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Office of Education Abroad

Major Advising Page - Global Interdisciplinary Studies (GIS)

Study Abroad is encouraged and fits easily into the GIS curriculum. Not only does GIS require Study Abroad, it strongly encouraged that GIS students go to non-English-speaking parts of the world. The GIS department is critically aware of the dominant position of the US in global politics, economics, and cultural production and dissemination. Goals for students is to examine this position in relation to other global locations, which means any study abroad experience which enables students to observe and learn these dynamics of power, is deemed highly successful in the eyes of the GIS program.

Two required interdisciplinary team-taught courses and the two-sequence senior Capstone courses should be taken at VU. These constitute the core of the major, irrespective of specialization. The team-taught courses best showcase the interdisciplinary thrust of the major and the variety of disciplines and expertise of our faculty. There are no substitutes for these courses.

For most majors, study abroad courses in countries related to their specialization fulfill the electives in their majors.

Study abroad is a requirement for GIS majors: one semester or a summer program with a minimum length of 6-weeks.

By working closely with their academic advisor, students will have support in determining the best timing to embark on their study abroad experience. 

Search the OEA Course Approval History database to select from study abroad courses that have already been pre-approved for liberal education requirements and a growing list of technical courses.

The Course Approval History database is not all-inclusive and students can work with an OEA advisor to submit additional courses for review.

Don't forget - CLAS has a list of policies and limitations specifically focused on study abroad. Make sure you're aware of these as you plan your overseas experience.

Timing

Due to sequencing, students should work with their academic adviser to determine the best time to study abroad.  For GIS students, summer study abroad is possible after the first year through the end of junior year. Semester study abroad is possible anytime between the beginning of sophomore year through junior year.

Because of the two-sequence senior Capstone courses, it is not recommended to study abroad during Senior Year. Additionally, a student’s study abroad experience can help them in their thesis work, so it is recommended to study abroad before developing their thesis. 

GIS encourges high impact, immersive and experiential programming: full-language immersion, community engagement and cultural immersion is at the cornerstone of GIS' goals for students.  

Study abroad opportunities are not limited to formal instruction. Consider taking advantage of the unique research, internship, and fieldwork opportunities available through your study abroad program.

In the past, students have:

  • SIT
  • Fulbright recipients and their study abroad progarms
  • language immersion
  • Internships

GIS is comprised of three majors, namely, GlS (with eight specializations); Gender and Women's Studies (GWS), and Peace and Justice Studies (PJ). Students pursuing the GIS major are required to declare a specialization in one of the following interdisciplinary area studies. 

Explore the GIS study abroad opportunities, below!

Gender and Women's Studies *Coming Soon!

GIS: Africana Studies *Coming Soon!

GIS: Arab and Islamic Studies

GIS: Asian Studies

GIS: Cultural Studies

GIS: Irish Studies

GIS: Latin American Studies

GIS: Russian Area Studies *Coming Soon!

Peace and Justice Studies *Coming Soon!

Course Approval Database
Students should consult with the  OEA Course Approval Database  to view a full list of pre-approved courses for most programs. The Course Approval Database may not contain updated/new courses and students may need to submit additional courses for review and approval. Programs and universities are continually updating course offerings, so the program’s website will list the most accurate course offerings for the planned term abroad. 

It is important to plan ahead as it is not uncommon for scholarship deadlines to occur much earlier than Villanova or program application deadlines.

There are many scholarships available for students through Villanova University, our partner programs and other external sources, like the US Government. The OEA can help students with the scholarship search and application process. If a scholarship is found outside of the OEA scholarship page, students should have it reviewed by the OEA to determine if it is a viable option.

Browse the scholarships opportunities found on the OEA website.