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Semester At Sea
Where you'll learn from visiting professors from institutions across the U.S. and abroad.
Semester at Sea®, administered by the Institute for Shipboard Education and academically sponsored by the University of Virginia, is a program that takes approximately 600 students, from colleges and universities across the United States and abroad, around the world each fall, spring, and summer semester. Since 1963, more than 45,000 students have studied and traveled to 60 countries around the world through this program. A regional 65-day summer program also takes students to countries in the Pacific Rim, Latin America or Europe and the Mediterranean.
Semester At Sea's campus is the MV Explorer, a 24,300-ton ship that has been equipped as a floating university. It includes classrooms with closed circuit television capabilities, a library, computer lab, student union and two dining rooms. It also includes a swimming pool, sports court and a fitness center. Cabins are available in double occupancy for students; single and double occupancy cabins are available for participants in the Continuing Education Program.
Students can choose from 70 lower and upper division courses in a variety of disciplines. Courses offered are accredited by the University of Virginia and are fully transferable to the student's home institution. Classes meet daily while the ship is at sea. The faculty is made up of visiting professors from institutions across the U.S. and abroad. They are internationalists who typically have had resident experience abroad, which enables them to integrate course content with countries on the itinerary. When in port students can choose from a wide range of structured travel opportunities that are developed by the Institute and the faculty. Students may also choose to travel independently. Each class has a field component requirement that the student must complete during the voyage. Activities in port can include home stays with families in the countries, visits to universities, travel to places of historic, cultural and religious significance, or simply free travel to experience life in the cities and rural areas. Port visits are generally three to five days long.
Also included in the shipboard community are up to 40 non-student adults participating in our Continuing Education Program. Semester at Sea also provides this alternative to travelers of all ages who are attracted to the concept of travel with educational content. Among these seasoned travelers are retirees, teachers on sabbatical, and others seeking personal or professional development. The academic program on board is made available to these participants, and most participate either formally or informally. They also become very involved in the shipboard community, relating well with the students, faculty and staff on board.
Semester at Sea offers two voyages each year that circumnavigate the earth, and one that is more regional in focus. The fall terms typically begin in Ensenada, Mexico, and end in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, while the winter/spring terms generally begin in Nassau, Bahamas, and end in Seattle, Washington. Our 100-day voyages around the world follow one of two possible routes; a southern itinerary follows a path around the Cape of Good Hope. This route has previously included Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa and Kenya. Another route north of the African continent travels through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. This itinerary is equally challenging and has included countries as diverse as Turkey, Croatia, Spain, and Egypt. Combined with visits to ports in Asian countries such as Japan, China, India, Vietnam and Malaysia, either voyage will provide for a truly remarkable cross-cultural experience. Our 65-day regional summer program takes students to countries within the Pacific Rim, Latin America or Europe and the Mediterranean.
Additional information may be obtained by writing to:
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Semester at Sea Contact: 1-800-854-0195 |
