Proposal Process

Proposal Process

Penn Abroad accepts new proposals for Penn Global Seminars each year. Proposers must have a faculty appointment within an academic department and be able to roster the course within a department or program. Seminars are offered at the undergraduate level only and cannot enroll graduate students. 

The proposal form includes four main sections: 

1.

Information about Faculty Leader(s)

2.

Course Description

3.

Travel Component Information

4.

Documents

Uploaded Syllabus to the Application Form

Signed Departmental Support Form

Review Roles and Responsibilities Document

Review Student Commitment Contract

Proposal Review

Penn Global Seminars proposals are reviewed each fall by a committee made up of Penn Global staff and representatives from each of Penn’s four undergraduate Schools. The committee looks to approve courses that fulfill the following criteria:

  • The faculty leader has significant experience and expertise in the program location 
  • The course aligns with strategic curricular or global goals of the department and School 
  • The course will provide value to students’ overall academic experience and will enrich and diversify their Penn education 
  • The topic of the course is interesting and accessible to a broad range of student backgrounds 
  • The proposed travel itinerary takes advantage of the specific location, including local people, sites, and cultures 
  • The proposed travel itinerary will add significant pedagogical value to the course 
  • The travel location is unique, well-suited to the topic of study, and offers the opportunity for significant cultural exchange and immersion 
  • The course has the potential to run every two years

Contact Us

Do you have an idea for PGS that you would like to discuss with Penn Global Seminars staff? Do you have a question about eligibility requirements or the role of a faculty leader? Let’s talk! Please reach out to pgs-abroad@upenn.edu to start the conversation. 

Faculty interested in leading a Penn Global Seminar are encouraged to sign up for our newsletter and indicate your interest in PGS. Joining our mailing list is also a great way to stay connected with updates from Penn Abroad.

Need Inspiration?

Take a look at these stories from Penn News Today covering recent Penn Global Seminars to see the impact of the program on the Penn student experience.

Penn Global Seminar offers a look at Italy’s Palermo in Empires, Migrations, and Mafia

As part of the spring course Domenic Vitiello of the Weitzman School of Design and School of Arts & Sciences led students on a trip exploring Sicily’s capital and its eras of colonization, imperial rule, Mafia, and migration.

A firsthand look at traditional Chinese medicine in Thailand

During a nine-day winter break trip, students in Jianghong Liu’s Penn Global seminar experienced and learned about practices like tea therapy, cupping, Qi Gong, and more.

China, UAE, and the Race to Stop Climate Change

A Penn Global Seminar looked at the driving forces behind China’s climate policy, and took students to the United Arab Emirates to see some of those decarbonization efforts in action.

Exploring Mongolia with an insider’s view, no luggage necessary

Students in Christopher P. Atwood’s Penn Global seminar on Mongolian civilization explored the capital and vast grasslands of Mongolia, meeting welcoming locals along the way.