The Global Center supports and provides graduate students with global education opportunities
We believe students who study abroad gain the unique insight and perspectives necessary to thrive as global citizens committed to positive change. Graduate students have the opportunity to engage with international communities, where they can collaborate with future teachers in post-colonial contexts, become immersed in experiential activities focused on critically responsive multicultural counseling, or see first-hand how globalization influences nonprofit and educational leadership, policy and practice.
20+ courses offered across six continents
1-2 weeks short-term program
Three credit courses fulfill the international requirement
Global Courses 2026-2027
Discover the exciting global opportunities available for the 2026–2027 academic year. From innovative study abroad courses to unique programs across disciplines, our offerings are designed to expand perspectives and inspire growth. Explore the full list of courses and find the experience that’s right for you.
Canada
Instructor: Dr. Hugo A. Garcia
Programs Open To: All graduate students in Leadership Studies
Travel Dates: October 27 - November 1, 2026
Location: Toronto, Canada
LEAD 581 Special Topics: Professional Development and Conferences
In this course, students will attend the International Leadership Association (ILA) conference in Toronto, Canada along with pre and post class sessions to become familiar with one academic culture related to Leadership Studies. ILA offers multiple opportunities to socialize attendees in broad professional and academic discourse. Students will have multiple opportunities to ask questions related to professional development and conference participation in general, and they will have opportunities to practice and receive feedback on presentations prior to the conference.
Netherlands and Denmark
Instructor: Lily Vistica, Licensed MFT
Programs Open To: SOLES graduate students enrolled in the MFT program
Travel Dates: July 17-24, 2027
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Copenhagen, Denmark
MFTS 595/7 MFT IN PRACTICUM
In the didactic portion of the course, issues relevant to the beginning clinician are addressed including refinement of interviewing skills and the application of treatments to specific problems. Students also receive group supervision and individual supervision based on videotaping and live observation of their clinical work. This course is linked to all seven student learning outcomes.
India
Instructor: Dr. Nedeljko Golubovic
Programs Open To: Students enrolled in either the Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling Programs
Travel Dates: March 21 - April 2, 2027
Location: Mumbai & New Delhi, India
COUN 547 Risk Assessment and Trauma Interventions in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
With a growing awareness of mental health and trauma issues, the country offers students the opportunity to explore a wide array of treatment approaches, encompassing both Western methodologies and traditional practices. This course would provide students with a unique opportunity to learn about the impact of both human and nature-caused traumatic events, explore the impact of contextual factors on treatment and overall well-being, and examine the cultural context that influences the conceptualization and framing of these experiences.
United Kingdom
Instructor: Dr. Leslie Boozer and Assistant Dean Linda Dews
Programs Open To: All master’s and doctoral students in the Departments of Leadership Studies and Learning and Teaching within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences.
Travel Dates: March 20-28, 2027
Location: Belfast, United Kingdom
LEAD 633i / EDUC 523i Education Systems in Post-Conflict Environments
The main objective of this course is to support students in an investigation into the equity challenges facing educators, students and policy makers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Paying particular attention to the role of education in perpetuating and/or ameliorating the conditions that exist in Belfast, this course investigates this largely segregated society from both a historical perspective as well as from within the context of this post-conflict era.
South Africa
Instructor: Dr. Rebekka Jez
Programs Open To: All graduate students
Travel Dates: January 7–19, 2027
Location: South Africa: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Ga-Mashashane & Pilanesberg National Park
EDTE 516 Changemakers in K-12 Education: National and International Perspectives
This course provides candidates an overview of critical areas relative to international education of diverse learners through supporting schools, educators, and students both here and abroad. The students will examine disabilities, language, medical history, trauma, and socioeconomic assets and challenges through the lens of culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy. The students will engage in learning activities to deepen their understanding through a comparison of South African and American school systems, implementing a Changemaking/service learning project, and experiencing cultural and societal aspects of South Africa.
Puerto Rico
Instructor: Dr. Cheryl Matias
Programs Open To: Students in the Departments of Learning and Teaching and Leadership Studies within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences.
