University Directed Programs (UDP)

UDP Directors serve as the instructor of record for the course. UND faculty with academic expertise in the program's field(s) of study are eligible to serve in this role.

As part of the proposal process, Directors must receive approval from their department chair and college dean. Be sure to review UDP policies for information regarding compensation prior to proposing a course for university-directed study abroad.

Expectations of Program Directors

• Submit program proposal
• Serve as instructor of record for course
• Provide feedback on itinerary and budget
• Advertise and recruit for program
• Lead travel component with on-site coordinator
• Facilitate program pre- and post- assessment

Director Characteristics

Before proposing a program, prospective directors are encouraged to reflect on whether they are prepared and committed to lead a program in the coming year. In addition, chairs and deans/designees are encouraged to use the following guidelines and criteria when approving program proposals.

Ideally, a director:

• Is well-respected by students. Positive student evaluations for past UND courses and/or study abroad programs can be a helpful indicator. Students will consider traveling to a relatively unknown or challenging location if they think highly of the leader.
• Has spent time in the host location(s). At a minimum, the leader should have done an in-depth site visit, but preferably the leader will have visited the location(s) on multiple occasions or spent time living there.
• Knows the host language (if applicable), as well as the cultural and social norms of the host culture. Willing and able to educate themselves on the host language.
• Understands and embraces the student support aspects of program leadership: setting clear expectations, promoting positive group dynamics and inclusion, responding to student crises, etc.
• Will be present and available in the host location(s) for the full duration of the program.
• Is able to set expectations for and supervise the co-director.

The leadership team and the on-site partner(s) should have complementary characteristics and skills. The most effective way to bridge a gap associated with local knowledge, host language skills, and student support is to work with a professional travel service provider.

UDP Co-Directors assist the Program Director. While Co-Directors do not have direct responsibility for the academic component of the course, they are key individuals for on-site coordination and assistance. Major duties can include, but are not limited to, running small group conversations, serving as a guide when breaking into smaller groups for public transportation, and assisting students with questions/concerns while the Director focuses on the academic component of the program.

UND faculty, advisors (or other staff), or graduate students are eligible to serve in this role.

As part of the proposal process, co-directors must receive approval from their department chair and college dean or supervisor/head of their department. Travel expenses for co-directors are covered as part of the program budget. Any additional compensation is at the discretion of the co-director's department.

Expectations of Program Co-Directors

• The co-director reports directly to the program director while abroad
• Program director with proposal
• Provide feedback on itinerary and budget
• Assist with program marketing and recruitment
• Participate in travel component

Travel service providers are international education organizations that specialize in academic travel. UND works with a list of approved travel service providers to facilitate UDP by assisting with the following tasks:

• Create draft itinerary and budget based off program director's outline
• Coordinates all on-site logistics including on-site reservations and scheduling
• Finalize itinerary and budget through final signed contract
• Assist with marketing materials
• Assist with pre-departure information for students and director(s)
• Provide on-site tour manager, risk management, and bilingual support (when necessary)

UND Study Abroad assists with the following tasks:

• Program development, including proposal questions and review
• Coordination with Travel Service Providers
• Advising on and finalizing program budget
• Advising on recruitment and marketing strategies
• Application portal assistance and application review
• Program Director training
• Pre-departure orientation for students and director(s)
• Student billing and invoice payments
• Re-entry programming for post-program assessment

The study abroad office does not assist with obtaining or coordinating personal travel documents nor do they assist with approval for trips outside of study abroad programming. Please see the UND Office of Safety.

As outlined above, UDPs are UND courses that incorporate a travel component. When developing a UDP, consider the following:

• Course Selection: Are you adapting an existing UND course to include a travel component (1–3 credits), or designing a new course to be taught abroad?
• Credit Structure: How many credits will the course carry—1, 2, or 3? Consider the academic workload and travel duration when determining credit hours.
• Student Eligibility: Will the course be open to all students, or will it require prerequisites? Clearly defining eligibility helps ensure appropriate enrollment and marketing.
• Essential Studies: Will the course fulfill any Essential Studies requirements?

