Program at a Glance

Exploring the World with Semester at Sea

Semester at Sea circumnavigates the globe on our floating campus—the MV Explorer—during our 100-110 day fall and spring semester voyages. We also offer a 65-70 day summer voyages to distinctive regions of the world such as Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim, or Europe and the Mediterranean. Built in 2002, the MV Explorer is state-of-the-art and one of the fastest, safest and most technologically advanced passenger ships in the world.

What Your Students Will Gain Through Semester at Sea

• The awareness of how interdependent contemporary societies are and what we must do to coexist effectively in the world.
• The insight and background to better understand and interpret international problems and conflicts.
• An enhanced understanding of his/her own culture through contrast with others around the world.
• Personal growth by living and learning in a closely integrated shipboard environment.
• Interaction with people from both developed and emerging nations whose cultures have shaped the modern world.
• An enhanced educational resume through our comparative studies program sponsored by the University of Virginia and administered by the nonprofit Institute for Shipboard Education.

Priority Number One: Health and Safety

Of course, the health and safety of your students is priority number one for you. And we want to assure you that it is for Semester at Sea as well. After more than 90 voyages, we make it our business to be the experts on the constantly changing health and safety issues for shipboard education and are proactively working to ensure that our program is one of the most safe in the field of study abroad.

The Academic Program—A Classroom With No Boundaries

• The highly ranked University of Virginia (U.Va.) is the academic sponsor of Semester at Sea.
• As academic sponsor, U.Va. grants academic credit for participation in Semester at Sea courses.
• A U.Va. academic transcript will be provided to facilitate credit transfer to your university.
• The courses taught aboard the ship examine global issues in the comparative context of the nations that are visited during the semester.
• The on-board class sessions are augmented by participation in off-ship field programs while in port.

The International Field Program

The ship is the campus for traditional classes and study, and the world is the academic laboratory where students will earn 20% of their grade for each class. This integration of classroom and international fieldwork allows Semester at Sea to create a dynamic learning environment for comparative studies unmatched on a traditional land campus.

One of the reasons why Semester at Sea is such an extraordinary comparative studies program is because of the length of stay in each stop on the itinerary—usually 4-6 days in each of the 10-12 ports of call—which allows for a much more in-depth exploration of the cities and countries your students will visit during their particular voyage. And our International Field Program actively involves them by offering organized trips, excursions, and unique educational experiences ranging from visits to the most significant historical and cultural sites to more personal "home stays" with local citizens and visits with students from local universities. Of course, student participation in the field program is geared to their specific interests, travel experiences, and budget.

At Semester at Sea, we understand that study abroad is not only about where your students go—it is also about the people they meet and the cultures they encounter.

More Than 90 Voyages and Counting...

Throughout our 40+ year history, our voyage participants (now numbering more than 45,000) have studied and traveled to the world's most significant and historic wonders, met with world leaders and dignitaries as well as local citizens, and enjoyed person-to-person connections that have left them indelibly transformed into citizens of the world.

We invite you to further explore the opportunities for your students to sail with Semester at Sea and we promise you—as their study abroad advisor—an experience that will be one of the most important and enriching of their lives.

Read more about Semester at Sea's History.

Program Value and Benefits

Semester at Sea is a leader in global study abroad Education. Read more about why Semester at Sea is the best.