Travel Dates: June 10-20, 2027
EDTE 579i “El Apago”: From Boricua Colonization to Rebirth in Puerto Rico
Much like the annexation of the Philippines during the 1898 Spanish-American War, so too was Puerto Rico. Sharing similar Spanish and American colonial histories, Puerto Rico continues, to this day, to be a territory of the United States whereby they are subject to taxation but have no right to vote unless they move onto the mainland U.S.. This unique economic, political, and national tutelage leads to unique migration patterns, imperialistic exportations and importations, and a colonial educational system. According to the 2023 Pew Research Center's analysis of the Census Bureau's American Community Survey data there is a little under 6 million Puerto Ricans on the mainland U.S. and in New York City alone at least 10% of the student population identifies as Puerto Rican. In California close to 220,000 Latinos identified as Puerto Ricans in 2014. As such, the study of Puerto Ricans, their culture, language and history is warranted.
South Africa
Instructor: Dr. Saundra Tabet
Programs Open To: Students enrolled in either the Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling Programs.
Travel Dates: January 8-20, 2027
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
COUN 505 Human Development
Cape Town provides a relevant context for a graduate-level human development course because the region reflects the interplay of biological, psychological, sociocultural, and systemic factors that shape development across the lifespan. For counseling graduate students, these realities offer a living classroom where theoretical concepts such as risk and resilience, attachment, trauma, sociocultural identity development, lifespan transitions, and the biopsychosocial model can be observed within real community systems. By engaging directly with community partners working in child welfare, education services, HIV-impacted communities, and counseling settings, students encounter both the challenges and the strengths rooted in South Africa’s sociopolitical history.
Vietnam
Instructor: Dr. Marcus Lam
Programs Open To: All graduate students
Travel Dates: January 11-22, 2027
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
LEAD 579i Civil Society and the INGO Sector in Vietnam
Vietnam serves as a compelling case study to examine these dynamics within a rapidly developing, single-party regime. As the country opens further to globalization and international aid, the Communist Party of Vietnam faces unique challenges in maintaining authority over health and social service provision, education, and civic discourse. In this global study class, students will explore the scale, scope, and primary leadership and management challenges confronting the domestic nonprofit and international non-governmental organizational (INGO) sectors in Vietnam. Specifically,this course combines on-campus pre-sessions with immersive field travel to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). In HCMC, students will engage with leaders of various INGOs that work on issues ranging from community health and human trafficking to education and social entrepreneurship. This is a unique opportunity to explore the rich social, cultural, and policy context of one of only five remaining Communist regimes in the world through the lens of civil society and the INGO sector.
Jamaica
Instructor: Dr. Catherine Griffith
Programs Open To: Students enrolled in either the Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling Programs.
Travel Dates: June 7-21, 2027
Location: Falmouth, Jamaica
COUN 515i Multicultural Counseling
This course examines intercultural counseling, with an emphasis on being culturally responsive for counseling in clinical mental health and school/higher education settings. Students are introduced to academic and experiential activities designed at increasing self-awareness as well as intercultural counseling skills. Strong emphasis is placed on insight gained into one’s own cultural socialization and biases. A wide range of exercises and reflection activities are used in order to increase empathy, skills, research, and understanding needed for delivering counseling services to diverse clinical populations.
Jamaica
Instructor: Husani Whitlock
Programs Open To: SOLES graduate students enrolled in their first year of the school or school-based clinical counseling program
Travel Dates: June 7-21, 2027
Location: Falmouth, Jamaica
COUN 510i Career Development Across the Lifespan
This course introduces theories and methods for providing career counseling, programs, services, and resources to various school and community settings. Participants will learn about and reflect upon the role of work throughout the ages and how work is a central theme within the lives of many people. The course provides opportunities for participants to discuss and integrate modern career counseling theories into their future practices. Jamaica's unemployment rate is ranked among the highest unemployment rates worldwide. Understanding the economic and education landscape of Jamaica provides students with a rich learning experience to develop awareness of how the economy and education plays a vital role in the career development process across the lifespan for individuals.
Spain
Instructor: Dr. Kimberley A. White-Smith
Programs Open To: This program is only open to EdD in Organizational Leadership Students within SOLES
Travel Dates: February 6-13, 2027
Location: Madrid, Spain
LEAD 680 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership
This course examines the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in organizations. Students will explore strategies for fostering inclusive cultures, addressing unconscious biases, implementing equitable policies and practices, and leveraging diversity as a competitive advantage.
