All students (first years – seniors) are encouraged to consider participating on a short-term international experience with a Wheaton faculty member. Faculty-led program offerings vary from year-to-year, and generally take place over the January or summer break. Most programs are worth four Wheaton credits.
Student Eligibility
- 2.0 minimum GPA.
- Class standing (First year – Senior), depending on the faculty director.
- Good academic and social standing at Wheaton College as defined in the Student Handbook
- Prerequisite courses may be required depending on the faculty member and/or the course designation.
- Completion of an online Wheaton Faculty-led Program application.
Admission to the program is determined by faculty director and the Center for Global Education.
Current students can learn more and apply for programs using the link below (login required):
Study Abroad Application Portal
Financing
January and summer faculty-led programs require additional fees that vary by destination, and duration. These charges are applied directly to your Wheaton student bill. You may be eligible to fund this experience using a merit stipend or need-based financial aid. If you have an unused stipend or want to discuss aid options, please contact the Office of Student Financial Services to review your eligibility.
You may also apply for a Filmmaker in Residence position on some Faculty-led Programs. For more information and to see if this option is available, reach out to the Center for Global Education.
2026 Programs
Winter 2026
South Africa
Witnessing Contemporary African Society
Journey to South Africa and learn firsthand about the history, politics and culture of this dynamic country.
Location: Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa
Credits: 4 (AFDS 201)
Prerequisites: None
Program overview:
Witnessing Contemporary African Society is an intensive, interdisciplinary course designed to give students an exposure to and an overview of South Africa’s history and culture.
Course activities and assignments include writing critical reviews, short reflection papers, a digital story and an independent research paper; visits to townships, historic sites, neighborhoods and museums; interactions with residents and community leaders; participation in lectures and discussions facilitated by local scholars; and engagement in community service projects.
Summer 2026
Spain
Islamic Spain
Travel to Spain and Morocco and reflect on how the threads of history, culture, politics and the environment itself have woven into a rich tapestry that informs modern-day intersections of climate crisis and forced migration.
Location: Granada, Spain; excursion to Morocco
Attributes: Arts and Humanities, Global Honors, Structures of Power and Inequality, Sophomore Experience, Taylor and Lane (TL)
Credits: 4 (HISP 261)
Prerequisites: None
Program overview:
In this interdisciplinary course, students will learn about the development of Islamic culture in Granada and Córdoba, the transition to Christian political dominance and eventual elimination of Islam, and the current debate in Spain over North African immigration.
During this intensive summer course, students will be able to explore the political, social and economic aspects of this history, examine the intellectual and artistic developments and achievements that the civilization of al-Andalus reached, and look at its various contemporary meanings and legacies.
Through the engagement in public performances, music, photography, language and cultural and literary texts students will develop an ability to connect past, present and future through the creation of empathy and respect for those across oceans, cultures and borders.
Past Programs
- Costa Rica & Belize: Tropical Field Biology
- Ghana: Innovation and Social Change in Emerging Economies
- Iceland: Geology of Iceland (Summer)
- The Arts in Ireland
- Ecuador: From the Andes to the Amazon: Intersections of Culture, Food Systems and Biological Diversity
- New York City: German and Austrian Modernism and New York City
- Puerto Rico: Disaster and Reconstruction: A Field Course in Post-Hurricane Maria Reconstruction and Gender in Puerto Rico
- South Africa: Witnessing Contemporary African Society
- Tanzania: Education and Development
- Trinidad: Innovative Music Traditions of Trinidad (January)

















