course abroad could apply to your academic plan.

Explore Language Programs

The world is your classroom! 

The courses below are some preapproved options, but you can explore all the possibilities through our study abroad program pages. Remember, any transfer credit course could potentially work as a gen ed with approval from your academic advisor! And don't forget that study abroad is a great way to learn a language and fulfill your language requirements. 

Not every course is offered every term. Remember to always look at the Academics section of a study abroad program page to see its most up-to-date course offerings and details.

Arizona in Orvieto

  • ENGL 215: Creative Writing: Elements of Craft
    • Course Description: Multi-genre creative writing course introducing the craft of creative writing (craft elements and aesthetic strategies) via intensive reading as writers in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. 
  • ESOC 200: Visual Content Creation for the Information Age
    • Course Description: Visual Content Creation for the Information Age is a dynamic course designed to equip students with the necessary skills to create, share, and critically evaluate visual content across media from AI to VR and everything in between. Throughout the semester, students will engage in hands-on projects and exercises, to apply the concepts learned. Students will gain exposure to real-world examples of successful visual content campaigns and explore contemporary trends and advancements in the field including artificial intelligence and mixed reality. By the end of this course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of how visual artists make meaning through their work using visual content creation principles and techniques. 

Cultural Immersion in Paris: from Graffiti to Gruyère

  • FREN 373: US & Francophone Hip-Hop Cultures
    • Course Description: Examination of the historical, ethical, social, and political impacts and perspectives of hip-hop artistic practices and works on communities and societies in the United States and in the French-speaking world. Taught in English. 

Game Design & Development in Japan

  • GAME 201: Playing with Purpose: Art & History of Game Design
    • Course Description: This course explores video game design as a creative art form with a rich global history, with a particular emphasis on design trends in the United States and Japan. Students will study influential games, genres, and technologies, while examining the work and impact of prominent designers. Through a mix of historical analysis, critical discussion, and hands-on projects, students will develop a deeper appreciation for the artistic, cultural, and social dimensions of game design. 

UA Aix-en-Provence

  • ARH/ART 373: Renaissance Art and Architecture
    • Course Description: This course studies Renaissance art and architecture in western Europe from the late 13th to the early 16th century in the context of the cultural, philosophical, social, political, economic and religious transformation of the continent. We will not only look at the Italian Renaissance, with major artists including Giotto, Donatello, Botticelli, Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael, but also at the Flemish Renaissance (Jan van Eyck, Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Hugo van der Goes and Hieronymus Bosch) as well as the regional stylistic variations in Provence and France.
  • ART 295: Drawing & Painting in the Mediterranean
    • Course Description: In this course, students experiment with the techniques and approaches developed by artists working along the Mediterranean shores. Finding inspiration in the quality of the light, the particularities of the natural environment and the rich variety of its cultures, artists responded with a range of distinctive works reflecting their unique perceptions both real and imaginary. In a series of drawing and painting projects, our investigations will take us from the stratagems of classical artists in their search for harmonious proportions to the canon-breaking abstraction of Picasso’s cubist style. We will work with the expressive mark-making techniques of Van Gogh and the decorative patterns of Matisse. We will also experiment with color theory as found in the calculated pointillism of Signac and the wild brushwork of the Fauves.
  • MUS 245: Music and Sound of the Mediterranean
    • Course Description: This course introduces the students, through creation and musical workshops, to the music of the Mediterranean; North Africa, South Europe, the Balkans and the Middle East. It explores music and sound within their social, cultural, geographical, historical and political contexts reflecting the everyday life and the zeitgeist of its shifts; immigration, exile and colonialism, as well as the contact and influence among different societies. The course is not aimed at musicians or those who necessarily have a musical background; it is open to all students. 

UA Athens

  • DR 2033: Athens Theatre Festivals: “Then & Now”
    • Course Description: The course explores the framework and the conditions within which Greek theatre evolved and continues to evolve in an ever-changing world by examining and comparing the Athens Theatre Festivals of the Classical and contemporary societies.
  • MU 1073: Songs of the Underdog: American Blues Meets Greek Rebetiko
    • Course Description: A comparative study of the human journey behind two legendary music genres which have shaped popular music in their respective cultures: American Blues and Greek Rebetiko.

UA Barcelona

  • COM 290: Public Speaking Through Theatre
    • Course Description: The aim of this course is to develop participants' communication skills across theatre techniques. Theatre tools can help them speak with passion, authenticity and authority to inspire and move their audiences. Brilliant communication is one of the most important skills that any manager in a leadership position could have. There is a parallelism between performing as an actor and communicating in the business world. The actor prepares himself before going on stage or before shooting a scene; he rehearses, familiarizes himself with the setting, concentrates, explores the expressiveness of his face and his body, and then connects with the audience or with the camera. Managers should follow the same path; presentation is performance.
  • DAN 200: Latin Dance
    • Course Description: Students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of Latin-based dances as well as the historical context of each. Latin dances will include Tango, Cha Cha, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, as well as others.

