Semester at Sea offers up to 75 courses across several disciplines of study that reflect the expertise of the faculty member and the itinerary. Students may choose courses that align with their majors or explore a new field of study that interests them.
Advisors & Faculty
Academics
Your students can sail the world, become global citizens, and take part in a world-class academic program that supports their goals.
Our Mission:
Journeys of Discovery that Spark Bold Solutions to Global Challenges
Semester at Sea has served as a pioneer in multiple-country, comparative education for more than 57 years. Global comparative education is a form of international study that identifies and connects the world’s people, patterns, cultures, and traditions. Throughout the semester, disciplines and thematic issues are viewed cross-culturally and from a global perspective.
Semester at Sea students are bright, thoughtful, and involved young thinkers, eager to gain a deeper understanding of the world. Students of all majors and backgrounds have found that the academic program not only fits the requirements of their majors but also goes far beyond that to magnify their knowledge of the world and their commitment to global understanding.
Our Academic Partner
On June 1, 2016, Colorado State University (CSU) became the academic partner for Semester at Sea. Founded in 1870 as a land-grant institution, CSU combines intellectual classroom pursuits with hands-on experience in the field and laboratory — similar in approach to the Semester at Sea global comparative experiential learning model. As the recipient of the 2013 Senator Paul Simon National Award for Outstanding Campus Internationalization, its significant role in the founding of the Peace Corps, and its emphasis on the importance of diversity and global education, CSU is an ideal partner for the SAS program.
As Academic Partner, Colorado State University:
Appoints the Academic Dean
Approximately two years prior to launching each voyage, a distinguished faculty member is selected to serve as Academic Dean. Criteria include demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and publications, as well as administrative and international experience.
Approves all Faculty and Course Syllabi
Academic Deans review faculty applications, interview selected candidates, and discuss specific courses to be included in the curriculum. Faculty credentials and the syllabi they develop with the guidance of the Academic Dean then undergo a comprehensive review process by the appropriate academic department at Colorado State University.
Issues Course Credits and Transcripts
Semester at Sea students enroll in 10-15 semester credits on Fall and Spring voyages. All academic credit is awarded by Colorado State University, and an official CSU transcript documenting the letter grades earned is provided at the end of the semester.
Acquires and Maintains Library Resources
Approximately two years prior to launching each voyage, a distinguished faculty member is selected to serve as Academic Dean. Criteria include demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and publications, as well as administrative and international experience.
Maintains Overall Academic Standards
Academic Deans review faculty applications, interview selected candidates, and discuss specific courses to be included in the curriculum. Faculty credentials and the syllabi they develop with the guidance of the Academic Dean then undergo a comprehensive review process by the appropriate academic department at Colorado State University.
Intentional Learning Community
At the core of the Semester at Sea academic experience is a team of innovative, stimulating educators who are passionate about international education. Each voyage is unique as innovative leaders, faculty, and administrators from around the world join our communities. These teams are thoughtfully recruited and onboarded in the two years prior to a voyage launch with the goal of creating the ultimate intentional learning community in which Semester at Sea students thrive. The home office staff of the Institute for Shipboard Education serves as both a guiding organization and an extension of the shipboard teams throughout the voyage.
World-Class Faculty
Semester at Sea attracts nationally renowned, award-winning faculty. Faculty members hold doctorates or other terminal degrees from accredited universities and have international experience and expertise in one or more of the regions visited on a given voyage. Most faculty have been honored with teaching and advising awards at their home institutions, and many have also been recognized at the national and international levels.
With the world as their classroom, Semester at Sea professors teach in a global context and excel in the field of experiential learning. Almost without exception, faculty members find the voyage to be so professionally and personally rewarding that they apply to sail again.
Voyage Leadership Team
Every voyage sails under the leadership of an Executive Dean, Academic Dean, and Dean of Student Life. The Executive Dean is the chief administrator of the voyage, while the Academic Dean oversees faculty and curricula. The Dean of Student Life promotes and ensures student learning and development in a safe, inclusive community.
Shipboard Staff
Semester at Sea voyage staff focuses on developing a dynamic and synergistic relationship between academic instruction and co-curricular learning. Our voyage staff includes a student life team, medical and mental health team, and an in-country Field Program team.
Interport Lecturers & Students
Interport lecturers and students are visiting members of the shipboard community that join a voyage for 1-2 segments between countries. While aboard, they enrich the curriculum and extracurricular activities with their specialized knowledge.
Interport lecturers vary each voyage and can include experts in the upcoming country or region, entrepreneurs, diplomats, authors, and artists. During their time on board the ship, they guest lecture in the classes, give interactive presentations about cultural or geographical topics of significance, participate in informal discussions over meals, host crash courses in local languages, and inspire students toward future career paths.
Interport students are typically also enrolled in university and are natives of the country into which the ship is sailing. While on board, they attend classes alongside our Semester at Sea students and help orient voyagers to the unique and diverse cultural elements of their home country.
Shipboard Classrooms and Resources
The Semester at Sea floating campus has been retrofitted to include the educational resources of a land-based institution, including state-of-the-art classrooms, a library, a writing center, access to online resources, and a computer lab. The ship environment further engages the students in other aspects through recreational spaces, including a swimming pool, theater, gym, table tennis court, and basketball/volleyball court.
Our Curriculum
A History of Amazing Speakers
Semester at Sea has long-standing relationships with leading international universities, businesses, and individuals who bring renowned world scholars and lecturers into the classroom. World figures, leaders, and Nobel Laureates have been a part of many Semester at Sea voyages.
Notable Lecturers and Guests Have Included:
- Fidel Castro, former Cuban President and Prime Minister
- Anwar Sadat, former Egyptian President
- Indira Gandhi, former Indian Prime Minister
- Mikhail Gorbachev, final leader of the USSR
- Corazon Aquino, former President of the Philippines
- SHRM King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco
- HRH Moulay Rachid, Prince of Morocco
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate
- Mother Teresa, Nobel Laureate
- Nelson Mandela, First President of South Africa, Nobel Laureate
- Arthur C. Clark, Author of 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Pete Peterson, First U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam
- C.H. Tung, first Chief Executive of Hong Kong after British colonial rule ended in 1997