Semester at Sea: A Comprehensive Voyage of Global Education
Semester at Sea (SaS) is a unique study-abroad program that offers undergraduates the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe while earning college credit. Founded in 1963, the program is managed by the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) in Fort Collins, Colorado, with Colorado State University serving as the current academic sponsor. Each semester, up to 600 students embark on a 100- to 110-day voyage, immersing themselves in diverse cultures and academic disciplines.
A Transformative Experience
The Semester at Sea program is more than just a study abroad opportunity; it's a transformative experience that fosters personal growth, cultural understanding, and a global perspective. As one participant noted, "You will be overwhelmed with new sights, smells, cultures, religions, and people." This immersion in new environments encourages students to keep "all your senses in max absorption mode" and show respect for diverse beliefs and customs.
For many, the voyage is a "coming of age experience," a time of increased independence and responsibility. As one former student reflected, "Simply put, this was the first time I was totally responsible for my actions. There was no parachute to rescue me if I screwed up." The challenges of navigating unfamiliar cultures and living in close quarters with a diverse group of people fosters patience, respect, and adaptability.
Academics at Sea
While on board the ship, students attend classes every day, with occasional Sundays off. The curriculum includes a wide range of subjects and disciplines, with a focus on humanities courses relevant to the countries visited. All students are required to take an interdisciplinary, core global-studies course. The program emphasizes global comparative education, connecting students with diverse peoples, patterns, cultures, and traditions around the world.
Students are required to take 12 to 16 units; for example, one student took 14.5 units, with three classes every day and a fourth class every other day. No classes are taught in port, allowing students to participate in Semester at Sea-sponsored trips or explore independently. In-Port Practicas are also a key part of the learning experience, with students averaging one to two per port. Before arriving at a port, students receive briefings on the local culture and societal rules. Guest speakers, including community leaders and American ambassadors, deliver lectures to students and faculty at the port of call.
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Colorado State University is the program's academic sponsor, but Semester at Sea is open to students from any university. All academic credits are earned through fully accredited CSU courses. The University appoints the academic dean from among its most accomplished faculty, oversees the curriculum, and approves course syllabi.
Semester at Sea offers an unparalleled educational program in partnership with CSU. The distinctive feature of Semester at Sea is the opportunity it affords students to engage in global comparative education.
Global Engagement Certificate
To address the global challenges of today and tomorrow, innovative problem solving derived from multiple perspectives and diverse backgrounds is necessary. The 12-credit interdisciplinary Global Engagement Certificate is designed to generate knowledge of global issues, international perspectives, sustainable development, and intercultural skills that can help to distinguish recipients of this certificate as individuals prepared to positively impact our world. A Global Engagement Certificate can complement careers in business, education, government, economics, nonprofit, media, travel, and health. This interdisciplinary certificate is only offered to students participating in Semester at Sea. It draws upon the Semester at Sea experience, unites the expertise of varied disciplines and further supports the intercultural competencies necessary to succeed in today’s global market.
Voyages and Itineraries
The program itinerary differs each semester, and the ship typically docks at 10 or 11 ports. Past voyages have explored a wide range of countries and regions, including:
- Nassau, Caracas, Salvador (Brazil), Cape Town, Mombasa, Chennai, Singapore, Shanghai, Osaka, and Hong Kong (early 1990s spring itinerary)
- Hawaii, Japan, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, and the Netherlands
- Netherlands, Poland, the Kiel Canal, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Morocco, Ghana, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, the Panama Canal, Ecuador, and Costa Rica (fall 2019 itinerary)
- Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, and Portugal (Summer of 2012 voyage)
The Semester at Sea program itineraries are built around international challenges, trends, and issues. Since 1963, more than 73,000 students from 1,700 colleges and universities around the world have studied with Semester at Sea.
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The Floating Campus
Semester at Sea has utilized a variety of ships as its floating campus throughout its history. These include:
- MS Seven Seas (formerly the USS Long Island)
- SS Ryndam
- SS Universe (formerly the SS Atlantic)
- SS Universe Explorer
- MV Explorer
- MV World Odyssey (formerly the MS Deutschland)
One ship, the SS Seawise University (formerly the RMS Queen Elizabeth), was intended for use by SaS but burned and sank in Hong Kong Harbour in 1972 during its conversion into a floating campus.
The Universe Explorer, which retired in 2005, had four main decks and a small swimming pool at the stern of the ship. The Seawise University, Universe, and Universe Explorer were supplied and managed by Tung Chao Yung's Seawise Foundation. In May 2015, a lease was announced for the ship previously known as the MS Deutschland to be renovated, re-flagged, and renamed the MV World Odyssey, operated by V-Ships.
Challenges and Adaptations
Like any global program, Semester at Sea has faced its share of challenges, including:
- Mechanical difficulties: The spring 1994 voyage on the SS Universe experienced several unscheduled stops and repairs, leading to a rerouting of the itinerary.
- Terrorism concerns: The fall 1997 voyage was rerouted due to terrorism concerns and a State Department travel warning for American citizens in the Middle East.
- Accidents: A student died in a 1993 hiking accident, and five students were killed in a bus crash during a field trip in India in spring 1996. In Bagan, Myanmar, a student died in Fall 2017 after falling from a temple.
- Weather: The MV Explorer weathered a combination of three storms in the North Pacific in 2005, resulting in damage to the ship and injuries to crew members. Typhoon Shanshan caused the MV Explorer to be rerouted in 2006.
- Global Health Crises: The Spring 2020 voyage avoided a number of countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring itinerary adjustments and additional safety measures. The Fall 2020 voyage was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic.
ISE has demonstrated a commitment to adapting to unforeseen circumstances and prioritizing the safety and well-being of its participants.
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Financial Aid and Accessibility
ISE offers a variety of need- and merit-based financial awards to make the program accessible to a wide range of students. Approximately 60% of Semester at Sea participants receive some type of financial aid.
Faculty and Staff
At the core of the Semester at Sea academic experience is a team of innovative, stimulating, and flexible educators who are passionate about global education. The unparalleled environment of Semester at Sea provides engaging shipboard courses in unique combination with field work. Past voyages have included internationally recognized experts on social movements and media, environmental systems, international business, intercultural communication, and world cinema, as well as a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and a Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year. With the world as their campus, Semester at Sea faculty teach in a global context and excel in the field of experiential learning.
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