There are several ways Shenandoah University acts as a gateway for global exchanges and study abroad experiences. Below is a list of ongoing international programs and services.
Going Global: First Year Seminar (FYS)
All first-year students are required to participate in the Going Global: First Year Seminar. The series is designed to engage students in stimulating discussions about global topics and issues as well as help them adjust to their first year at Shenandoah. The program features opportunities for students to dialogue about global issues, interact with student mentors and participate in faculty-led field trips, and a fall lecture and performance series. Classes are taught by faculty members from academic disciplines across the university.
Global Citizenship Project (GCP)
Each spring break, Shenandoah sends approximately 50 students, faculty and staff members to international destinations, travel costs included, to help broaden their horizons. Interested individuals must submit an application and a one-page essay early in the fall semester. Participants and destinations are announced in November at International Convocation. Now in its ninth year, GCP participants have visited 42 different destinations including China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Mali, Mexico, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Global Experiential Learning (GEL)
GEL programs are faculty-led, for-credit and short-term, study abroad experiences that send small groups of students and faculty to a variety of destinations to explore specific academic topics.
Mission/Service Trips
The Office of Spiritual Life sponsors mission trips each year through the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission program during spring, winter and summer breaks. Previous destinations included Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Jamaica. In addition, various academic units send faculty and students on service trips. Conservatory students and faculty collaborated with the Mayan Arts Program (MAP) in Guatemala; nursing students and faculty traveled to Manaus, Brazil; and pharmacy faculty and students served with Project HOPE.
Independent Study Abroad
Shenandoah participates in the International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP), a consortium of more than 300 universities worldwide, that provides affordable, independent study abroad and exchange experiences. Classes are taken alongside local students in countries around the world and are taught by local professors. Students may study abroad for a semester or up to a year, and credits are generally transferable and applicable to their degree of study.
International Student Services (ISS)
The ISS team provides a variety of services to international students, including teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, hosting International Convocation and supporting events where students can share their cultural experiences with the campus community. The International Student Association (ISA), a student-led organization, provides students with opportunities