Selecting the right location is a key component of a successful UDP. As you plan, consider the following:

• Familiarity and Relevance: What international locations are you or your co-director familiar with? Which destinations align well with your course content and academic goals?
• Student Appeal: What locations would be especially engaging or meaningful for your target student population?
• Accessibility and Cost: How easy and cost-effective is it to travel to your chosen location? For shorter programs—such as Spring Break—selecting destinations with direct flights and travel times under 15 hours is recommended (including layovers).
• Single vs. Multiple Locations: Would your program benefit from staying in one location or traveling between multiple cities or countries? For shorter programs, a single location is often more practical, helping reduce costs and allowing deeper cultural and academic immersion.
• Travel Advisory Requirement: All UDPs must take place in countries or regions with a Level 1 or Level 2 Travel Advisory, as defined by the U.S. Department of State. This ensures the safety and well-being of students and faculty while abroad.

Careful location planning supports both the academic goals and logistical success of your UDP.

When planning your UDP, consider whether it will run during Spring Break or in the summer.

• Spring Break: This is often an appealing option for UND students, as tuition can be included with their spring semester credits. However, the short time frame limits the scope of activities and travel.

• Summer: Offers more flexibility in program length and timing, allowing for a broader range of activities. Keep in mind, though, that summer programs typically require students to pay separate tuition, which may create additional cost barriers.

UND partners with providers to bring your proposal to life and can help arrange activities tied to your course content, such as site visits, guest lectures, or collaborations with local universities. The more details you can provide up front, the better they can match arrangements to your goals. Consider whether you’d like to include:

• Visits to specific companies or organizations
• Guest speakers or lecturers
• Tours of local universities or research centers

Cultural experiences help students engage with and better understand the host location. Providers can suggest activities, but early planning will ensure they fit seamlessly into your program. Examples include:

• Guided walking tours of your host city
• Traditional or themed group meals
• Museum or heritage site visits
• Hands-on workshops, such as cooking classes
• Excursions to nearby cities or cultural sites

Thoughtfully combining academic and cultural components will create a balanced program that connects classroom learning with real-world experiences.

Travel logistics can significantly shape the student experience and the overall program cost. Consider the level of physical activity involved—many destinations require extensive walking. Think about your preferences for transportation:

• Public transportation: Offers an authentic, immersive experience and can be cost-effective.
• Private transportation: Provides convenience and efficiency, but can substantially increase program costs.

Balancing accessibility, budget, and cultural immersion will help determine the right mix for your program.

Several factors will influence the overall cost of your program. Location is a major consideration—for example, the cost of living in England will likely make a program there more expensive than one in Vietnam. Program size also matters; the more students who participate, the lower the per-student cost can be.

Housing and transportation choices will also affect the budget:

• Staying in a hostel rather than a hotel can reduce expenses.
• Relying on public transportation, where feasible, can keep costs lower than using private transportation.

Consider whether you have a target per-student budget for providers to use when creating program proposals. This will help them design an experience that meets your goals while staying within financial parameters.

Consider whether there are any special components you’d like providers to arrange beyond academic, cultural, travel, and lodging elements. Examples might include:

• Reserving meeting or classroom spaces
• Providing specialized equipment or materials
• Arranging access to unique venues or facilities

Sharing these needs early in the planning process ensures providers can incorporate them seamlessly into the program design.

When submitting a proposal, consider the following recommendations for program design, development, recruitment, delivery, and evaluation.

Program Design and Development

• What is the academic content of the course and how does it relate to the chosen country or location?
• Students seek options that meet degree requirements for Essential Studies or major or minor.
• What academic qualifications do you and your co-director have in relation to course topic, international experience, language skills relevant to the chosen site, and experience teaching undergraduates and leading groups?
• Does your department and your co-director’s department support your program development and compensation requirements?
• What will the program itinerary look like (all possible program excursions and site/cultural visits)?
• Does the length and timeframe of the program accommodate student needs at home but allow ample time for cultural acclimation and learning abroad? Recommended timeframe is 10 days over spring break or 2-4 weeks at the end of spring/beginning summer term.
• The number of sites proposed to visit, the geographical proximity to each other and the time spent traveling between them should be carefully considered. More focus should be given to full experiences at each site rather than ‘seeing everything,’ and will be more affordable for UND students.
• Is the program cost reasonable and accessible to students? Recent successful programs have a program fee that is less than approximately $3,000.

Program Recruitment

• What students are in your target audience? Will that population of students have sufficient interest in participating on the program (minimum of 10 students)?
• How will you promote your program for its intended target audience?