United Kingdom
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Yzaguirre
Programs Open To: SOLES graduate students enrolled in Marriage Family Therapy program
Travel Dates: March 19-26, 2027
Location: London, United Kingdom
MFTS 532i Human Diversity in Family Therapy
This course explores and addresses topics related to diversity, power, privilege, and oppression as they pertain to various social identities, including but not limited to race, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, disability, health status, religious or spiritual beliefs, and nation of origin (COAMFTE, 2021). Emphasis is placed on understanding multiculturalism and social justice in the context of working with diverse, international, marginalized, and underserved communities. Students will develop fundamental awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to promote intentional efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within couple/marital and family therapy (C/MFT). This course aims to empower students to become social agents of change, embracing the complexities of living in a diverse, majority-minority society with varied cultures, identities, and worldviews.
Study Abroad
At Home, Around the Globe
Participation in a study-abroad program is a special opportunity to have a deeply meaningful learning experience that complements the liberal arts education at USD. See the options that USD offers around the world.
Student Reflections
As a SOLES graduate student, you have the opportunity to interact and engage with other cultures while earning graduate credit for your degree. Explore the different experiences and adventures our graduate students have shared.
Experiences in South Africa
My time in South Africa was definitely a highlight during my time at SOLES! The sightseeing adventures we went on, the food we ate, and the community work we completed all made for an amazing trip and learning experience.
– Irma, MA in Higher Education Leadership
Experiences in Australia
Don't hesitate to apply! It has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had in the program academically and personally. You become immersed in the course you are there for due to the trip's hands-on nature and you become closer to your classmates.
– Jasmin, MA in Counseling
Experiences in Belfast
My trip to Belfast was life-changing in ways that I never could have imagined. Everything shifted as a result of our week together: my thinking, my understanding, and my view of the world, including our shared history, educational systems and personal identity. Looking back, I can't imagine having NOT gone to Northern Ireland during my time here at SOLES.
– Lauren, PhD in Leadership Studies
Experiences in Australia
One of the greatest things I took away from the Australia study abroad trip was seeing the world through a different lens/perspective than what I'm used to. I got the chance to see how substance use and addiction are treated in a foreign country and had the ability to compare and contrast their model of treatment with ours in the United States. Additionally, I got to extend my learning about trauma, ethics and addictions by attending an international conference which was an absolutely amazing experience!
– Carolyn, MA in Counseling
Experiences in South Africa
Traveling to South Africa with Dr. Jez was a life-changing experience and has been a highlight of my doctoral program. During this truly immersive experience, we had the opportunity to interact in the classroom around culturally-responsive educational practices with elementary school learners and university students, as well as educators and university professors.
– Cristina, PhD in Leadership Studies
Experiences in Japan
During my study abroad experience, I became interested in the coping mechanisms the people in Japan used in the aftermath of the major disasters they endured. As we visited different cities and interacted with survivors, I realized that people, regardless of our cultural backgrounds, have such incredible strength to survive even in the face of horrific catastrophes.
– Emily, MA in Counseling
Experiences in Argentina
One of the unexpected learning outcomes of my experience in Argentina was the impact of relationship building. We had so many amazing formal meetings set up for us however my favorite experiences were the ones that were informal, such as the executive director from MALBA inviting us to an exhibit opening night. We got to talk to artists and get to know the executive director on a more personal level and talk about possible job opportunities and partnerships. It was a night full of laughter and relationship building.
– Caitlyn, MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management
Experiences in Belfast
Every new SOLES student should run, not walk, to participating in a Global Studies program like the one in Belfast about the role of the educational system in a post-conflict community. For me, this was a powerful educational immersion with fellow students. There were none of the usual daily distractions, only reflection and then more and deeper immersion into the experience. When I got home, I had visited an amazing country, learned from the people there, and had a dozen new friends on campus.
– Peggy, PhD in Leadership Studies
Experiences in Argentina
This experience marks my third Global Study course through SOLES, no disappointments yet! This experience in particular really solidified it for me, but it is incredibly fascinating how SOLES and their faculty do a really great job with cultivating these relationships across the world — having the opportunity to chop it up with prominent leaders in Argentina's social sector, US diplomats and UN leadership, who can say they've done that?? The learning that happened on the trip reaches far beyond reading textbooks or writing papers, this experience was a holistic developmental adventure that we (and other Global Studies students) are so very fortunate to have had!
– Novien, PhD in Leadership Studies
Experiences in Japan
It was a life changing experience that I will cherish forever. I truly don’t think there is anything quite like this trip.
– Monica, MA in Counseling
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