UA Costa Rica

  • ART 2130: Mural Painting and Public Art
    • Course Description: Through collaborative and participatory dynamics, this studio course looks into conceptual and practice-based approaches in public art. We adopt chance operations, design thinking, disruptive strategies, and artistic methodologies - towards that which is not yet. Art practice is viewed as a process, a way of thinking, engaging, and experiencing in different contexts. The course is divided into a theoretical and experimental phase, followed by a design process, which leads to the execution of a collaborative public work of art. It can be through mural painting, public intervention or other forms of public art and new genres, relational, site-specific, etc. The experimental, design and execution phases are non-linear and intertwined.
  • PHOT 2100: Ecological Photography
    • Course Description: This foundation course is designed to introduce and enhance students' knowledge of the fundamentals of photography. Through exploratory and practical knowledge, students will discover the importance and impact of a technical methodology within a conceptual framework to deliver effective visual communication with a viewing public. The basics of image creation will be properly understood and polished by students, who will also gain the confidence to apply their newfound knowledge to a variety of photographic circumstances and mediums. We will cover a broad range of fundamental principles, from camera control to composition and creativity. The basic photography skills that will be seen shall provide students with a foundation to grow upon, while strengthening their capabilities to take on photography projects related to their individual needs, whether practical or purely expressive, while emphasizing issues related to nature and ecology. In addition, students will have the opportunity to explore Costa Rica’s diverse ecosystems with the goal of understanding its importance and the resources that make it unique. Terms like “Exposure Triangle” “Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO” and the importance of photography in the processes of environmental conservation will be seen in the course.  
  • PHOT 2130: Cultural Photography
    • Course Description: The objective of this class is for students to develop tools to experience, explore and document culture through photography. Through this process students will consciously study and record their current surroundings from a more socially and historically aware perspective, as opposed to a superficial observation. The basic functions of a camera are studied in order to have an efficient control when taking a photograph in any scenario, as well as the fundamentals of digital image manipulation. Additionally, students will reflect on the definition of culture, as well as the ethics involved in capturing images of other people and their surroundings. Through this process, students will be able to approach cultural exploration while taking into consideration creative as well as the human aspect of photographic creation.

UA Dublin

  • ART 231L: Introduction to Digital Media
    • Course Description: The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of the development and role of digital media in a modern, consumer society. It will give students the knowledge and use of the practical tools required to work in digital media from a media or business perspective, focusing particularly on web-copy/written content and visual/graphic/design content. The wider digital landscape is examined with focus placed on ethics, international norms and technological advancement in digital.
  • IMUS 110L: Irish Music: A Cultural Heritage
    • Course Description: The overarching goals for the course will be to introduce how music, song, and dance are intertwined with key cultural and artistic pursuits, particularly Irish literature, of distinct phases in the development of Irish history and through the workshops to provide an opportunity for you to learn how to play and construct traditional Irish instruments.

UA Florence

  • ARH/HIS 274: History of Italian Renaissance Art
    • Course Description: This course offers an introduction to the painting, sculpture and architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries. Special attention is given to Florence and its monuments and to key figures including Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo. The primary focus will be on stylistic and typological developments. Artwork will be considered within the contexts of patronage, biography, and the broader cultural and social life of the period.
  • ART 202: Sketching Florence
    • Course Description: Sketching Florence is a freehand drawing course, designed for both beginners and advanced students. The course is divided into two modules. In the first module students will draw on-site different Florentine monuments, landscapes and architecture, some of these well-known others less but equally beautiful or interesting. The lessons time will also be dedicated to some drawing exercises in class. The learning process will be completed with the homework. The main objective of this module is to help students acquire and/or deepen their drawing skills while they gain a deeper knowledge of the Florentine environment. The second module will be dedicated to a final project: the students are asked to think of what they have seen of Florence so far in order to develop a personal series of six drawings. The interpretation each student will give to the theme will be defined at the end of the first module. The main objective of this module is to develop the students’ drawing techniques together with their knowledge of the city of Florence in a main work.
  • ART 286: Photographing Florence
    • Course Description: The first purpose of the course is to give the students the mastery of the photographic medium and the ability to produce whatever image they may desire. Each camera setting will be analyzed and experimented in class through direct experience. Students will also learn how to manage camera files: how to archive, which file encoding format to use, how to resize appropriately and use post-production basics. The second purpose of the course is to introduce the student to visual language mechanisms. As a final assignment students will develop an individual project, consisting of a personal blog made up of visual and non-visual content. The student will have to identify something in his/her own Florence experience and develop it into a series of images and written content. The result should not be a collection of single shots, but rather a coherent body of work developing a clearly defined subject through an adequate visual strategy. Theoretical lessons will alternate with field trip and editing activities. The students will experiment autonomously but at the same time under the guidance of the teacher. The students will face individual and group reviews where they will be expected to comment on theirs and others' work.

UA London

  • FLM 4001: Cinema History
    • Course Description: Great filmmakers are invariable also great scholars of cinema. You will develop a solid foundation in the major landmarks, movements, and influential individuals throughout the history of cinema. The module will plot a path from the earliest experiments with persistence of vision, through a wide range of global influences that have brought us to the movies of the present day.

UA Madrid

  • ART 210: Capturing Madrid’s Flow
    • Course Description: Since the invention of the first camera, photography has evolved to become an indispensable tool in our daily lives. Every day we send photos to our friends and family, document funny things we see or happen to us, landscapes, selfies in places we visit to record that we were there. We finally post these images on social media and we generate a photographic dialogue with our audience. However, in this eagerness to photograph everything, most of the time we forget our own point of view and we let ourselves be carried away by the current photographic canons and the visual trends of the moment that advertising, social networks, TV, etc. repeatedly provide us with. With this course we will try to redirect our gaze towards our own point of view, original and without external influences to transmit our own narrative through photography. In addition to learning the basic principles of photography and how to use a camera, we will also discover Madrid through the different photographic activities that we will carry out in its streets.
  • DAN 201: Spanish Dances and Rhythms of the Mediterranean
    • Course Description: This course explores Spanish dances of the Mediterranean area (Andalusia and Catalonia) through an active study of their steps, choreographies and music. Students will learn to dance Flamenco, Sevillanas and Rumba Catalana, play castanets and cajón flamenco, and create their own choreographies based on traditional models. The course will also explore the history of these dances, their connection with other musical genres, and their role Spanish society and identity.

