University of Virginia

Open to All Majors

Students from more than 70 different majors have studied on Semester at Sea. Semester at Sea offers 75-80 courses each fall and spring term, and 35-40 each summer term. The schedule always includes a good mix of upper- and lower-division courses. The language of instruction is English.  Below are course titles sampled from recent semesters:

African Studies

Intro to African Literature
Caribbean Literature

Anthropology

Intro to Cultural Anthropology
Field Methods
Anthropology of Religion
Food and Society
Myth, Symbol and Ritual

Art

Introduction to Art
Asian Art
Introduction to Drawing

Architecture

World Religious Architecture
World Cities

Biological Sciences

Marine Biology
Introduction to Animal Behavior
Biodiversity
Global Ecology
The Natural World

Business/Commerce

Intro to International Business
International Marketing
Business Law
Organizational Behavior
Human Resource Management
International Entrepreneurship

Communications

Intercultural Communications
Mass Media Processes
Introduction to World Cinema
Global Media
Nonverbal Communication

Drama/Theatre Arts

Survey of World Theatre
Acting I
History of Costume
Theatre and Ritual

Economics

Urban Environmental Economics
Comparative Economic Systems
Money and Banking
Economic Development
Theories of Money & Banking

Education

Globalizing the Curriculum
Introduction to Science Education
Education Around the World

Engineering

Engineering in Global Context
Materials and Manufacturing

English Literature

Poetry from Around the World
Women and Literature
Education Around the Globe

English Writing

Fiction Writing
Writing about Travel
Journal Writing
Shakespeare Around the World
Media Writing

Environmental Sciences

Global Environmental Politics
Global Ecology
Human Factors in Ecological Change

Geology

Fundamentals of Geology
Physical Oceanography

History

The West and the World
Modern African History
War in the 20th Century
Modern China
Contemporary India

Linguistics

English as a Global Language
Language Policy and Reform
Language and Society
Multilingualism and Second Language Acquisition

Mathematics

Elements of Discrete Math
Calendars Throughout History

Music

African Drumming (1 credit)
Introduction to World Music
Music in Southeast Asia
Gamelan (1 credit)
Technosonics
Ecoacoustics, Sites and Sounds

Philosophy

Introduction to Ethics
Philosophy of East and West
Philosophy of Religion
Biomedical Ethics

Physics

Physics for Mariners
Energy and the Environment
Physics Principles I and II

Political Science

Comparative Politics
American Foreign Policy
Globalization and International Politics
Government and Politics of Southeast Asia
Women in Politics
Science and Politics of Climate Change

Psychology

Psychology of Personality
Introduction to Social Psychology
Cross-Cultural Psychology

Religious Studies

Varieties of Religious Tradition
Religions of Asia
Islamic Thought

Sociology

Introduction to Sociology
Development and Globalization
Comparative Values
Comparative Social Stratification

Women’s Studies

Comparative Perspectives on Women
Women and Religion
Global Feminisms

All courses are three credits except where noted above. Not all courses are offered each semester. View current course listings»