Featured programs

Summer Quarter 2025

India: Population Health in a Cultural Context

• Led by Linda Eaton and Jamie Shirley, NHS (12 credits)

This program will provide students with an experiential learning opportunity while examining how resource limitations and the social determinants of health intersect with population health. In collaboration with the Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore in southern India, students will have to opportunity to work in the community through College of Nursing Community Health (CONCH) programs to explore innovative systems of community care intended to reduce health inequities, the impact of health and social policies, as well as the cultural influences of post-colonialism and historical caste-based systems. Students will participate in classes throughout the summer quarter leading up to the two-week study abroad.

Summer A-Term 2025

Smart Cities South Korea: Communities, Technologies, and Climate Resiliency

• Led by Jin-Kyu Jung, IAS, and Gunwha Oh, Geography, UW Seattle (12 credits)
• 5 credits BISGST 497 Smart Cities South Korea, 5 credits BIS 498 independent research, 2 credits Korean language. June 22 – July 19. ~$6,050 program fee.

Through hands-on experiences in three Korean cities, this community- and student-centered program will provide students with a critical reflection on the possibilities and challenges of smart city policy, planning, and urbanism in the context of modern cities in Korea.

• How are innovations bounded, produced, and organized by individuals, communities, and institutions in the cities?
• How does the production of new digital technology and new forms of innovative economic activity blend into the existing urban fabric?
• What would be forms of collaborative democracy and inclusive citizen participation in smart city planning, and how could it respond and address inequality, justice, and the social and digital divide?

Early Fall 2025

*Note: Some Early Fall 2025 programs are continuing to accept applications through April 6.

Peru: Andes to Amazon – Biodiversity, Conservation, and Sustainability

• Led by Ursula Valdez, IAS and Tim Billo, UW Seattle (5 credits of BIS 480)
• Aug 27 – Sept 18. $3,950 program fee.

We will explore the fascinating diversity of this region, while studying the conservation challenges confronting it. Through surveys of the biodiversity, and meetings with indigenous people, land-use managers, conservationists, and other stakeholders, we will analyze sustainable alternatives for the conservation of this world biodiversity hotspot. 

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Rwanda: Leadership and Nation Building

• Led by Ron Krabill and Ben Gardner, IAS (5 credits)
• Aug 28 – Sept 19. $4,500 program fee.

In this three-week study abroad program, students will immerse themselves in Rwanda, a country that has reimagined itself and rebuilt its economy and society after the 1994 genocide. We have built a unique partnership with the African Leadership University, a university that serves students from many different African countries. UW students will have the chance to collaborate closely with university students from Rwanda and several other African countries during their time in Rwanda. Students will learn about Rwanda’s efforts to rebuild its society after the genocide. After learning about history, culture, economics and leadership, students will have the opportunity to focus on a particular topic or theme to explore. Themes include Human Rights, Post-Genocide Peace and Reconciliation, Sports and Development, Global Health. Women’s Rights, Tourism and Eco-Tourism, and Urban Planning and Development. UW students will work in teams with ALU students on final projects and presentations.

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Spain: Hacking the Future: ​Cybersecurity  and AI Challenges

• Led by Mike Stiber and Jeff Kim, STEM-CSS (5 credits of CSS 390)
• Aug 24 – Sept 13. $4,450 program fee.

Spain’s membership in the EU and NATO presents opportunities for UW students to broaden their thinking beyond technology topics and beyond the context of US government and industry. Participants will engage with faculty and students from the University of Leon’s Research Institute of Applied Sciences in Cybersecurity, as well as local industry representatives, such as the Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE). Working on case studies or technical challenges in small project teams consisting of pre-majors, CSS majors, and students from the local institution, they will apply their technical skills in an intercultural context. Company visits and guest lectures will explore current challenges in software development and expose students to career pathways. Read about UW Bothell students’ experiences on this program by visiting our blog.

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Thailand: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Southeast Asia

• Led by James Reinnoldt, Business (5 credits of BBUS 490)
• Aug 23 – Sept 13. $4,900 program fee.