UA Rome

  • AH 100: Art of Rome
    • Course Description: Art of Rome is an introductory course in the history of art. The course focuses on Rome, from its origin to contemporary times. Masterpieces of painting, sculpture, architecture and urban planning are examined within their historical contexts. Most of the classes are held on site. The course hones a method of description, critical analysis and interpretation of art and builds an understanding of traditional forms and cultural themes useful in the comprehension of all western art. Students are responsible for all entry fees.  
  • AH 261: The Lure of Florence
    • Course Description: The Lure of Florence introduces students to the great art collections of Florence at the Uffizi Galleries and the Pitti Palace. This one-credit class will explore the tradition of collecting art and antique sculpture when the Medici were the ruling dynasty in the city of Florence. Over the course of a weekend, after an initial introduction in class, students will visit the city of Florence and the Uffizi Gallery, as well as key monuments commemorating the city’s ruling elite. The aim of the course will be to demonstrate knowledge of collecting practices in the formation of the early modern “collection.” Students will have the opportunity to develop a range of topics such as display, art patronage and object-based thematic discussion.  
  • DM 106: Photography in Rome: Studio and Still Life
    • Course Description: Using the indoor places of Rome as the canvas space, students will engage weekly within the city (on-site) to understand the complexities of: composition, materials, exposure, and controlled light to fully realize and capture the micro and macro nature of this monumental city. Practical studio photography time will also permit students to learn the necessary skills of arranging lights and props to capture images using a variety of techniques and lenses. Students will focus on creative solutions to complex photographic problems and discover the versatile and creative potential of working in a controlled environment. This course focuses on the fundamentals of the exposure triangle, composition, and postproduction to create striking staged photographs of Rome.  
  • MUS 201: Masterpieces of Italian Opera
    • Course Description: This course covers the historical beginnings of Italian opera in the Renaissance period, as well as the development of opera from the Baroque period through the Romantic period. In addition. Students will attend live operatic performances at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Rome’s international opera theater.

UA Seoul

  • CUL1117: Introduction to Digital Photography
    • Course Description: Students will begin by learning about the mechanics of a camera, and how to take advantage of manual features such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO as well as lenses and light, and focal length. Upon completion of the technical aspects, students will then learn about the art of photocomposition and lighting. In addition, they will be introduced to several famous photographers covering different fields such as landscape and portrait photography and will learn about what makes certain photos special. Students will be given 2 separate photo presentation assignments (asked to take photographs using the techniques discussed in class) in which the results will be presented to the class. Students will also learn how to manage and manipulate photos using post-processing software in computer lab-based tutorials.  

UA Sydney

  • 52712: Global Cinema
    • Course Description: Global Cinema examines the key themes, production techniques, and cultural contexts that shape contemporary world cinemas. Students become familiar with different national and regional cinematic traditions, develop critical vocabularies for understanding and interpreting cinematic storytelling devices, and consider the role that cinema plays in addressing social inequalities and injustices. The subject also invites students to explore diverse forms of filmmaking, which may include high-budget national cinemas, films by Indigenous communities and filmmakers, independent and experimental filmmaking, multilingual and diasporic cinemas, cinema as political activism, and documentary cinema (among others). Throughout, students are given opportunities to focus on specific elements within film-making processes, including narrative, genre, and characterization; cinematography, editing, lighting, sound, and production design; and the industrial contexts of production, distribution, and reception.

Arizona in Orvieto

  • CLAS 335: The Roman Empire: Rulers and Ruled
    • Course Description: In this course, we will examine Rome and its Empire from several points of view and across Roman history. During this semester we will deal with those who ruled the empire, and those who were ruled by the Emperors. Through this class, we will explore how Romans thought about their own rule, and how citizens, subjects, and outsiders reacted to (and against) the Roman Empire. 

Cultural Immersion in Paris: From Graffiti to Gruyère

  • FREN 280: Introduction to French Language, Linguistics and Culture
    • Course Description: Introductory course to key concepts in French language, linguistics and culture through a variety of media (textbook, comics, films, Web). This course is taught in English and requires no knowledge of French. Does not count toward fulfillment of language requirement, of the major or minor in French. 

Culture & Community in the Caribbean

  • AFAS 285: Conceptualizing Caribbean Society
    • Course Description: This course will provide students with an introduction to Caribbean society through an exploration of regional experiences tied to social, cultural and political fields. Weekly lectures will interrogate the effects of colonialism and postcolonialism on a variety of subjects such as the construction of race, class and gender. Additionally, AFAS 285 will provide an understanding of the intersection between critical theory and Caribbean Studies. Subsequently, this course aligns local identity politics with global cultural flows and, offers a historical guide to themes such as the transatlantic slave trade, creolization, difference, diaspora and imperialism. AFAS 285 is well suited to students who have an interest in Caribbean culture, Global Studies, the Black Diaspora, postcolonial theory and Ethnic Studies. 

Franke Honors Summer Abroad: Greece

  • HNRS 209B: Humanities Lab
    • Course Description: In this course, students become familiar with research practices and methods of the humanities. Through individual and collaborative research projects in and out of the classroom, students will develop their facility with methods ranging from textual analysis to ethnography. This course is for Honors students in the Honors study abroad programs. 

UA Athens

  • PH 2003: Philosophy of Technology in the Information Era
    • Course Description: An introduction to philosophical thinking about technology. Issues reviewed include, but are not limited to, minds, machines, and artificial intelligence; contemporary ethical problems in technology; virtual reality; and the online experience. The course is of interest to all students wanting to expand their thinking on, and understanding of, technology.
  • PH 2020: Greek Philosophy
    • Course Description: At the birth of philosophy, the Presocratic thinkers form our conception of nature, knowledge and man. Examination of their influence on science and philosophy. Comparative study of the views of Socrates and those of the Sophists. Thematic review of ancient Greek thought from Plato’s early dialogues, to Neoplatonism.

