Program Development

University of Arizona academic units may develop customized study abroad programs that are managed centrally by the Study Abroad office or housed within academic units and managed departmentally.

The Study Abroad team provides support for centrally managed programs throughout the program cycle, from initial program development through the post-program stages. Support includes budgeting, negotiating contracts, marketing and recruitment, student advising, collecting and tracking application materials, collecting fees and paying vendors abroad, processing faculty travel paperwork and operational advances, course enrollment, pre-departure orientation, insurance registration, and emergency support.

There are cases where the nature of the program necessitates lower enrollment or where it might otherwise make sense for the program to be managed within the department. These programs may still be offered with prior approval from the college and department. In these cases, Arizona International will provide resources, register the students for insurance, and provide emergency support.

Customized Faculty-Led Programs

Faculty-led programs are a great way to integrate international education into the University of Arizona experience. Applications to create a summer program should be submitted in the spring one year prior to intended departure. For example, Summer 2026 program proposals must be submitted by May 2025.

Please contact our Associate Director, Diane Nelson at dianen@arizona.edu, to discuss important considerations to craft a meaningful experience abroad.

After consultation with our office and your academic unit, please complete and submit the Program Proposal for new faculty-led study abroad programs.

Programs will be selected based on competitive priorities, such as offering courses that are at capacity on campus, are core requirements of a major/minor, offer an opportunity to expand curriculum based on local context, or are part of an international track within a major.

• Document

  Download Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Proposal Submission Form

Departmentally Managed Programs

For-Credit Programs with Overnight Stay - Departmentally Managed.

Departmentally managed programs are those that are run by the department and not managed centrally though the university’s Study Abroad office. Although Study Abroad does not manage these programs, we are responsible for tracking participation and providing GeoBlue travel insurance. Arizona International Travel provides health, safety, and security support.

• Examples: third-party, dual degree, field trips (required as part of a course)
• Requirements: These trips or programs either offer their own credit or are a required part of a credit-bearing course and must include an overnight stay to qualify. If your trip or program does not meet these criteria please view “Day Trips, Non-Credit Bearing, Non-Mandatory Course Trips, Clinical Rotations” using the following link: https://international.arizona.edu/study-abroad/guidelines-and-information-registering-travel.

Procedure:

• Departments must notify Study Abroad via email that they intend to organize a program or send students to an established program a minimum of 60 days prior to the departure date.
• The organizing individual, sponsor, or trip lead must complete a Program Lead Form, Repeat Program Lead Form, or Program Sponsor Form before the students can apply.
• If the program has already run within a year-and-a-half of the current date, the faculty or staff leading the group can complete a much shorter Repeat Program Lead form instead of the Program Lead form.
• All staff or faculty members accompanying the students abroad must also register their travel via the International Travel Registry 30 days prior to the departure date.
• Study Abroad creates an application for the students to register their participation.
• Study Abroad provides the link to the application to the department or trip lead.
• Students are expected to register their participation 30 days prior to departure. Only students who have completed this step will be registered for GeoBlue, so it is critical that the department or trip lead ensure that all participating students complete this step.
• Study Abroad enrolls students in GeoBlue Insurance and provides health and safety oversight in collaboration with International Travel.

Please contact our Associate Director, Lindsay Downs at lmdowns@arizona.edu, to discuss next steps.

Develop a Global Track for your major or minor at one of our Arizona Abroad Locations. Arizona Abroad locations are high-capacity, multi-disciplinary study abroad programs that are designed to be financially and academically accessible to all students. Each location is unique in terms of curricular offerings and provides transfer credit. Faculty are encouraged to work with their department’s academic advising team to identify areas within your program that could be taken abroad.

A Global Track is both an advising tool and a marketing tool for students. Each Global Track is customizable to the needs of each department so some may contain a sample four-year plan that accounts for a semester abroad, and others may include lists demonstrating how study abroad courses apply to the major.

• Step 1: Contact Curriculum Integration Manager, Mariah Nunes, mariahnunes@arizona.edu, to express interest in learning more about Global Tracks for your department. Mariah will work with you to set up a time to meet and discuss your options.
• Step 2: Typically, Mariah will curate a list of courses that could be a fit for your program and share necessary syllabi. Your department evaluator should review the courses and let Mariah know what they determine or if they need additional information. Courses can be evaluated for direct equivalency if applicable.
• Step 3: The Study Abroad team will draft a Global Track document for you to review and suggest edits before publication to the Global Tracks website.