CSR refers to a company’s responsibility beyond its traditional shareholders; companies need to be responsive to the needs of a broader group of stakeholders that are directly and indirectly impacted by their actions: shareholders, consumers, employees, business partners, suppliers, and local communities. This program provides students with the opportunity to observe firsthand how companies in Thailand and Cambodia are responding to these challenges through CSR programs in partnerships with NGOs, government agencies and local communities. Housing in hotels with breakfast, a few other meals, and all local activities and excursions are included in the program fee. Read about UW Bothell students’ experiences on this program by visiting our blog.

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Jordan: Sustainable Biotechnology

• Led by Salwa Al-Noori, STEM (5 credits of B BIO 430, NSc, DIV)
• Aug 24 – Sept 14. $4,650 program fee.

This multi-disciplinary program introduces students to biotechnology, including foundational concepts, approaches, methods, techniques, and applications focused on current local and global needs. Students will be exposed to clinical contexts (both diagnostic and therapeutic) and disease physiology (examples include diabetes, stroke, various neurological conditions, and various immunological conditions, among others) that biotechnology and its applications are developed to address. An application-based component will interface students with the biotechnology sector in the form of guest presentations / workshops / information sessions with biotechnology practitioners along with either “shadowing” or “mini-internships” in which students will be able to observe and engage in biotechnology applications.

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Ecuador: Global Connections and Engagements through Geotechnical Applications

• Led by Santiago Lopez, IAS (5 credits of BIS 480)
• Aug 23 – Sep 12. $5,300 program fee.

This study abroad program in Ecuador offers students immersive cultural engagement while exploring the diverse landscapes of the Ecuadorian Andes and the Galapagos Islands. Participants will engage in fieldwork and apply geotechnologies and data analysis techniques to study environmental systems, gaining hands-on experience in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. The course covers both environmental and quantitative literacy topics introducing students to various aspects of the geography in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, analytical, and field-based approaches to geographic research. Key topics include Latin American geography, ecology, human-environment interactions, sustainability, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Science. The course integrates field visits daily journal entries, compositions, and class discussions and debates on assigned topics. Students will be evaluated based on their active participation in field activities, journal entries, oral presentations, short written essays, and a final exploration report.

Autumn 2025

Japan and America: Comparative Histories and Cultures

• Led by David Goldstein, IAS (12 credits)
• Sept 24 – Dec 5. $7,500 program fee.

Compare aspects of Japanese and American history and culture through film, media and cultural site visits in the greater Tokyo region. The program begins with 1.5 weeks of prep activities in the Seattle area, followed by 8 weeks in Japan. Participants will collaborate with peers at the Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba Prefecture for several weeks of the program. 

Participants will earn the following credits:

• BIS 162: Race, Gender, and Sexuality through Film and Television (A&H, DIV, 5 credits) 
• BIS 464: Topics in Advanced Cinema Studies (A&H, 5 credits) or BISGST 497: Advanced Topics in Global Studies (SSc, 5 credits)
• BIS 499: Directed Reading (2 credits)

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STEM Spain: What We Taste and See: the Biochemistry and Material Science of the Spanish Experience

*Note: This program is cancelled. It is hoped that it will be offered for 2026.

• Led by David Sommerfeld and Lori Robins, STEM (15 credits)
• Oct 1 – Dec 5. $7,250 program fee.

Spain is one of the best places to experience life in all its wonder… food, art, architecture, as well as Mediterranean love, viva culture, and the nearly universal Spanish language. This program, located in Leon, a small town with easy access to Madrid, will fully engage students in life in Spain, but also delve into how the brain and body process aesthetic experiences from a biochemical and materials science perspective. Participants will gain greater appreciation for life as you live it in Spain, as well as upon your return home.

Participants will earn the following credits:

• The Science of Making Art (BCHEM 293, 5 credits)
• Biochemistry of Cooking in Spain (BCHEM 293, 5 credits)
• Introduction to Spanish Food, Culture, and History (BCUSP 296, 5 credits)