UA Costa Rica

  • HIS 2302: Contemporary Latin American History
    • Course Description: This course is a survey of the main events of the Latin American History after its independence. Topics include the historical causes and effects of independence, some of the main issues on social, economic, and political problems, and the main historical leaders in modern Latin America.

UA Dublin

  • HIST 285: History of Ireland: People, Politics & Power
    • Course Description: This course examines the social and cultural development of Ireland from its first human habitation nearly 10,000 years ago through the present. Ireland is a very old country but a very young State and is undergoing enormous economic and cultural changes on the world stage. This course will give you the tools and background to understand and analyze Irish history. 

UA London

  • LBA 4002: Rethinking Modernity and the Liberal Arts
    • Course Description: We have never been modern, at least according to the French sociologist Bruno Latour. And yet, the idea of ‘modernity’, and the closely related notions of progress and civilization, has governed how we think and talk about society, politics and culture. This module will encourage you to think critically about ‘modernity’ as a conceptual framework across Humanities disciplines by considering how ‘the modern’ has shaped work in History, Literary studies, Media and Cultural Studies. Along with key theorists and positions that underpin these areas, you will also study issues arising from post-colonial and feminist thought in order to challenge and rethink the notion of modernity.

UA Rome

  • CLRE 202: Christianity and the Roman Empire (100-425 AD)
    • Course Description: This course offers an overview of the history of the Early Church from 100-425 AD, focusing on the confrontation of Christianity with Roman life and thought. It will examine that relationship both from the early Christian and early Roman perspectives. Field trips to historical sites and museums in Rome will be used to reanimate ancient Roman history.
  • CLS 101: Greek and Roman Mythology
    • Course Description: Mythology is the study of the legends about the origins and history of a people, their deities, ancestors and heroes. The stories of the gods and legendary heroes of the Greco-Roman tradition have provided the fountainhead for literature and the arts in the service of religious and political imagery down to the present. While the emphasis will be primarily literary, with extensive readings of such writers as Homer and Vergil (noting, in passing, the influence upon later literature). The visual depiction of these myths will also be studied. A field trip to a museum in Rome may be required.
  • IS 212: Italian Food and Culture
    • Course Description: This interdisciplinary course will focus on the social and cultural aspects of food and eating in different geographical areas with a special emphasis on Italy and its history. The course will be taught through a variety of readings, class discussions and presentations and there will also be some practical experiences. Please note that this is not a cooking course.
  • IS 213: From Emigration to Immigration in Italy
    • Course Description: The course introduces students to the different practices and experiences of cultural diversity and its challenges in contemporary Italy. The course will analyze the transition of Italy from a country of emigration to a country of both emigration and immigration. The first half of the course provides students with an overview of the history of migrations from, within and to Italy and the responses which have emerged in legislation, political discourses and organizations, civil society and a variety of media, highlighting both racist and anti‐racist reactions. The second half examines the experiences of various minority groups in Italy and of the second generations, emphasizing, where possible, their own descriptions of life in present‐day Italy.
  • IS 220: Travels To/Through Italy: Representations of Contacts Between Cultures
    • Course Description: The depiction of Italy as a member of the G8 and NATO, a leading provider of fashion, cinema, cars, design, and cuisine, is relatively recent, though widely held. But Italy as the seat of a highly prized way of life traces back through the centuries, with many writers declaring their admiration, from Goethe, De Stael and Stendhal, to Milton and Shakespeare. To understand Italy’s contemporary image in the world, this course seeks to understand some of the earlier representations of Italy and Italians from Dante, through the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the Risorgimento, the Great Migration, the Economic Boom and la dolce vita, and down to the present time. A primary goal of the course is to connect students’ experiences in Rome and Italy more generally with the experiences of other travelers and with the rich and diverse history of what being Italian is. Specific themes will include geography, the persistence of classicism in Italy to the present day, paganism and Christianity, northern Europe vs. the Mediterranean, post-Renaissance decline, rationalism vs. passion, localism vs. nationalism, civilization and the natural. Students will come to realize that, beyond the Italian state, there are many “Italies” conditioned by a variety of historical, political, economic, social, cultural, and religious circumstances.

UA Sydney

  • 52671: Histories of the Present
    • Course Description: This subject introduces students to the histories of contemporary political, economic and social issues confronting the world. Taking a historical perspective enables a deeper understanding of the key challenges of our time, including global inequality, racism, climate change, and immigration. Drawing on historical methods, students develop skills in broad contextualization, long-term thinking, document analysis, and archival research. By engaging first-hand with archives and close reading of texts, students emerge with the ability to critically interpret the past and how it continues to shape present social structures.

UA Tokyo

  • Introduction to Islamic Culture and Thought
    • Course Description: We shall begin with a brief overview of the history of Islam and the Islamic world. This will be followed by a presentation of the main areas of Islamic thought and of the different regions of the Islamic world. In the meantime the students will be expected to choose topics of interest to them relating to Islam, carry out their own research on these topics during the course of the semester, and to present the results of their research in class towards the end of the semester.
  • Judaism, The Origin of Western Religions
    • Course Description: Today, about 33% of the world is Christian and about 25% Muslim, with Islam, as the world’s fastest growing religion today, set to overtake Christianity within the next 50 years. With over half the world’s population at least nominally associated with these two monotheistic religions, it is important for all of us to understand how they began and what each believes and practices.

