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Program Modalities

Global Initiatives personnel advise faculty and departmental administrators on a multitude of options to internationalize their education and research endeavors as well as formalize their global partnerships and collaborations. Browse any of the following modalities to learn more about the opportunities available and next steps in developing one or more of these programs. 

Student Exchange Programs (Global Exchange)

Global Initiatives is one of the first departments in the UC system to successfully establish campus-based bilateral exchange programs for undergraduate students. Unlike the UC Education Abroad Program, these study abroad agreements are specific to UC San Diego students and do not charge additional administrative fees. Also referred to as Global Exchange Programs, these programs can be specific to a department, a major or minor, a school or extend to the entire campus.
 
Students can spend anywhere from one quarter to a full academic year abroad and the coursework is counted towards their degree or general education requirements. Students remain enrolled at UC San Diego, so they pay their normal tuition and fees and have their same financial aid package applied to their exchange period. 
 
For faculty, this is an excellent opportunity to facilitate student mobility between peer institutions with strong academic and research connections. International exchange students also have an opportunity to experience UC San Diego for consideration as a destination for a postgraduate degree. Global Initiatives and study abroad advisors do a majority of the recruitment and administrative processing; faculty are primarily responsible for assisting in curriculum articulation and promoting the opportunity to their students when possible. 
 
For any faculty interested in exploring a student exchange program, please email Courtney Giordano for an initial meeting and assessment. 

Collaborative Degree Programs

Collaborative degree programs are unique opportunities to matriculate graduate students from universities with strong academic and research synergies.
 
  • Dual degree programs are graduate degree programs in which students pursue graduate studies at two universities simultaneously, spending one full academic year at each institution. Students complete the required coursework for both degrees and graduate with two master's degrees in two years.
  • Sequential degree programs are designed so that students pursue a bachelor's degree program at a non-U.S. institution and then are subsequently matriculated into a master's degree program at UC San Diego.
For any faculty interested in exploring a collaborative degree program with a partner institution, please email Courtney Giordano for an initial meeting and assessment. 

Custom Training Programs

Global Initiatives coordinates and builds training programs on a particular theme or topic which leverages the subject matter expertise of campus faulty, staff and administrators. These are excellent programs for working professionals and K-12 students, and increase non-traditional international mobility to campus. 
 
For more information and examples of custom training programs, visit the Custom Programs resource page.

 

Faculty-Led Summer Programs (Global Seminars)

Study Abroad UC San Diego offers unique, cohort-based summer programs known as Global Seminars. These are five week summer programs (2 courses = 8 units) for undergraduate students taught by UC San Diego faculty in different countries around the world. They are enriching experiences for both students and faculty, involving both in-class instruction and local excursions. Faculty are compensated for teaching the courses through a base salary and a benefit package (including airfare, accommodation, per diem, health insurance and other incidentals).
 
If you are a faculty member interested in leading a Global Seminar, visit the Global Seminars Opportunities for Faculty information page. 

Cohort Concurrent Enrollment Programs

This inbound-only program allows non-matriculated students (students from other universities) to enroll in undergraduate and graduate courses, with credits transferable to their home institution. They are developed and delivered through academic units, with students admitted as non-degree students and granted a UC San Diego transcript by the Registrar. Students are required to pay non-resident tuition for the duration of their stay and enroll through courses via Extended Studies. 
 
Learn more about concurrent enrollment by reviewing Educational Innovation's Program Offerings. 

Embedded Study Abroad Programs

Global Initiatives and Study Abroad staff encourage faculty to add a global component to academic courses through the submission of proposals for an Embedded Study Abroad Program.
 
Embedded Study Abroad Programs are:
  • undergraduate or graduate courses taken at UC San Diego that include a credit-bearing, global field or travel component;
  • taught and led by UC San Diego ladder ranked faculty (or LSOE);
  • seven to ten day global experiences taught prior to the quarter when a course with complimentary content is taught;
  • an additional cost to the course, and require student enrollment in a specific section of the course;
  • not mandatory for all students enrolled in the course.
 
Embedded Study Abroad Programs are a useful vehicle to allow students to accrue credits towards a department’s Global Concentration.
 
If you are interested in pursuing an embedded study abroad program, please contact Jay Minert for an initial meeting and assessment. 

Collaborative International Virtual Exchange (CIVE)

Collaborative International Virtual Exchange, or CIVE, is a virtual teaching and learning model that facilitates interaction between UC San Diego students and academics with teachers and students from around the world. These projects are an accessible pathway for internationalizing course curricula and enhance global learning competencies through teamwork and intercultural communication. 
 
International studies show that online international collaborations like CIVE have a relevant impact on the personal and academic development of participants and that it is valued by various stakeholders, including faculty, students and employers. In addition, the involvement in CIVE projects enables teachers to: establish or strengthen international teaching and research partnerships, integrate innovative and challenging practices into their courses, convey an international dimension to learning, collaborate with peers, increase class dynamism, and improve student interest and satisfaction rates.
 
If you are interested in creating a CIVE program or component in your coursework, please contact Elizabeth Langridge-Noti for an initial meeting and assessment. 

Erasmus+ Teaching and Training Mobility Programs

Erasmus+ is the European Union's program to support education, training, youth and sport. Funding is available for students, staff and faculty from EU institutions to visit non-EU countries for short-term teaching, training, research and educational mobility opportunities.  In the 2021-2027 application cycles, the program places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transformations, and promoting youth participation in democratic life.
 
EU institutions are responsible for most of the administrative workload involved in applying to Erasmus+ funding. However, Global Initiatives collaborates with the European partner to execute the mobility and learning agreements. 
 
Contact Max Reinke if you are interested in pursuing an Erasmus+ agreement with a European partner.