Study Abroad
Photo of map with colorful pins marking Southeast Asia countries.

Study Abroad Information for Faculty

Faculty Members are encouraged to visit our Faculty Opportunities website to learn more about institutional efforts for a more globalized campus.

Faculty-Led Program Proposals

To align with the new Fall break, IAI welcomes proposals for faculty-led programs embedded into a Fall 2025 course, with travel Oct. 18th-25th, 2025. The application form requires academic and safety information, a logistical summary, and some explanation of proposed learning activities abroad. The due date for the Fall Break 2025 Faculty-Led  Programs will be December 6, 2024 at 5pm.

IAI also invites proposals for faculty-led programs in 2026, embedded into J-Term, Spring 2026, or summer 2026. Travel would be in January, March, May (late spring), or summer, depending on the proposal.  The application form has the same information and requirements as the Fall break application. The due date for the Spring Break and Summer 2025 Faculty-Led Programs will be February 14, 2025 at 5pm.

Individuals with Faculty-Led Program Proposals should contact Tim White with any questions.  If you are a student or have a student with questions regarding a current Faculty-Led Program, please have them contact our Study Abroad email or program leader.

Download the Faculty Led Proposal Form here.

In Your Classroom

Schedule a Study Abroad presentation in your classroom or club. Contact our Program Associate for Inbound Exchange and Campus Engagement, Brooke Klinger klingerb@niagarafishingservices.com for a presentation that works best for your classroom.

The International Academic Initiatives team has an active network of returned study abroad students who have volunteered to be Study Abroad Peer Advisors (SAPA), available to make classroom presentations, host tables at fairs, talk one-on-one with prospective study abroad students and present at clubs and learning communities. Study Abroad staff members are also available on request to make presentations to faculty, departments, offices and students.

A Study Abroad Peer Advisor or staff member will speak about opportunities open to your students. Request a presentation or meeting today by emailing studyabroad@niagarafishingservices.com.

Faculty in different parts of the world
Advising Students

Learn about study abroad opportunities for students in your academic or regional area of interest. The Office of International Academic Initiatives offers programs for students in over 50 countries around the world, in nearly every academic discipline. Encourage your students to participate in one of the various types of programs available to them such as semester exchange programs, affiliated programs or faculty-led programs. You can help them search available programs by academic discipline or by term by exploring our Explore Programs page.

To better advise students, we welcome you to become familiar with what is available and which opportunities complement your program. For more information about how study abroad works, please explore our pages or reach our Director for a meeting to answer all of your questions about study abroad.

Work at Another Institution process:

Students will need to get approval for the courses they want to study while abroad, through the Registrar’s Work at Another Institution process. Department Chairs of each major will approve study abroad courses as a Montclair State equivalent after a student picks out the courses they propose to take while abroad. (Example: Student seeking to satisfy their History gen ed. will visit have their proposed course reviewed by the History Department Chair)  The IAI team will facilitate this, sending the courses taken abroad and the proposed equivalent to the relevant Department Chair, but our office never approves any equivalencies. Only the academic department chair can do this, determining whether or not a study abroad course satisfies a Montclair State course. Students are responsible for providing course titles, course descriptions, and sometimes syllabi of the courses they will take abroad so Dept. Chairs can make informed decisions.

Recommendation Letters:

Students can request recommendations through their online study abroad application. If you are selected by a student to provide a reference, you will receive an e-mail with instructions outlining how to log in with your NEST credentials to complete the recommendation.

Receiving Credit:

Students may earn transfer credit upon completion of their study abroad program. Once the international transcript has been received, the Office of International Academic Initiatives will process the credits and send to Registrar.

Credit can only be earned if a student receives a C- or higher in their classes. Only the names of the classes and credits earned appear on the student’s Montclair State transcript.  Grades earned abroad on exchange programs do not appear on the Montclair State transcript and do not impact Montclair State GPA.

Lead a Short-Term Study Abroad Program

The Office of International Academic Initiatives (IAI) is committed to furthering international education and the global citizenship of Montclair State University students through study abroad programs of all types and lengths. Faculty-led short term study abroad programs provide a unique experience for students and faculty to explore a topic or question through comparative inquiry and experiential perspective building in an international setting.

With this goal in mind we invite faculty to submit proposals and work with IAI to imagine and develop programs rich in educational opportunity.

Proposing a Program

Faculty-Led Call for Proposal Form 2023-2024 (Doc)

Review Process

Proposals must have support from academic chairs and deans, whose approval is required to develop and execute a program. When reviewing proposals, chairs and deans may refer to the following guidelines:

Guidelines-for-Deans-and-Chairs (PDF)

All programs must be approved by the Office of International Academic Initiatives.

Timeline and Steps

To allow sufficient time for all necessary steps (administrative approvals, contracts, program descriptions and publicity materials, travel service contracts, student recruitment, student application processing and program cost payment and course registration) faculty should allow at least one year for the development and implementation of a faculty-led study abroad program.

Spring and Summer Programs:

Winter Session Programs:

Timetable for 2023-2024 Faculty-Led Programs
Winter Program: Proposal Due February 15
Feedback from IAI March 1
Contact Hours & Faculty Agreement Due March 15
Program Design with IAI April/May
Program Publication by IAI June
Student Applications DUE August 1
Spring Break Program:
Proposal Due February 15
Feedback from IAI March 1
Contact Hours & Faculty Agreement Due March 15
Program Design with IAI April/May
Program Publication by IAI August
Student Applications DUE October 1
Summer Program:
Proposal Due February 15
Feedback from IAI March 1
Contact Hours & Faculty Agreement Due March 15
Program Design with IAI April/May
Program Publication by IAI September
Student Applications Due January 30

Workshops for Faculty

International Academic Initiatives holds faculty workshops in the Fall and Spring semesters to provide an overview of Faculty-led Program development. Additionally, colleges and departments may request IAI to run a workshop for their faculty. Please check back for upcoming workshops.

If you are unable to attend a workshop please contact us at studyabroad@niagarafishingservices.com to schedule an individual meeting.

Workshop on Faculty-Led Programs: Jan. 2023

Resources for Faculty

Resources for Faculty

Advice for Program Leaders

  • Faculty Abroad: What Do These Innocents Need to Know? 
    International Educator
    Hulstrand, Janet May/Jun 2008:76These six tips will help first-time and experienced leaders to organize a meaningful and safe experience that they will enjoy as much as their students.
  • The Faculty Role in Study Abroad  Faculty Program Leaders play more than the role of professor; it is important to recognize the increased level of responsibility as well as the heightened benefits that come with leading learning abroad program.
  • Ghana Fiasco Shows Risks of Faculty-Led Study Trips
    Learn how to organize a successful learning abroad program, as well as recognize the signs when a program is not going as planned, from this case study about a faculty-led program in Ghana.

Reasons to Lead a Program Abroad

  • Attracting Faculty to Education Abroad
    There are a variety of ways in which faculty can both create and support new international opportunities that can in-turn can lead to amazing experiences for students, their department, and themselves.

Trends in Learning Abroad Programs

  • Study-Abroad Numbers Continue to Climb, Trips Are Shorter, Report Says Short-term learning abroad programs fulfill an important niche for students in terms of cost, length, and academic focus. Faculty-led programs are especially attractive to a wider range of students due to their connection to the home university in terms of providing guidance by trusted faculty members and course credit that directly transfer credits towards students’ degree programs.
  • Study Abroad Changed My Life and Other Problems
    Learning abroad programs are inherently transformative experiences in students’ lives. Should program design do more to encourage the development of specific skills and outcomes?