Global Learning Opportunities

Are you passionate about both learning and travel? Looking to combine them into an enriching global experience? Do you thrive on discovering new and diverse perspectives? 

Whether you're passionate about experiencing new cultures, expanding your global perspective, or enhancing your career prospects, U of GH offers dynamic ways to combine learning and travel. Explore our Semester Elsewhere program to study abroad and earn academic credits in destinations like the Netherlands, Austria, and Ireland. From international experiences to collaborative learning, discover how you can build your future while exploring the world.

We believe in preparing students for a global future, which is why our international partnerships are such a key part of what we offer. Through these collaborations, students have the chance to engage with different cultures, participate in exchange programs, and work on global projects. This not only enhances their academic experience, but it also helps students build critical skills like communication, problem-solving, and cultural awareness. 

The following global learning opportunities are available to all current U of GH students:

International Field Study Courses (formerly Study Abroad)

Join the University of Guelph-Humber’s AHSS*3500 International Field Study course in the summer semester and step out of the classroom to explore diverse cultures! You can choose from various countries, allowing you to customize your experience to your interests. Earn academic credit while gaining hands-on experience and making meaningful connections. Don’t miss this chance for an unforgettable journey with us!

Interested in learning more? Join one of our upcoming Information Sessions to learn more about the four International Field Study course options, program costs, eligibility requirements, and the application process. All sessions will cover the same information, so you only need to attend one.

Join us on any one of the following Information Sessions. All sessions will be held via MS Teams. Simply click on your preferred date and time below to register and join the session:

SUMMER 2027 COURSE OFFERINGS

International Field Study are 0.5 credit General Elective courses offered during the summer semester. All current UofGH students can apply for ONE of the courses below:

Euro Business & Cultural Innovation

This course involves a ten-day study tour where students engage in an immersive cultural and historical exploration of London and Paris, two of Europe's most influential cities. In London, students will experience the city through guided tours of landmarks such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace, along with visits to the Tower of London and Covent Garden. Cultural enrichment includes a theatre workshop, a West End performance, an afternoon tea, and a cricket lesson, encouraging students to reflect on the ways tradition and performance contribute to cultural identity.

 

In Paris, students will engage with French culture through a guided city tour of the Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Les lnvalides, and the Eiffel Tower. Interactive activities include a perfume- and cologne-making class, a hands-on art workshop, and a petanque lesson, complemented by exploration of the Marche des Enfants Rouges, one of Paris's oldest markets. Shared cultural experiences, such as traditional French dinners and a Seine River cruise, provide opportunities for reflection on community and heritage.

 

Throughout the course, students are encouraged to connect these experiences with broader themes of culture, tradition, and globalization. By analyzing how history, art, and everyday practices shape modern European societies, students will develop critical perspectives on identity, heritage, and cross-cultural exchange.

 

Course Director: Karey Rowe, Chair, Business

Food: From Soup to Nuts

Why did the taming of fire catapult humans to the top of the food chain? How did tomatoes – a new world crop – become an iconic staple of Italian cuisine and cultural identity? In what ways will global crises like climate change impact how and what we eat?

 

Rome and Tuscany, with their iconic, world-renowned dishes (Italy ranks third among countries with the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants), provide the perfect backdrop against which students will explore how and why food is a key ingredient in human history, including cultural identity, communications, economies and power structures.

 

Through lectures, tours and experiential learning activities such as tasting tours, cooking classes and visits to a winery, olive grove and the famed Boboli Gardens’ Lemon House in Florence, students will trace the history of food from our hunter-gatherer beginnings to today’s complex global food networks and “the camera eats first” online food culture. They will examine how what we eat shapes every element of our lives from family dynamics to global economies, share their own family and cultural food lore, propose informed approaches to tackling the issues of food security and sustainability.

 

Course Director: Kathy Ullyott, Chair, Media Studies

Histories of - and in - Greece

Since Sophia Loren charmed audiences in "Boy on a Dolphin" (1957), the Greek brand has been associated with several quintessential images promoted to entice tourists: olive groves, the Parthenon and white-washed buildings on sun-drenched islands. Beneath this pleasantly reductive picture lies a rich and contentious past inscribed in the country's architecture, monuments, art, dance, music, poetry and cuisine. This course introduces students to Greece's many histories, beginning with its touchstones: the Golden Age of Athens (480-404 BCE), the War of Independence (7821-1829 CE) and the anti-Axis resistance (7941-1944 CE).

