Recently, 20 Penn State students had the opportunity to travel over 3,000 miles from Pennsylvania for a weeklong study-abroad opportunity hosted by Penn State Brandywine. Global Programs, offered to students at all Penn State campus locations through Penn State Brandywine, allowed the students to explore the city of London, England for an eight-day span, all while earning credits toward graduation.
Penn State Brandywine's Global Programs experience delivers distance education courses with short-term travel destinations around the globe. Each course includes pre-travel and post-travel coursework to be completed on an independent study basis, working with the instructor through distance education technologies. Courses in business, art, philosophy, wellness and English are typically available for this immersive travel experience.
Students experienced some of London's most prolific landmarks, including the Elizabeth Tower (commonly known as Big Ben), the London Eye, Stonehenge, Abbey Road and much more.
"I had the opportunity to do a Stonehenge excursion with my trip roommate. Getting to see that was an unbelievable experience," explained Penn State Brandywine sophomore Maximillian Sanders III. As part of the trip, the finance major was enrolled in a global marketing course taught by Brandywine Instructor in Marketing and Management Lori Elias. "For me, the most informational part of the trip was getting to meet the CEO of the Havas Health advertising agency."
"Getting the chance to talk to the locals about the culture was really an eye-opening experience," added University Park student Janina Horakova, who is studying economics. This was the senior's second trip with Brandywine, as she previously visited Barcelona, Spain with the campus. "I think having these experiences will allow me to relate on an international level in future job interviews."
Brandywine recently released its upcoming Global Programs study abroad lineup for 2015-16.
In March 2015 the campus will travel to Greece, followed by a journey to Paris, France in November 2015. In March 2016 students will head to Ireland. Details will be announced shortly regarding the Paris and Ireland trip logistics and course offerings. All travel takes place during breaks in the University's academic calendar.
Aiming to bring international, academic and engaging experiences within the financial reach of as many Penn State students as possible, the program's travel arrangements are designed to be very affordable. Scholarship opportunities are also available, including the Brandywine Global Programs Award.
For more information about Global Programs, contact Patricia Hillen at [email protected] or 610-892-1372.