Comparative Aging in Ireland

  • PHP 150C: Aging - Everyone is Doing It!
    • Course Description: Aging, everyone is doing it. Yet, how many of us stop to consider the why, what, and how of this process, and whether we can prepare for an optimal old age? This course challenges students to think about aging, their notions, expectations about what it means to be old, and learn about the diverse factors contributing to making aging a heterogeneous experience. Using a social scientist approach and a gerontological lens, the goal of this course is to encourage students to visualize and plan for the old age they imagine for themselves and others; by exploring the varied perspectives and factors with the potential to shape how we age, and the diverse lived experience of older persons (or the older population and its subgroups). 

UA Athens

  • HY 1000: Survey of World Civilizations I
    • Course Description: Broad historical account of past civilizations around the world from the ancient river-valley civilizations of southwest Asia to the dawn of the modern age in Western Europe (3,500 BCE- 1,500 CE); survey of every major historical epoch and geographical region; focus on sociocultural and economic affairs; prioritization on long-term processes that reflect both chronological and global themes in world history.

UA Barcelona

  • FLM 120: An Introduction to Filmmaking in Barcelona
    • Course Description: In this inspiring workshop-style course, students will embark on an amazing journey to create their own captivating audiovisual piece, drawing from their study abroad experiences in the vibrant city of Barcelona. Throughout the course, they will have the freedom to explore the realms of fiction or documentary storytelling. They can craft a compelling fictional narrative, inspired by their time abroad, weaving a powerful and engaging tale. Alternatively, they may opt to create a thought-provoking documentary, shedding light on real-life experiences, challenges, and transformations during their international adventure. Guided by an experienced instructor, they will develop essential technical skills to bring their vision to life on the screen, and the best part is that no previous experience is required. This introductory course is hands-on and experimental. They will learn the basics of scriptwriting, breakdowns, and filming, gaining the confidence to create their own projects.
  • SOC 358: Sports in Catalonia, Spain, and Europe: A Cultural Approach
    • Course Description: Sport is an integral part of Spanish society that affects all levels of life from social institutions to government and law.? A recent example of this is the Catalan government deciding to ban bullfighting – an age-old tradition that demands great respect in other parts of Spain. This course uses sport as a prism to understand the Spanish society. We begin with a theoretical foundation of sport and society, then delve more specifically into sports in Spain and Catalonia covering topics such as history, politics, gender, gambling, racism, media influence, violence, and identity.

UA Costa Rica

  • PSY 2200: Health and Psychology
    • Course Description: The biopsychosocial model (abbreviated "BPS") is a model or approach that focuses on the biological, psychological, and social factors of mental disorders to understand mental health better. This course will use this model to analyze different mental disorders, symptoms, and treatments. Participants will discuss the impact of social factors in developing different mental disorders, know the theory behind the disorders, and apply the information to class presentations and case studies. The course has a holistic view and a multisystem, multilevel, and multivariate orientation to benefit the student's future.

UA Dublin

  • PSYC 220: Social Psychology
    • Course Description: This course provides you with an introduction to the psychosocial study of human life and focuses on the central topics of this evolving discipline. To this end, the course explores the main theoretical approaches to the field of social psychology and provides current examples of practice in the field along with several practical applications of core concepts covered in class readings and discussions. These include in-class exercises and historical analyses of social and media events. The core objectives of this course are: to spark awareness of and appreciation for a subject at the crossroads of social interaction and individual identity; to provide an operational framework for using social psychology for generating insights into individual, intergroup and group phenomena and dynamics; to initiate you into the process of questioning and reflecting upon underlying psychosocial forces acting upon everyday life situations; to introduce you to the empirical methods used by social psychologist for extracting hidden meaning from commonplace social situations; and to provide you with conceptual methods and practical tools for managing daily social and psychological dilemmas. Within these areas, you will engage in field research on topics of interest to you within an intercultural framework.

UA London

  • CSY 4029: Debates in Crime and Society
    • Course Description: This core module aims to introduce students to debate key issues of crime, justice, and punishment in society. Criminal justice and social justice policies and practices are shaped by competing political and social values surrounding notions of justice and human rights. This module explores and debates some of the most contentious issues. Using cases about social problems and crime in the news, students will be introduced to undertake research in criminology and sociology using a variety of resources. They will learn how to use the old and new news media. Frameworks used to interpret the news medium will be provided so students can understand both the explicit and implicit references to the social and crime related 'problems' being discussed. Students will engage with the concepts of 'public sociology' and 'public criminology' to appreciate how to 'do' criminology/sociology in public; what it means? How should it be done and why should it be done?
  • HST 4012: Revolutions and Rebellions
    • Course Description: In this module you will examine a series of world revolutions and major rebellions against political authority. The module’s content covers two principal fields – different ways of conceptualizing revolutions and rebellion, and specific examples of revolutions and rebellions that have occurred across four continents. The module begins by examining ideas and ideologies of revolutions, providing students with a vocabulary and conceptual repertoire that they can use to discuss revolutionary activities throughout the remainder of the module. The specific examples of revolutions and rebellions that we cover are located in a period that runs from the mid-18th to the early 21st Centuries.
  • PSY 4016: Deconstructing Psychology
    • Course Description: Deconstructing Psychology introduces students to a variety of psychology topics, using them to illustrate the fundamental assumptions underpinning the subject. The focus will be on the way that psychology has been applied and will explore controversies arising from that. Focus will be placed on ideals of scientific endeavor, such as replicability, with a focus on evaluating the degree to which this is attained in the field. Students will be exposed to different fields of research within psychology and be encouraged to take a critical approach to literature. This training in skepticism will be useful to them in all walks of life and for the rest of their degree. The group work element will expand their transferable skills in this area.

