Home » The Office of Global Engagement » Education Abroad » Summer Education Abroad: Your Global Classroom

Summer Education Abroad: Your Global Classroom

Don’t let your global ambitions wait. Summer is an ideal time to gain international academic experience. Shenandoah University offers an array of summer programs, ranging from ten-day GEL programs, two-week intensives to two-month immersions, all designed to provide high-impact learning in a global context.

Why Choose Summer Education Abroad
  • Academic Focus: Earn 3–6 credits by immersing yourself in a single subject through a real-world, hands-on lens.
  • Schedule Flexibility: Ideal for student-athletes, conservatory performers, and health profession majors with rigid semester-long clinical or performance requirements.
  • Immersive Learning: Shorter program durations allow for concentrated, site-specific study that connects classroom theory to global practice.
Explore Summer Opportunities
  • Faculty-Led GEL Programs: Join SU professors and fellow Hornets on Global Experiential Learning (GEL) programs—short-term, credit-bearing courses that utilize international locations as primary sites of study.
  • Partner Field Intensives: Engage in specialized coursework, such as our partner program in Belize with Toucan Education Programs, where you can study Sustainable Development or Cultural Diversity in a professional, field-based environment.
  • Summer Exchange in France: Enroll in one or many one-week summer modules delivered at Audencia Business School in Nantes to earn SU business or elective credit while experiencing French culture and commerce.
  • Spanish Institute for Global Education (Seville, Spain): Engage in 3- to 5-week academic tracks in one of Spain’s most historic cities. Students can earn up to 6 US credits while focusing on Spanish Language and Contemporary Spanish Culture and Society, featuring personalized instruction and cultural immersion through host-family stays.
  • ISEP Summer Programs: Choose from hundreds of vetted academic tracks across the ISEP network in Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Next Steps for Students
  1. Search Programs: View our current summer course catalog.
  2. Consult Your Advisor: Confirm how summer credits will fulfill your specific degree requirements.
  3. Explore Funding: Review summer-specific grants and the Gilman Scholarship on our Scholarships & Funding page.
  4. Application Timeline: Most summer program applications are due between February and March.