Our vision is that every Honors scholar should be able to study for a semester abroad or go on a faculty-led international course at least once. We live in a global community; recognizing this and being part of that community are fundamental first steps to full engagement. Additionally, we value the growth and learning that takes place in study away experiences. Interested in experiential and place-based learning but need a cost-effective alternative to study abroad? Check out our study away programs that travel domestically.
We understand the difficulty and challenges that a study abroad program can present to a student. To support students with the financial challenge, Study Abroad scholarships are available from the Honors College and other entities on campus.
HP 4155: Buddhism in Thailand
Course Credits: 3
Instructor: Kate Hartmann
Modality: Study Abroad program
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: (H) Human Culture
A&S attributes: (G) Global
Application Deadline: TBA
Estimated Cost: TBA
Travel Dates: Dec-Jan 2024 (exact dates TBA)
Travel Locations: Bangkok and Chiangmai, Thailand
Course Description:
Some bad news: life is stressful, unpredictable, and full of pain and suffering. It's
true now and it was true in the 5th Century BCE when the Buddha lived. Some good news:
the Buddha claimed to have discovered a path by which people could escape this pervasive
suffering. In the process, he planted the seeds for a religious tradition that has
been influential across Asia and, more recently, the modern West. In this course,
we will explore the diverse ideals, practices, and traditions of Buddhism while exploring
the ways Buddhism is lived and practiced in Thailand. We will explore key ideas from
the Buddhist tradition about impermanence, desire, and the nature of the self, and
ask how these ideas were taken up and reimagined as Buddhism developed. Learn more
about the course in Dr. Hartmann's course video trailer!
HP 3151: East Meets West
Art, Religion, and Multiculturalism in Türkiye
Course Credits: 3
Instructor: Ahmad Nadalizadeh
Modality: Study Abroad program
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Application Deadline: TBA
Estimated Cost: $3,320
Travel Dates: 12/27/2024 – 1/10/2025
Travel Locations: Istanbul and Konya, Türkiye (Turkey)
Course Description:
Located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Türkiye has been historically the contact zone of various religions, cultures, and art forms, in particular those evolving under Islam and Christianity. As one of the few developing nation-states never colonized, today’s Türkiye was the seat of the Ottoman Empire, running from the Caucasus to North Africa, and encompassing Turkish, Persianate and Arabic cultures. In its contemporary national formation, Türkiye continues to be the site of tectonic political and cultural events, home to a wide range of art forms and religious monuments, especially in Europe’s most populous city of Istanbul. Culturally influential across the Middle East and beyond, it has produced some of the world’s most popular TV dramas, second only to the United States in their production rate and global distribution. And politically, it has exerted an increasing influence in the Middle East, as well as in Western Europe and Northern Africa. For all its cultural and geopolitical influence and with the exception of a few area studies departments in the United States, Türkiye has remained understudied with respect to its contributions to global arts, literature, and culture. Taking this context seriously, this study abroad course will introduce students to Türkiye and some of its major religious and cultural sites, supplemented by pertinent readings on its religious traditions, literary works, and films, as well as guest speakers and actors. It will include visiting sites in Istanbul and Konya over the course of 13 days in December 2024 and January 2025.
HP 3157: Multicultural Experiences in Singapore and Malaysia
Course Credits: 3
Instructor: Yan Zhang
Modality: Study Abroad program
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: G (Global)
Application Deadline: December 2, 2024
Estimated Cost: $2800
Travel Dates: June 1-22, 2025
Travel Locations: Singapore and Malaysia
Course Description:
This program delves into the rich histories, cultures, and adventures of Chinese, Indian, Arab, and Malaysian traditions within the lush jungles of Southeast Asia. Over three weeks in Singapore and Malaysia, you will immerse yourself in diverse cultural learning and interactive activities. Encounter a mosaic of ethnicities, gain insights into Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Hinduism, savor local cuisines, and marvel at architectural wonders. Visit museums and quaint farming villages, participate in community service aiding local elementary students, and engage in unique workshops where you can create your own masterpiece. Collaborate on research projects with your classmates, UTAR students, and faculty. Wander through vibrant night markets and enjoy spectacular light shows, unwind on pristine beaches, take boat rides, and much more. This unique travel-study program promises an enriching journey that will broaden your horizons, offering a blend of education, experience, and personal growth
HP 3150: Shakespeare in England and Italy
Course Credits: 3
Instructor: Peter Parolin and Leigh Selting
Modality: Study Abroad program
Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Application Deadline: TBA
Estimated Cost: TBA
*Includes airfare, in-country transportation, accommodations, theatre tickets, excursions,
some meals. Does not include UW tuition/fees, $325 study abroad fee, personal spending
money.
