Programs and Partnerships
Types of Programs
Faculty Led Programs
Each year Shepherd faculty members lead a number of short-term study abroad programs, either attached to courses during the semester or in the summer session. Most of these trips are between 1 to 4 weeks. Past trips have included destinations as varied as the United Kingdom, Cuba, Kenya, Guatemala, Italy, China, and Mexico. Trip details for summer are posted early in the spring semester.
Recent Trips: Summer 2023
- Celtic Roots and Global Appalachia Ireland and Cornwall Study Tour: Celtic Twilight and the Mists of Avalon (June 12-25, 2023)
- See pictures from 2022 here
- Europe: Ireland, France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland (HIST 360/ PSCI 432) (May 21-June 9, 2023)
- Between Ruins and Riches: Contemporary Guatemala in a Historical Perspective (HIST 399A / PSCI 424) (June 1-9)
- Kenya (EDUC 360 or EDUC 599) (June 4 to June 24)
Exchange with International Partners
Shepherd has exchange agreements with an number of universities in Asia, Europe, and Latin America which allow our students to spend a semester, year, or in some cases a summer taking classes with local students or other visiting students. While most classes are offered in English, language courses are available in most locations (Chinese, German, Japanese, and Spanish), and students with an advanced level of Spanish could take university-level courses in Spanish in other subjects. Students apply for exchange programs via the study abroad office.
Current partnerships include:
- Anáhuac University, Puebla, Mexico
- Hochschule Mittweida, Mittweida, Germany
- Nanhua University, Chiayi, Taiwan
- Osaka University of Commerce, Osaka, Japan
- Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
- University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland, UK
- Zurich University of Applied Science, School of Engineering, Zurich, Switzerland
You can learn more about the costs and majors supported by these programs here.
Direct Enroll Programs
Students can directly enroll with a foreign university for a semester and transfer these credits back to Shepherd. Recent destinations have included Austria, Costa Rica, England, Greece, and Spain. Please contact the study abroad office to discuss options.
Third Party Partner Programs
Shepherd has agreements with a number of different partners, including API: Academic Programs International, AIFS: American Institute for Foreign Study, CISAbroad, ISA: International Studies Abroad, Global Semesters, and KEI: Knowledge Exchange Institute, that allow access to a wide range of programs and destinations. We can also send students on some ISEP trips in coordination with West Virginia University. You can browse these programs here.
Ad-Hoc Exchange
It is possible to make your own arrangements to study abroad and transfer credit back to Shepherd, however, close coordination is required with the study abroad office, financial aid, and your academic department before your trip.
We gratefully acknowledge the U.S. Department of State and its administrative partner, Partners of the Americas, for the award of a Capacity-Building Grant for Undergraduate Study Abroad.