UA Rome

  • AHAR 101: Ancient Material Culture
    • Course Description: On-site. This is an introductory course on the material culture of the ancient Mediterranean, focusing on the city of Rome and its relationship to earlier, contemporaneous and later related cultural traditions. The course focuses primarily on the artworks and artifacts produced by ancient Greece and Rome, with some sessions also treating the influence of Egyptian, Near Eastern, and Etruscan cultures and the afterlife of classical material culture post-antiquity. The course will be taught as a mixture of classroom lectures and on-site classes, enabling students to see at first hand as much ancient material culture as possible.  
  • ARC 101: Roman Archaeology On-Site
    • Course Description: On-site. This is an introductory on-site course exploring the archaeological sites and ancient monuments of Rome. The course will begin with the evidence for the earliest settlement in Rome and continue through the development of the Republic, the empire and the transition to early Christian Rome. The course will focus on placing the archaeological and architectural evidence in its topographical context.  
  • CLHS 205: Rome: Republic and Empire
    • Course Description: This course explores the Roman Republic and Empire, from the development of Italic culture in the Bronze Age through the dissolution of the empire in late antiquity. Via primary sources, students examine the development of political forms and ideas in the Mediterranean and their impact on Rome, the relationship of art and literature to society and politics, and developments in the areas of religion, science, and the economy. The course includes three required field trips to historical sites and museums in Rome and Ostia.
  • HST 200: History of Modern Italy
    • Course Description: This is an introductory course for all majors; it provides substantive knowledge about the history of Italy from the Napoleonic period to the present day. The study concentrates on the centuries of political fragmentation and the efforts to develop an effective political system. In this respect, the course offers insights for the comparative study of different ‘paths to modernity’ in Western Europe.
  • SOC 120: Living Rome: Urban Spaces, Culture and Identity
    • Course Description: This course will give students the opportunity to actively explore the multiple dimensions of the City of Rome systematically and based on a theoretical framework of urbanism, cultural studies and social theory. The students will examine how the city impacts its citizens, its businesses and social organizations.

UA Seoul

  • CUL3101: Cultural and Ethnic Diversity In Korea
    • Course Description: Discussing Cultural and Ethnic Diversity in Korea is a survey course to analyze and discuss the history of diversity and some of its developments in Korea. Students will have an opportunity to analyze and discuss how their country’s broadening immigration policies are slowly reshaping their predominately homogenous society into a more heterogeneous one. This course will examine the successes and challenges encountered with South Korea’s growing diversity. 1) Students will discuss the history, culture and societal factors that have been a constant in Korean culture. 2) Students will learn about and discuss ethnic changes within their cultures from interracial marriages and the offspring of those relationships. 3) Students will learn about and discuss cultural changes within their culture from an influx of immigrants from around the world and returning from the Korean Diaspora. 4) Students will develop their language skills in discussing multiculturalism through vocabulary, expressions and contexts to facilitate meaningful discussions with others.
  • GEN7030: Gender and Communications
    • Course Description: This course is designed to help students become better speakers of English identifying different aspects of spoken and written English between genders by understanding the interrelationships between power and language. Students will learn how and why men and women speak differently. Students will discuss and learn why women speak more politely using hedging particles than their male counterparts, while men speak more authoritatively, by looking into the historical reasons as well as cultural acceptance.

UA Sydney

  • 52670: Self and Society
    • Course Description: How are we shaped by the societies in which we live? This subject introduces students to key ideas in social and political thought which enable us to understand social life. It focuses on concepts such as class, race and gender and explores how these structures shape society and the life-paths of individuals and groups. As a core activity of the subject, students learn how to conduct a life history interview, in order to build their own social analysis of one individual's life story. A close examination of an individual life history enables students to understand how self and society are powerfully intertwined.

UA Tokyo

  • Gender Gap in Japan
    • Course Description: Japan’s ranking on the Global Gender Gap Report has been low. Japan now ranks 116 out of 146 countries in 2021 the Global Gender Gap index. In this course, we will examine how socio-cultural, economic and political changes shape gender gap in Japanese society. This course focuses on the status of women in Japanese society and explores contemporary gender-related social issues, such as marriage, family, work, reproductive health and the rights of women, and intimate partner violence.
  • Society and Culture in Britain
    • Course Description: This course will introduce various aspects of modern life in Britain, including aspects such as the political and social systems, with particular emphasis on important problems, including issues of importance today such as Brexit. The course should be especially useful for students who wish to study in Britain (or who have previously done so). There will be regular updates on developments such as the fallout from Brexit and the hot topic of the Scottish independence movement.

Arizona in Orvieto

  • ASTR 202: Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?
    • Course Description: Are we alone in the Universe? This is one of the biggest questions humans can ask, and we confront it head-on in this course. This course is an introduction to astrobiology where students explore diverse perspectives of astronomers, physicists, biologists, geologists, and more. Astrobiology is driven by large telescopes, space missions, lab experiments, and continued exploration of the full range of terrestrial life. We will bring these perspectives to bear on questions of the solar system formation, evidence of first life on early Earth, where we can find potential life in the solar system, extrasolar planets and detection methods, habitable zone in the extrasolar planetary systems and more. This multiple perspective course offers students the chance to explore our Universe and to discuss possibilities of life starting from our home planet to the Solar System's other planets and moons, out to extrasolar planets in other alien solar systems. Through this journey we will place our Solar System into context within the Universe. 

UA Aix-en-Provence

  • ENS 200: Ecology of the Mediterranean
    • Course Description: The Mediterranean region is one of the Global Biodiversity Hotspots, meaning that it requires priority action because of its rich but highly vulnerable biodiversity. This course examines the varying processes that defined the physical environmental conditions in the Mediterranean basin and explores their role in shaping the life forms and adaptations in the Mediterranean Biome. The class consists of three class hours and laboratory field study throughout the Mediterranean region in southern France.  

