The International Field Study Experience is a course that gives graduate students the chance to collaborate with international organizations — both remotely and in person — to solve real business challenges, while building their own skills and global network. The program is a great option for graduate students who want an experiential learning opportunity but are unable to participate in co-op because of work or family commitments.
The Spring 2020 program includes a 12-week, four-credit online course in which students learn theory and collaborate remotely with a team, plus one week in London to apply their knowledge in the role of consultant for a wind energy project.
“The International Field Study program to me was a priceless experience,” says Global Studies and International Relations 2019 graduate Paul Anthony Chin. “I learn best by doing and throwing myself into activity, and the International Field Study Experience was perfect for that.”
The London trip includes meetings with notable innovators who will share their ideas for sustainable energy solutions. Students will also visit Northeastern’s new London campus, meet with the Economics Officer at the U.S. Embassy in London, and participate in activities such as a theater show and group tea at Harrods.
Participants must be College of Professional Studies graduate students with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least 24 completed quarter hours by the beginning of the Spring 2020 quarter. To apply, students need to register for the course (INT 6900) for the spring semester; registration opens February 6. Students must also submit their application for the program to class instructor Fiona Creed by February 17. The course counts as a Global Studies capstone option, satisfies the global requirement in the M.Ed. program and counts as an elective course in several other programs.
The International Field Study course led Barbara Alcena, a student in the master’s program in Global Studies, to a path of self-discovery. “My experience during the International Field Study program definitely gave me a lightbulb moment that I didn’t know I had in me,” she says. “I saw a creative side, an innovative side, that can go far and create products for the greater good of humanity.”
Zach Fembleaux, a master’s in Global Studies candidate, also found the program transformative. “This trip provided me with a greater understanding of my position in the world, and also how we as humans all share a universal identity independent from our nationality, political views or social traits,” he says. “I had experienced this before when traveling to other countries and working in an international sector, but the International Field Study Experience reaffirmed that feeling with its support for the global community.”