The Global Seminars are six-week, credit-bearing courses that take place abroad. Seminars are led by University faculty who have created an experiential learning opportunity for students that can only be fully realized by traveling to the country at the heart of its subject matter.
Each seminar features lectures by seminar faculty and local guests, language classes, weekend excursions to sites relevant to the course, among other activities. Seminars are open to 12 to 15 Princeton undergraduates, including freshmen, sophomores and juniors. To date, more than 1,000 undergraduates and 57 faculty have participated in 65 seminars in 24 countries. Currently, PIIRS annually offers 7 to 9 Global Seminars. PIIRS invites faculty to submit proposals for summer 2026 Global Seminars, including the creation of new seminars or the enhancement and redesign of previously taught Global Seminars.
Applications
Applications are now closed.
Preliminary Inquiries
We encourage interested faculty to contact PIIRS in advance of submitting an application to avoid duplication and to confirm that the proposal/site is feasible for Global Seminars in 2027 and beyond.
Have questions?
PIIRS Executive Director Trisha Craig can provide information on the application process.
Application Components
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Preliminary Syllabus
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Submit a 3-4 page syllabus that details the rationale for this Global Seminar and course content for all 6 weeks, including reading and writing assignments, excursions (no more than 2 weekend trips), and exams (if applicable). Evaluation/grading criteria should also be included, as well as information for cross-listing the course, if appropriate. After the course is selected as a Global Seminar, the preliminary syllabus will be sent to the Dean of the College for final approval.
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Personnel
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Identify names and bios of personnel. Please indicate if you have previously taught a Global Seminar and/or have experience taking and teaching students abroad. The University requires 2 adult participants for Global Seminars. This second participant could be another faculty member to co-teach the seminar. Alternatively, the second participant could be a graduate student who assists with the course. Princeton affiliation is strongly preferred, although we will entertain cases where the second adult is affiliated with another institution.
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Preliminary Onsite Arrangements
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The proposal should include the name of a potential host institution (and contact person). PIIRS reviews the faculty’s initial advice and local contacts and then works with them to identify the right support abroad — from facilities to local personnel.
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Dates
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Start dates for the 2026 Global Seminars are either Monday, June 1, 2026 or Monday June 8, 2026 so that students can subsequently pursue internships, research, and/or employment in the second half of the summer. Please indicate the 6-week period in which you propose to offer your seminar.