Pack your bags, Griffins. Beginning in Fall 2025, first-year undergraduates will have a week-long immersive study away experience that’s included as part of a Westminster degree.

During your second year at Westminster, you’ll take a semester-long WCore Engaging the World class that includes an embedded study away experience during fall or spring break. The best part? It’s fully funded by generous donors so that every student can participate.

You’ll choose between domestic or international experiences that focus on engaging with the host community while remaining committed to socially responsible and sustainable travel practices. All of this is made possible through Westminster’s partnership with established service-learning program, IPSL Global Engagement.

Potential Classes

Study Global Health in Chinchiná, Colombia

The course will introduce students to public health concepts related to global health, including the role of globalization in the spread of illness, and the link between political, governmental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. In Colombia, you’ll explore a country with a rich cultural diversity, complex health system, and varied public health needs. With its urban-rural divide, Colombia faces both modern health challenges and long-standing issues, such as infectious diseases and the health impacts of displacement from armed conflict. The opportunity to engage with local health organizations will foster a deeper understanding of global health issues.

 group of students walking outside in Colombia

Enjoy World Music in Siena, Italy

Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, Siena provides an inspiring backdrop for exploring the diverse musical styles of global cultures. Siena’s vibrant art scene will provide ample opportunities to experience live performances in the city’s historic venues. Before and after the travel to Italy, the course offers a selective survey of the music of the indigenous and migrant populations of Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Middle East, Central and South America, and North America. You’ll examine the music itself, the people who make it, the instruments they use, and the complex ideas, behaviors, and processes that are involved in the production of this music.

 group of students wearing aprons and holding up rolling pins in a kitchen with cutting boards

Examine the Global Environment in the Sky Islands Borderlands

Visit to the Sky Islands region located near the U.S.-Mexico border  and explore this world biodiversity hotspot through the guidance and partnership of the Round River Conservation Studies. You’ll study the connection between conservation and culture while enjoying the wide-open spaces of southern Arizona. The class will compare and contrast the global nature of many environmental issues, their impacts on local communities, and ways those communities have responded to help understand how ecosystems respond to environmental stressors in an increasingly changing world. 

female hiking on a trail in the rocky desert

"Traveling ... was life changing and a really transformative experience. Not only did I get to meet and connect with some really amazing Westminster students, being able to explore the inner workings of these countries was something I will never forget."

Paris Pratt
'24