UA Athens

  • CH 2121: Organic Chemistry
    • Course Description: An introduction to organic chemistry, focusing primarily on the basic principles underlying the structure and reactivity of organic molecules. Hydrocarbons, alcohols and ethers, aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids are discussed, with emphasis on nomenclature, preparation and reactions of hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, organometallic compounds, alcohols and ethers, reaction mechanisms, stereochemistry, and tools for structure determination, including mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy.
  • OC 1000: Oceanography: Physics and Geology of the Ocean Basins
    • Course Description: Principles of oceanography with emphasis on geological and physical processes: history of oceanography as a modern scientific field, the formation of Earth and the solar system, ocean floor topography, continental drifting, plate tectonics, sediments, atmospheric processes, ocean currents, waves and tides.

UA Bangkok

  • ICGN 126: Plant Society
    • Course Description: People interacting with the plant and fungal worlds; differences among cultures and the indigenous uses of medicinal, textile and food plants; the benefits, problems and social implications of their use; hands-on experiences with techniques and methods used by field scientists.
  • ICGN 113: Plants, People and Poisons
    • Course Description: The plant world; the way plants grow and reproduce; modern technologies used for improving agricultural methods; the basics of plant biology; the distinctions among major groups of plants; the social implications of plant use and abuse.

UA Costa Rica

  • BIO 1100: Principles of Biology
    • Course Description: In the Principles of Biology course, students will embark on a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental concepts that underlie the study of life. Throughout the semester, emphasis will be placed on developing a robust understanding of the core themes of biology, enabling students to identify and analyze real-world examples that exemplify these themes. An integral component of the course involves critical thinking skills, particularly in the evaluation of scientific studies related to vaccines, pseudoscience, and other contemporary issues. Students will learn to discern the soundness of study designs, facilitating a nuanced understanding of the scientific method. Additionally, the course will delve into the hierarchical organization of life, elucidating the emergence of new properties at each level, from molecular structures to complex ecosystems. The course will culminate in a comprehensive understanding of evolution and adaptation, examining how life on Earth has evolved and elucidating the ways in which structural and functional adaptations contribute to survival and reproduction at both cellular and organismal levels.

UA Rome

  • ASTR 100: General Astronomy
    • Course Description: This course is an introduction to astronomical phenomena in the Universe for non-science majors. The course covers four main topics: (1) motions in the sky, (2) the solar system, (3) stars (why they shine, and how they evolve), and (4) first steps in cosmology (what are galaxies and how they are distributed in space). The basic physics required to understand astronomy will be presented. Topics of current interest will also be touched upon, such as astronomical discoveries (ground-based, mission), and whether there is life on other planets. We will also become acquainted with the night sky, through naked eye observations, and a field trip to a nearby amateur observatory.
  • ENV 102: Physical Geography
    • Course Description: This course introduces the physical elements and processes responsible for weather and climate, vegetation, soils, plate tectonics, landforms, their distributions, and their significance to humans. This special session of Physical Geography examines these processes as they are expressed in the context of the Italian Peninsula and the larger Mediterranean region.
  • ENV 103: Environmental Science
    • Course Description: Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study that includes both applied and theoretical aspects of human impact on the world. In this course, an overview is given of the specific concerns of overpopulation, the energy crisis, and general results of the overstress on the environment, including pollution, poor agricultural practices, and the depletion of natural resources. An inquiry-based laboratory component is designed to support students in constructing a meaningful, conceptual foundation of the environmental sciences. Activities and experiments will help students experience Earth and environmental sciences as the dynamic system of patterns it embodies.

UA Seoul

  • F-N3002: Biochemistry 1
    • Course Description: Biochemistry describes in molecular terms the structures, functions, mechanisms, and chemical processes shared by all organisms and provide organizing principles that underlie life in all its diverse forms. In this class, the students will study structures, functions, mechanisms, and transfers of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Biochemistry is an essential class to the students in Department of Bioengineering for their in-depth study in molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, and genetic engineering.

UA Sydney

  • 65111: Chemistry 1
    • Course Description: Chemistry is central to understanding the world around us and it provides foundational knowledge for many other scientific disciplines such as medicine, biochemistry, energy and technology. This subject will provide you with fundamental knowledge and skills in chemistry. Through the lectures you will learn about atomic theory, structure and bonding, chemical reactions and equilibria, quantitative chemistry, molecular geometry, and intermolecular forces. Through the practical program you will develop key scientific skills such as laboratory techniques, teamwork, observation, measurement, analysis, and problem-solving.
  • 91161: Cell Biology and Genetics
    • Course Description: This subject introduces you to cell biology, focusing on cell structure and function, biological molecules, genetics, and theories of inheritance. You'll develop professional skills in laboratory techniques, data analysis, and quantitative methods to study cellular organization. You will also learn how to utilize modern library resources to find and review published research literature, evaluate its content and significance, and create both written and oral presentations that can be used to communicate scientific concepts. By the end of this subject, you'll be adept at sourcing, assessing, and utilizing information to address scientific problems.
  • 91195: Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Infections
    • Course Description: Infectious diseases have had an enormous impact on human civilization, killing more people than all wars combined. Most viruses and bacteria do not cause infections in humans. In Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Infections, you will explore the how and why some organisms cause infections in humans. You'll learn about the challenges of treatment, antibiotic resistance, vaccination and pandemic control. Through practical work, you'll examine food poisoning outbreaks, hand bacteria sanitizer effectiveness, and test cellular responses to viruses. You'll develop skills in learning to analyze evidence and apply critical thinking to investigate and identify pathogens. Additionally, you'll enhance your science communication abilities by creating educational videos on current pathogens and infection prevention strategies.