 

Through tours, lectures and experiential learning activities, it explores often-suppressed Byzantine, Ottoman, Jewish, Roma, communist, migrant and refugee pasts. Students will examine how debates about textbooks, commemoration practices, secularism, cultural preservation, academic research and national identity reflect ongoing contests over Greek history. The course will challenge students to consider (i) why societies remember the past, (ii) how they decide which/whose pasts are worth remembering; (iii) how shared socio-historical narratives shape group identity; and (iv) what motivations drive the promotion of specific pasts.

 

Course Director: Vasilis (Bill) Molos, Chair, Liberal Studies

Inca Religion, Material Culture, and Colonial Legacies

This course explores the religious worlds of the Andes through the encounter between Inca traditions and Catholicism in Peru. With travel in Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley, the course asks how religious ideas, practices, and sacred spaces changed when Spanish colonizers introduced Christian institutions, images, and rituals into an already richly developed Andean sacred landscape.

 

Students examine Inca religion and culture through key concepts such as sacred geography (mountains, water, stone), huacas (a sacred object, place, or natural phenomenon believed to possess spiritual power), reciprocity and ritual obligation, and the relationship between religion and imperial power. They then investigate how Catholicism took root in the Andes—not only through official conversion programs and church building, but also through local adaptation, reinterpretation, and the creation of blended religious worlds. Particular attention is given to “layered sacred space,” where Catholic structures were built near or directly over major Indigenous religious sites, creating visible and enduring religious palimpsests.

 

The course treats architecture, landscape design, museum collections, and site planning as primary sources alongside academic scholarship. Core questions include: How did Inca sacred space communicate religious meaning? Why did colonial Catholic institutions occupy the same sacred centers? What forms of continuity and change emerged in practice? How do contemporary sites preserve, interpret, or reframe these layered histories?

 

Course Director: Danielle LaGrone, Instructor, Liberal Studies

ELIGIBILITY & ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
  • Academic suitability (all applicants must meet the admission requirement and be in good academic standing)
  • Completed and signed online application
  • Interviews - as needed
  • First deposit of $199 to EF Tours
  • Attend a mandatory in-person pre-departure orientation (May 3 or 4, 2027) prior to travel

Strongly considering applying? Attend an Information Session first. Learn more about the four course options, program costs, the application process, and which course best aligns with your interest and academic goals. Attend any one of the information sessions listed above.

Semester Elsewhere (Exchange)

Apply for an international exchange and earn academic credit while spending a semester abroad. The University of Guelph-Humber offers partnerships with schools around the globe, including in the Netherlands, Austria, and the United Kingdom, Spain, South Korea and Belgium. 

Below you will find all the necessary information relating to the University of Guelph-Humber’s International Exchange program.

Who is eligible to go on exchange?

Any University of Guelph-Humber student in good academic standing can participate in the Semester Elsewhere program.

What are the requirements?
  • Good academic standing
  • Minimum cumulative GPA defined by the host institution
Why is it beneficial to participate in the Semester Elsewhere program?
  • Experience a new culture while studying abroad
  • Gain a new global perspective
  • Opportunity to travel and see the world
  • Learn and grow personally and professionally
  • Build an international network
  • Develop your leadership skills
  • Learn new language skills
  • Discover possible international career opportunities
  • Form new and rewarding relationships
  • Great for resume
When can you go?

Student can participate in the international exchange program in the fall, winter, or summer semester.

