The Experience of a Lifetime: Global Travel as Part of a Dean College Course
Research has shown there are many benefits to incorporating study abroad experiences into your college journey. From exposure to different cultures and global perspectives to improved academic performance and enhanced language proficiency, you will come home with more than just fun souvenirs. Not to mention, many employers value international experience as it demonstrates adaptability, cultural competence, and the ability to thrive in diverse environments.
At Dean College, we’re proud to be able to offer our students a variety of study-away options that range from a semester to a full year. Yet, we also realize that not all of our students can or want to be away from campus that long. This is why Dean also offers unique semester-based classes that include one-to-two-week trips to international destinations as part of the curriculum. We sat down with the professors of two of these courses to learn more about them.
Dr. Rob Lawson has taught the Honors Study-Travel course for 12 years as part of the Honors Program. Every year, the students embark on an organized tour to an international destination, organized by EF Study Abroad, a world leader in international education. In years past, the class has visited Italy, Northern Africa, Iceland, the Czech Republic, France, and many other countries.
Q: When and where are you heading this year?
We’ll be doing an 11-day tour of Spain in March 2025. Our tour is called “Spain: Land of Many Cultures” and it’s really true! Spain is a diverse land, with many regional differences, which we’ll be learning about and experiencing. We begin in the Catalan capital, Barcelona—an iconic art city. We’ll then head down the Mediterranean coast through Valencia and Alicante (where we’ll take a paella cooking class) and spend time in the southern region of Andalucía, where Spain’s Moorish history is on full display. The tour ends in Madrid—the world-class capital city of Spain.
Q: Do you need to be an honors student to join this class?
The course and tour are sponsored by the Honors Program but students do not need to be in Honors before taking my class. In fact, many students join our program to take advantage of these life-changing travel opportunities. For some, it will be their first time out of the United States.
Q: What will students learn in your class?
The coursework has three goals. First, to teach everyone historical and cultural knowledge of Spain and familiarize the students with our itinerary and what they’ll be seeing and doing while on the tour in March. Second, we cover a lot of safety and logistical information so everyone is confident and secure for the travel experience. Finally, each student develops their own research project so that they can make the learning truly relevant to them. Dance students can study flamenco, sports management students can study Spain’s soccer league, La Liga, and so forth.
Q: How does the trip tie into the curriculum?
The tour has a dramatic effect on student learning. Year after year students exclaim that, “It’s one thing to learn about history and culture in class, but there’s nothing like seeing it, touching it, and—in the case of regional culinary cultures—tasting it.” A couple of my favorite moments are when a student has studied a piece of art and gets to view it in person, or a student takes a special side trip to experience something they studied for their research.
Q: How many students do you typically enroll in the class?
We have 20 to 30 students in the course and on the tour.
Q: Is there an additional fee for the trip and are there any specific requirements?
Yes, students are asked to cover their own costs of the (mostly) all-inclusive tour. We welcome donations to our scholarship fund to help those in financial need make their study abroad dreams come true.
Q: How can a student sign up and what is the deadline?
Students enroll by applying with me, Dr. Rob Lawson, the Honors Program Director, at rlawson@dean.edu. The application can be found here. Once approved, they will register with our tour partner, EF Study Abroad. We enroll students until the beginning of December for tours that take place in March of the next year.
The brand-new ECO 298/399 From Amsterdam to Paris: Unraveling Economic Landscapes in Europe course is being taught by Dr. Amy Crouch and will incorporate a 12-day trip to Europe. Dean has partnered with CIEE, the leading U.S. non-governmental international education organization, to coordinate the logistics and activities while abroad.
Q: When and where are you heading this year?
Our international trip will take place from May 19 to May 30, 2025. We will spend three nights in Amsterdam, two nights in Brussels, and then head to Paris for five nights – including an excursion to Disneyland Paris.
Q: Do you need to be a business major to join this class?
No. This class is classified as a core distribution social science course or an upper-division liberal arts course. Anyone interested and eligible is invited to take the class and trip. Students studying business, sport management or hospitality would all benefit from this class.
Q: What will students learn in your class?
Students will study the economies of the Netherlands, Belgium and France, focusing on industries like hospitality, tourism, sports, and sustainability. This course offers students a unique opportunity to explore—both in class and abroad—the interplay between economic theory, socio-economic realities, and key industries, and how they shape the economies of Europe.
Q: How does the trip tie into the curriculum?
During the semester, students will be learning about the industries and economies of the countries we will be visiting in May. The course curriculum will concentrate on global economics with a focus on the European Union and how it differs from the U.S. from an economic perspective. Our trip will take place after the course ends.
Q: Is there an additional fee for the trip and are there any specific requirements?
Yes, and the trip costs are added as a course fee to the student’s bill. The airfare is separate, as students will need to book their own flights and travel from whatever airport is most convenient. We welcome donations to a scholarship fund to assist those students who may have a financial need. Students also need to have completed ENG 111 to qualify for the course.
Q: How can a student sign up and what is the deadline?
Students can scan the QR code here for an application, or they can email me at Acrouch@dean.edu. 
While studying abroad is a life-changing experience, it is often one that is unaffordable to many students. If you would like to contribute to a scholarship fund designed to support our students, please click here.
For more information about these courses or any of Dean’s Study Away options, please contact Melissa P. Read, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Study Away Program Director at mread@dean.edu or 508-541-1654.