Alternative Visions of Health in India

  • HPS 387: Health Disparities & Minority Health
    • Course Description: The course will explore gaps in health outcomes associated with race/ethnicity, social class, sex, sexuality, nationality and migration status. Societal, environmental, and institutional factors that underlay health disparities between and within nations will be considered. 
  • HPS 300: Public Health in the 21st Century
    • Course Description: This course focuses on emerging and re-emerging causes of morbidity and mortality domestically and globally, and current technologies in public health initiatives. The course explores complex public health issues of concern. It builds connections from a multidisciplinary perspective, critically evaluating and analyzing quantitative evidence to understand health impact in diverse populations, including marginalized populations. The course takes a deep dive into examining social determinants of health, how they play a role in health outcomes, and generating knowledge to tailor specific health interventions for different groups. 

Arizona in Kyoto: Experience Japanese Culture

  • JPN/RELI 220: Nature, Gods, and Zen: Religion in Japanese Society
    • Course Description: This course analyzes the history of religions in Japan and the ways in which "Japanese religion" is portrayed in the contemporary world. In particular, the course examines how issues of race, ethnicity, and equity manifest in Western representations of Japanese religion, which is often essentialized, exoticized, and interpreted through a series of cultural stereotypes as the perpetual \"Other\" in relation to the West. In order to approach this central theme, the course adopts the disciplinary perspectives of Religious Studies, History, and Asian Studies, all of which will be synthesized through a number of writing exercises to allow for a robust analysis of Japanese religious history and practices in the original context of Japan as well as their portrayals in the West, as evident in such outlets as newspaper articles, travel guides, blogs, and YouTube clips, among others. By taking this course, students will be able to integrate multiple disciplinary perspectives to write analytically on the historical significance of Japanese religion as well as questions of race, ethnicity, and equity in representations of Japanese religion in various contexts. 

Arizona in Orvieto

  • ART 160D3: Italian Museums as Cultural and Community Institutions
    • Course Description: Museums as Cultural and Community Institutions introduces students to how museums operate internally and externally within their communities by engaging with museum collections, exhibitions, and educational programming. Students will examine museums in their communities, as well as national and international museums. Throughout this course, students will consider whose voices are elevated in museum spaces and who is left out. They will explore the interdisciplinary connections museum visitors can make through synthesizing ideas, sharing perspectives, and learning together. 
  • ASTR 202: Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?
    • Course Description: Are we alone in the Universe? This is one of the biggest questions humans can ask, and we confront it head-on in this course. This course is an introduction to astrobiology where students explore diverse perspectives of astronomers, physicists, biologists, geologists, and more. Astrobiology is driven by large telescopes, space missions, lab experiments, and continued exploration of the full range of terrestrial life. We will bring these perspectives to bear on questions of the solar system formation, evidence of first life on early Earth, where we can find potential life in the solar system, extrasolar planets and detection methods, habitable zone in the extrasolar planetary systems and more. This multiple perspective course offers students the chance to explore our Universe and to discuss possibilities of life starting from our home planet to the Solar System's other planets and moons, out to extrasolar planets in other alien solar systems. Through this journey we will place our Solar System into context within the Universe. 
  • CLAS/RELI 305: Greek and Roman Religion
    • Course Description: Religious beliefs and cult practices in ancient Greece and Rome. All readings in English. 
  • HSD/NURS 250: Health Equity: Connections, Community & Healing in Urgent Times
    • Course Description: This course will address the most pressing issues challenging people's health through building connections and critically analyzing issues of health inequity from the distinct perspectives of healthcare and the lived experiences of the community. The community solution framework will enable us to see how issues such as racism, environmental degradation, and the emergence of novel pathogens are interconnected and how health equity and community-building ethics can help us heal our communities and ourselves using collective action. 

Franke Honors Summer Abroad: Greece

  • HNRS 208H: Topics in Analytical Thinking and Writing
    • Course Description: Students will read and view cultural artifacts in a wide variety of genres, including literature, film, drama, poetry, nonfiction and others. In-class time will be devoted to extended close discussion of these works, and in particular in working through problems in the critical analysis of them. 

Sustainable and Adventure Tourism in Kazakhstan

  • RNR 240: Principles of Ecotourism
    • Course Description: In RNR 240, we examine the principles of ecotourism and how they can be used as to conserve and manage natural and human resources in a sustainable and financially viable way. We will review ecological impacts on the environment from tourism activities and learn how these are often managed as we examine numerous case studies throughout the world. We will conclude the course by studying established models used to deal with too many tourists at popular destinations. RNR 240 is open to students in all majors. 

UA Athens

  • JS 1001: Introduction to Criminal Justice 
    • Course Description: The course provides students with an overview of the American criminal justice system and its three sub-systems namely police, courts and corrections. It exposes students to the steps that follow the commission of a crime and the rules that govern each phase. Through the discussion of real cases, students are given the opportunity to understand the legal and institutional framework as well as the social context within which the U.S. criminal justice system operates.
  • JS 2010: Law and Society 
    • Course Description: This course offers students an introduction to law and justice and informs them about the relationship between law and society. Students are not only exposed to various theoretical approaches to law and justice but are given the opportunity to see how the law is in constant interaction with society through the discussion of contemporary topics that raise human rights, diversity, equality and privacy concerns, and with reference to landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases.

UA Rome

  • POL 120: Introduction to the American Political System 
    • Course Description: This course provides students with an understanding of the operation of the American political system. The primary focus will be on the structure and operations of federal governmental institutions (congress, the presidency and executive branch, and the judiciary) and their respective roles in formulating, implementing and adjudicating public policy. The course also examines the context of American politics, including the historical setting, the constitution, American political theory, the place of political parties, and public opinion and participation.