Virtual Study Abroad

Do you want to experience Virtual Study Abroad (VSA) in your courses?

Virtual Study Abroad (VSA) courses are designated to engage students with the culture, people, and places of others with the aid of technology, and in doing so, provide the feeling of “being abroad” through these experiences. Develop global awareness, global perspective, and global engagement through the introduction of virtual education abroad activities and experiences in your courses!

**Courses have a VSA note in the Class Search under class notes **

Stay tuned for more courses as they become available!

HMG 6596 - Marketing and Sales in Hospitality and Tourism

“I found [VSA] very beneficial as it allows us as FIU students to make connections with people from all over the world. I had a wonderful time attending all the presentations as well as making personal connections with people from both Spain and the Netherlands. [It was] amazing and educational. This was a great course.”

“I learned a lot of skills about cross-cultural communication, teamwork, and organizing marketing events. [VSA] also open[ed] my view, [and helped me] understand various aspects of culture, history and landscape from all over the world.”

ENC 3378 - Writing Across Borders

“The cultural exchange experience was truly one of my favorite things I participated in this year. I always wanted to do something of the sort, but because of school and work, I can never find the time. So, I am thankful that [VSA] was part of my schoolwork this semester.”

“[In this course,] I learned about different cultures and communication styles, and how all they fall into our daily lives. I also got to exchange ideas with international students. This was one of my favorite classes I have taken; it was very interesting and rich in content.”

ASN 3143 – Corporate Culture of China

“[T]he VSA COIL experience [was] very reminiscent of my previous times abroad, [providing] that same level of face-to-face interaction that doesn’t see you as an authority speaking for someone else’s culture, but [as] a student ready to learn from first-hand accounts. I believe the meetings we had with our Chinese student partners were exceptionally eye opening to how our cultures grew and exist today. [I]t ended up being one of the most interesting parts of online schooling to this date for me. Our awareness of global issues and foreign cultures only serve to benefit us, and while we are all unfortunately bound to our homes from the pandemic, this was an excellent experience that truly felt like getting out into the wide world once again.”

IDS 3183 – Health Without Border

“What caught my attention the most was the guest lecture from Ghana because I think that it was a great opportunity to really learn about global health from a global perspective. It was unlike any other activity that I have done in any other class.”

“[W]hat most fascinated me about this course was realizing how poor global awareness I had and how much this course improved it. Before, I would not have been able to even locate my assigned country, Ghana, on a map, and now I know a very large amount of information regarding its economy and disease burdens that have affected the country in the last 20 years.”

INR 3227 – International Relations of South Asia

“With the pandemic it seemed as if the world was closing up, but I feel that the different country overviews [in this course] helped keep me connected to the world. It allowed me to ‘travel’ around and learn about different south Asian countries. I got to learn the demographics, culture, religion, and current events. Great class!”

“VSA exposed me to content and perspectives that I was previously not aware of or accustomed to. It made me feel more connected to cultures different from my own.”