UNE Travel Courses
Faculty-Led Study Abroad
Faculty-led short term travel courses are another way to study abroad. Students and faculty meet throughout the semester to prepare for travel academically and practically through readings, lectures, and coursework. Travel takes place during a semester break or summer.
Many of the travel courses fulfill requirements of the Latin American Studies minor.
Application Process
Enrollment in a faculty-led travel course requires submission of an application to the Global Education Program in Decary 126.
Application form
Students are encouraged to apply for a Global Education Scholarship when applying for a faculty-led program.
Scholarship application
Ghana Immersion in Healthcare
Dr. Jennifer Morton
The program offers two immersion experiences per year enabling students to work alongside Ghana Health Service, Community Health Educators and the community. Since 2008, UNE students, faculty and staff have been part of this long established partnership in the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi Ghana, West Africa. Participants engage in direct health services, interprofessional collaboration, community education, and academic and cross-cultural exchange. Learn more
Caribbean Sustainable Development +
Global Citizenship
ENV 376:ADV + CIT 420
Dr. Thomas Klak
Students will study throughout the Fall semester on campus, then travel to Dominica for two weeks in January to experience first-hand the challenges of, and progress toward, sustainable development in the self-proclaimed "Nature Island".
Components of the course include exploration of tropical island ecosystems, engagement with Dominican partners who are working to achieve sustainable development, and hands-on participation in development projects.
ENV 376 + CIT 420 are open to sophomores, juniors and seniors, and fulfill Advanced Studies and the Citizenship core requirements. Brochure
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Health science majors will find the following of particular interest. Dominica has
- Among the highest number of centenarians per capita on earth
- A way of life that includes bush teas, herbal medicines and traditional remedies
- Rivers and streams clean enough to draw drinking water
- Per capita health expenditure of only $487
Marine Topics: Coral Reef Studies
BIO 421
Dr. Jeri Fox
Dr. Fox presents an in depth study of the biology and taxonomy of corals while examining the ecology of the coral reef system, and the future of reefs. The course concludes with a field lab carried out entirely on the reefs of Belize in January. Students snorkel in the beautiful lagoons of Ambergris Caye, the Hol Chan and Bacalar Chico Marine Reserves. The group is housed in a remote field station on the northern tip of Ambergris Caye with access to the reef ecosystem, mangroves, sea grass beds, and jungle. Brochure
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Global Citizenship
CIT 420
Dr. Steven Byrd
This extraordinary service-learning course explores the complexity of Peruvian Andean culture and provides students the opportunity to participate in volunteer work with a healthcare focus. Students will embark on a two week journey into one of Latin America's most fascinating cultures, the Incas, and conclude the trip with a visit to Machu Picchu. In Cusco, Peru, the royal city of the Inca Empire, students will attend classes at Centro Tinku studying Spanish, basic Quechua (the language of the Incas) and Peruvian culture and history. Brochure
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Environment, Health, and Community Dev. in East Africa
ENV 348: ADV
Dr. Richard Peterson
Dr. Peterson's course introduces students to the history of Kenya and the environmental, health and community development challenges it is facing today.
During the three-week field lab in Kenya, students will be introduced to the incredible people and organizations that are working to tackle these complex issues, and have the opportunity to work alongside them. The field lab includes lectures at the University of Nairobi and the National Museums of Kenya, a visit to Nairobi National Park, exploration of the capital city, a trip through the Great Rift Valley to Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria, hands-on learning with a variety of community service, health, environmental, research and government organizations, weekend home stays with Kenyan families, and a 2-day safari in Masai Mara National Reserve.
Students will attend class throughout the spring semester and travel to Kenya late May. Brochure
For more information, please contact Sandra Larned in the Global Education Program, Decary 126.
Environmental Physiology
EXS 430
Dr. Lara Carlson
Dr. Carlson invites students to consider this course which examines the various forms of environmental stress and how the human organism responds physiologically to them. Students will study how physical performance is affected by environmental stressors such as heat, cold, hypobaric, hyperbaric and the microgravity environments both in lecture and in the laboratory component.