Where can you go?
  • Avans University of Applied Sciences – Netherlands
  • University of Cumbria – United Kingdom
  • Hanze University of Applied Sciences - Groningen
  • Universidad de San Andres – Argentina
  • Haute Ecole Ephec  (Ephec University College) - Belgium
  • Soka University - Japan
  • Institute Quimic De Sarria Cets (IQS), Fundacio Privada - Spain
  • Management Center Innsbruck "MCI" – Austria
  • Pontifical Catholic University of Peru - Peru
  • Leuphana University - Germany
  • University Colleges Leuven-Limburg – Belgium
  • University of Ribeirao Preto - Brazil
  • Solbridge International School of Business - Daejeon, Republic of Korea
  • University of Ulster – Northern Ireland
  • University Center of Anj/Polis (aka UniEVANGELICA) - Brazil

Guelph-Humber students can apply to study elsewhere for a semester at any accredited university with Program Chair approval via a signed Letter of Permission. Semester Elsewhere is not limited to partner institutions, though students intending on studying at a non-partner institution will pay the host school's tuition and potentially higher international fees. Students must also conduct more research, as the chosen institution may be unfamiliar to Guelph-Humber administration.

What should you consider when choosing an exchange program/institution?
  • Courses available at host institution and their equivalency to a specific course within your current program
  • Host institutions academic dates and requirements
  • Availability of courses in the semester you intend to study abroad
  • Cost of living
How do I apply?

Step 1: Explore Your Global Opportunities

Exchanges are open to all GH students, but the Academic Institution available to you and the courses you can take abroad will depend on your program of study. Please see the list of institutions listed above to explore your options. 

Deadline to apply for Exchange programs varies. Please check the application deadline date for your host institution. We recommend you submit your applications by mid- to end April for Fall and mid- to late September for Winter. 

Step 2: Complete the Application and Letter of Intent

You can find the online application form here. This link includes detailed instructions on the application process, guidelines to writing a Letter of Intent, Terms and Conditions and the Application Form. You will also need to make an appointment with your Academic Advisor to get a Letter of Permission. Click here for more information on Letter of Permission.

Step 3: Complete the Interview

The Guelph-Humber Global team will review your application and letter of intent and invite you to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview is for our team to get to know you and to understand your reasons for studying abroad. Please review your Study Plan and Letter of Intent prior to coming to the interview.

What Happens Next?

All successful candidates nominated for a Semester Abroad will receive a notification of recommendation within 2 – 4 weeks after the application deadline. This notification will list the host institution you have been recommended to and information regarding next steps which will include (but are not limited to):

  • Cost & expenses: Costs will vary by country and the host institution. Please conduct some research to estimate the costs associated with your trip. Here are some of the major costs and expenses you should consider when deciding on an exchange program.
  • Tuition: Students participating in an exchange program generally pay tuition fees to the University of Guelph-Humber. In some cases, students currently pay tuition fees directly to the host institution. Please check the tuition fees requirements and deadline with your host institution. Students are responsible for other expenses such as books.
  • Accommodations: Students may have access to residence at their host institution. In general, the International office at all host institutions assist students in finding accommodations.
  • Travel: Your provincial health plan will probably not cover you the entirety of your medical expenses while travelling. Check if the host institution offers health coverage to visiting students. If not, we strongly suggest you to purchase a good, comprehensive, private health insurance before you go.
  • Other Fees: Students are responsible for any other fees such as visas, passport, and vaccinations not covered by your provincial health plan.
Humber's Global Summer School (GSS)

The University of Guelph-Humber offers students the opportunity to participate in Humber's Global Summer School, an immersive international learning experience that brings together students from around the world for academic, cultural, and professional development.

Participants engage in an intensive summer course while developing intercultural competencies, expanding their global networks, and gaining valuable international experience close to home

Details for the 2027 Global Summer School will be posted as soon as they become available. Keep checking this page for the latest updates!

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) 

The University of Guelph-Humber offers Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programs that connect our students with peers from around the globe. Through these online collaborations, students engage in meaningful projects and discussions, allowing them to gain diverse perspectives and cultural insights without the need for travel. This innovative approach enriches their learning experience, enhances their global competence, and helps them develop essential skills like communication and teamwork in a multicultural context. By participating in COIL programs, students not only broaden their horizons but also build valuable connections that can benefit their future careers in our increasingly interconnected world.

 

Have questions? Want to Learn More? We're here to help you explore your options and plan your global experience! Email us at global.learning@guelphhumber.ca