Travel Dates: TBA
Travel Locations: Stratford-Upon-Avon, London, Vicenza, Venice, Padua, and Verona
Course Description:
Shakespeare in England and Italy will give you a great introduction to the plays of
William Shakespeare as texts and ongoing cultural milestones. The class also introduces
you to the plays in performance – we attend seven or eight performances at major theatres
like the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe as well as smaller and regional venues
to explore the myriad ways that contemporary artists bring Shakespeare’s plays to
vibrant life. Finally, the course exposes you to amazing places in England and Italy,
especially the great cities where we will stay and the social and artistic institutions
that characterize them. Shakespeare set plays in Italian cities as a way of investigating
cultural difference. There is a wonderful synergy between our own experience as visitors
to England and Italy and Shakespeare’s own repeated exploration of cultural encounters
across difference.
HP 3050: Walkabout Down Under 2025
Credits: 3
Instructor: Paul Taylor, Mary Byrnes
Modality: Study Abroad program
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspetives (previously Nonwestern); Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Application Deadline: January 15, 2025
Estimated Cost: $4990 (Includes accommodations, in-country transportation, entry fees, excursions,
most meals. Does not include international airfare, some meals, UW tuition/fees).
Travel Dates: May 30 - June 16, 2025
Travel Locations: Barunga; Darwin; Sydney
Course Description:
This unique course offers a direct outback immersion with Australia's Aboriginal people, the world's oldest living culture; exploring their worldview, their Dreaming, the Creation Story and Spiritual Law; visiting sacred rock art sites and listening to stories with the Aboriginal custodians. We will camp on traditional land and celebrate a showcase of the very best of remote Australian Indigenous community life: music, sport & culture at the Barunga Festival. We will experience the astounding southern night sky, and learn from the world’s first Astronomers. We will listen and explore Australia’s amazing bird life from both Aboriginal and Western science and immerse in the land "where song began”.
HP 4155: The Art and History of Medicine
Credits: 3
Instructor(s): Brian Cherrington and Michael Dillon
Modality: Study Abroad
Honors College Attributes: Honors Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: H
A&S attributes: G
Application Deadline: November 1, 2024
Estimated Cost: TBA
Travel Dates: May 22 to June 6th, 2025
Travel Locations: London England, Ghent/Bruges Belgium, and Paris France
Course Description:
A study abroad course in London, England, Ghent/Bruges Belgium, and Paris, France. We will undertake a journey of discovery into medical history from the medieval period to the twentieth century. We will cover multiple facets from barber surgeons to neurosurgeons and everything in between, from the development of aseptic technique and the stethoscope to sulfa drugs, to plastic surgery and the cloning of animals. Special attention to case studies that provide insight into major discoveries and understanding of disease, illness, medical practitioners and practice in different historical contexts and cultures.
HP 4153: Exploration Earth: Ireland
Credits: 3
Instructor(s): Brandon McElroy
Modality: Study Abroad
Honors College Attributes: Honors Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: PN (Physical and Natural World)
A&S attributes: none
Application Deadline: January 1, 2025
Estimated Cost: $4500
Travel Dates: 5/18/25 – 6/6/25
Travel Locations: Ireland
Course Description:
Based in Western Ireland, this course provides a survey of Earth Sciences in a global context. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and field exercises, we will explore fundamental geologic processes, the history of Earth, and modern issues informed by an interdisciplinary approach to Earth Science. In addition to learning basic principles and theory to understand Earth, we will also contextualize major contemporary topics including mineral resources, climate, and natural hazards. The goal will be to connect each student’s own course of study to the Earth Sciences through societally relevant topics.
HP 4155: Modern Japanese Society and Culture
Course Credits: 3
Instructor: Noah Miles
Modality: Study Abroad program
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: (H) Human Culture
A&S attributes: (G) Global
Application Deadline: TBA
Estimated Cost: TBA
Travel Dates:
Travel Locations: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima
Course Description:
HP 3050: Vatican Stories
Credits: 3
Instructor(s): Paul Flesher (Religious Studies ) and Caroline McCracken-Flesher (English)
Modality: Study Abroad *Students must be partcipating in UW Rome Semester Study Abroad Program*
Honors College Attributes: Honors Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: TBA
A&S attributes: TBA
Application Deadline: TBA
Estimated Cost: TBA
Travel Dates: Fall 2026
Travel Locations: Rome
Course Description:
Rome is the city of the popes—a claim that can be traced back for nearly 1900 years. Over those centuries, the popes have repeatedly staked their claim through the telling of religious tales and the creation of cultural art and architecture. Today, the popes are “limited” to Vatican City—a sovereign nation within the now “secular” city of Rome, the capital of the country Italy. Given its heritage and its present situation, how does the Vatican present itself?
This course will teach students how to explore the many layers of meaning in that question and the multiple ways that it has been answered through the centuries. It will accomplish this goal through the examination of Vatican Stories as told through cultural objects (paintings, statues, architecture, etc.) and defining stories. Students will learn to read and map the stories told by art and architecture against text, history and recent film and media. They will investigate the funding, patrons, dates, political and historical contexts of materials, and note and pursue the absences and emphases of this visual rhetoric. Assignments will advance student abilities in cultural data collection, management, analysis and presentation in multiple modes and to varied audiences.