EXS 430 is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors with particular interest in human physiology or health science. Pre-requisite: BIO 209
The course culminates with a one week field lab in which students gain hands-on experience studying acute thermal exposure on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In previous years, students have conducted research at high altitude in the Rocky Mountains, and in extreme cold in Iceland. Dr. Carlson is currently investigating the possibility of conducting the Spring 2014 field lab in Tangier, Morocco.
Conservation & Ecology of a Caribbean Island
BIO 421
Dr. Jeri Fox
This course will cover topics in history and geology of the Caribbean with an emphasis on the island of Boca del Toros in Panama and will include topics such as terrestrial, island and marine biodiversity, and the ecology and evolution of populations. Discussions will include the impact of an agriculturally-based economy versus a tourist economy on the environment in general and the reef in particular. The course will examine NGOs and international environmental treaties, and focus on particular national and international conservation approaches using the Caribbean as an example. Other topics include community-based management and local wildlife policies, the history of the establishment of a rainforest as a natural preserve, ethnobotany, and the natural history of the region.
The course will culminate with 10 days of travel and field work in Panama at the end of May. Activities in Panama include snorkeling on reefs, canopy access training, caving, a tour of the Panama Canal Zone, and lectures by the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation faculty. Brochure
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Spring Break 2014
Global Citizenship
CIT 420
Donna Gaspar Jarvis
Students in this course will spend spring break in the Dominican Republic teaching English to children in the small community of Monte Cristi. They will work with the grassroots community organization Outreach 360, and the course will satisfy the UNE core curriculum Citizenship requirement. The program is of particular interest to Education majors, Latin American Studies minors, and students wishing to increase Spanish language skills, though Spanish is not a prerequisite. Volunteers are responsible for developing and facilitating curriculum, and creating learning games and activities to engage children ages preschool through high school.
Through evening programs, discussions and films, UNE students will have the opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of the Dominican Republic. They will also have the opportunity to visit the Dajabon market on the Haitian border and explore a beautiful beach in the El Moro National Park. Brochure from 2013
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Galapagos Islands
Spring 2015
Natural History and Evolution of the Galapagos Fauna
MAR 451
Dr. Kathryn Ono
Imagine earning advanced biology credits while cruising aboard a private yacht in the Galapagos Islands. This 4-credit course meets throughout the Spring semester on the University's Biddeford campus, followed by travel to Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Archipelago, May 21-31, to cruise throughout the islands and conduct the field lab. Brochure from 2013
The lecture portion of the course is designed to familiarize students with the biota of the Galapagos Islands, as well as island history, ecology, and the behavior and evolution of the animals that inhabit them.
Following the success of the 2009 and 2011 expeditions, the course is now being offered every other year. Students trace the steps of Charles Darwin whose 1831 exploration of the archipelago inspired his revolutionary theory of evolution. While exploring the islands, UNE students have encountered blue-footed boobies, Galapagos tortoises, marine iguanas, sea lions, and Antarctic penguins. 2009 Expedition blog
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Global Citizenship
CIT 420
Dr. Paul Burlin
Dr. Paul Burlin, who has lived and taught in Brazil, accompanies students on this extraordinary service-learning course which fulfills the Citizenship core curriculum.
The program includes classes at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte on the history of Brazil and an introduction to the Portuguese language. Students spend four days volunteering in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Brochure from 2013
Fulfills the travel requirement of the Latin American Studies minor.
Resources for UNE Faculty
Faculty interested in leading a short term study abroad program should contact Emily Dragon, Director, Global Education Program. There are guidelines that must be followed and all of the information on submitting a proposal can be obtained from Global Education Program staff. Proposals for new faculty-led Travel Courses are strongly encouraged. Grants are available through the Global Education Program for faculty to research new destinations with the end goal of developing a future travel course for students. Here is the application for a Faculty-Led Course Development Grant.
Global Education Program
Decary 126
University of New England
11 Hills Beach Rd.
Biddeford, ME 04005
207-602-2051
207-602-5980 fax
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