Faculty-Led Programs
Study Spanish in Spain, archeology in Greece, history in China, global studies issues in Chile, or human rights and human diversity in Mexico. A variety of field courses have been created by Laurier’s outstanding faculty to add an experiential learning opportunity to their courses.
Courses will be posted throughout the fall term, please revisit this site regularly.
GS388: Costa Rica
Applications accepted until April 15th 2024. To apply: email Dr. Tom Deligiannis tdeligiannis@wlu.ca
This Spring 2024 course is open to all Laurier students and will focus on various themes and challenges in the fields of environmental security, development, and peace and conflict studies, with a two-week trip to Costa Rica from May 12-26th. Costa Rica is an excellent location to study both peace and conflict issues and environmental-development issues, because of its long history as an international peacemaker and its global leadership in environmental sustainability transitions. The course is led by Dr. Tom Deligiannis and Dr. Timothy Donais from the Department of Global Studies.
The 14-day field portion of the course will begin in Costa Rica’s central valley, in and around the capital San Jose, before heading to north-central Costa Rica, the mid-Pacific coast, the tropical rainforests of the south-west of the country around the Osa Peninsula, and finally ending in the south-east of the country, in areas along the Costa Rica-Panama border.
Costa Rica is a global leader in sustainable development. The country currently is one of the few places in the world where a majority of its energy comes from renewable sources. In fact, in 2019, 99% of Costa Rica’s energy came from renewable sources, mainly hydropower, wind, and geothermal sources. The country has also reversed decades of deforestation, instituted unique conservation programs to protect and regenerate tropical forests, banned open-pit mining, and created innovative biodiversity and ocean protection programs over the past 30-40 years. The sustainability transitions that Costa Rica has undertaken are truly staggering, offering lessons to the rest of the world confronting the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Students from Laurier can learn a great deal from Costa Rica’s record in dealing with the challenges of forest conservation, green energy transitions, sustainable tourism, coastal management, and Indigenous rights.
Costa Rica’s outstanding record on peace and security issues provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about peacemaking and alternative approaches to ensuring human and livelihood security on the trip, with visits to the UN-Mandated University for Peace and meetings with Costa Rican and international experts.
Interested students should contact Dr. Tom Deligiannis as soon as possible, tdeligiannis@wlu.ca
CS288: Beer, Communication and Culture
*Late applications will be considered until March 15th
Students on this course will visit London, Greenwich, Brussels, and Brugges, with trips to unique breweries, pubs, and cultural venues. We will explore the differences in beer styles, experiences, and cultures. We will be investigating the way people communicate about beer and the culture of beer. We will read scholarly and popular literature about beer in communication and culture.
The course is a full one-credit course, with intensive interaction with Professor Jeremy Hunsinger and Dr. Jessica Cameron. Students will be staying together in hostels or dorms. There will be a fee that will cover housing and travel on the ground. You will be responsible for your flights, food, drink, and possibly other costs.
If you are interested in participating in this course, please e-mail Prof. Hunsinger at jhunsinger@wlu.ca with around 150-200 words about your interest and background for the course by Dec. 10th (Late Applications will be considered until March 15th). Please ensure the e-mail's subject is CS 288 Beer, Communication and Culture application. Once we have established sufficient interest, there will be an information session for interested students with more information.
Past Courses
Learn more about past faculty-led programs abroad.
SP288: Spanish Language Learning
This 1.0-credit intensive Spanish language and cultural immersion experience is led by a Laurier faculty member in Spain for approximately one month.
HI288: Arts Study Abroad Program: Poland
This is a 1.0-credit summer course on the subject of the Holocaust. The course also includes visits to memorial sites and museums around the country related to the history of the Holocaust.
"Regardless of everyone's personal reasons for taking part in the trip, we were all able to walk away with a deeper understanding not only of the Holocaust, but of what being a student of history truly means."
Erica Parnis
Learn more about the student experience of confronting the Holocaust in Poland.
HR361: Migration and Human Rights in Mexico
Laurier undergraduate students travelled to Mexico to better understand the realities of migration, including how people become displaced, barriers along the migrant journey and how organizations offer assistance.
"Being completely immersed in the issue allowed me to see the discrepancies between what we hear in the news at home and what the reality is for the people afected."
Neala Hayratiyan
Learn more about the Migration and Human Rights in Mexico student experience.