Program Delivery

• How will you prepare your participants for departure? What pre-departure classes will you require on campus?  What content will be covered regarding your academic curriculum and travel pieces?
• There should be a thoughtful attempt to balance course lectures, site visits, and unstructured course time. Think about jet lag and long bus trips, both of which can add to fatigue.
• Since these programs can be exhausting for both program directors and students, consider different models of site visits; for example, scheduling three company visits or museums in one day may produce exhausted students by the afternoon.
• Consider how the course enrollment can impact group dynamics, travel and cost. While the minimum number of student is 12, 14-16 students is ideal for group dynamics and travel.

Program Evaluation

• How will students' academic performance be assessed?
• Successful courses usually provide frequent opportunities for student groups to process and reflect, in an informal or formal setting, their observations and reactions to the cultures they are experiencing.

UND Official Policy Page

In determining the number of credits to assign to your course, bear in mind that UDP courses have the same academic rigor as on-campus classes. A good rule of thumb is that a week-long program is only worth 1-credit, so for example, a spring break program can be 3-credits, but only 1-credit worth of in-class contact hours can be counted abroad. The rest of the contact hours must be obtained on-campus during course meetings.

Each credit requires the equivalent of 750 minutes (12.5 hours) of direct program instruction, with at least 1500 minutes (25 hours) of additional work by students. The following should be utilized to determine how to count the contact hours earned abroad:

• Each hour of a guided experience that directly contributes to the learning goals of the course is equivalent to an hour of a traditional classroom lecture.
• Experiences that are not guided, but that contribute to the learning goals of the course may be counted towards the out-of-class work.

Another consideration for the amount of credits to award is how the credit amount will progress the students towards their degree. A 1-credit course is less useful for students if they could take a 3-credit course that can fulfill an academic requirement. If you are considering a summer course, please keep in mind that students who rely on financial aid and/or private loans to fund the program will be required to enroll for 6-credits. This means that a 1-credit or 2-credit program is much less desirable to students when it is held during the summer.

Spring Break

Course Credit Options

1. Three-Credit Spring Course: A maximum of 1-credit can be obtained during the time abroad (total of 12.5 contact hours and 25 out-of-class hours), with at least 2-credits worth of contact hours being done during spring semester (total of 25 contact hours and 50 out-of-class hours). It is recommended to meet once per week for 2 hours each all throughout spring semester.
2. Regular Three-Credit Spring Course with a One-Credit Spring Break Abroad Co-Requisite: If your department already has a course in existence that could be enhanced by the addition of an experience abroad, then this would be a viable option. Not all students who are enrolled in the 3-credit spring course would be required to go abroad, but all students in the spring break course would be required to enroll in the spring course. There would be separate course meetings for the 1-credit abroad course to help the students prepare for departure.

Locations

Some destinations would be perfect for this 8 day program, however others would not be so great. Here are some considerations to think of when planning during this timeframe:

• Weather
• Length of flight (is the destination too far to fly during such a small timeframe or the cost too high for the little amount of time in country)

Summer

Time abroad should take place during the regularly scheduled summer term.

Course Credit Options

1. Six-Credit Summer: The contact hours can be obtained a variety of ways, but most likely this would be more of a stationary program with the majority of contact hours taking place during classes on-site. Directors could partner with another department to split the teaching load abroad or locations. Lots of variety within this option, including online coursework before/after the on-site experience.
2. Three-Credit Summer: Very similar to above, however many students would also have to register for another summer course to use financial aid/loans. Timing of program should allow for that option.

Locations

Most destinations would fit well during the summer, but here are some considerations:

• Holidays (for example, many countries in Europe are on vacation during portions of this period)
• Cost related to high tourist season
• Weather
• Travel flexibility is available for students who would like to continue their own independent travels at the end of the program.

Participate in Director and Co-Director training sessions provided by Study Abroad staff, in collaboration with UND content experts.

• Program Director Network Sessions on the following topics:
  • Student Marketing & Recruitment
  • Pre-Departure Preparation & Student Support
  • Post-Program Reflection & Evaluation
• Risk Management Training

Study Abroad will sign up Directors and Co-Directors to take the following Safe Colleges Trainings:

• CSA (Clery) Training
• Responsible Employee Training

• Review the UND process for Essential Studies course approval.
• Review UND High Impact Practice (HIPs) rubrics through TTaDA and current HIPs courses by college.
• For additional information, please refer to the Forum on Education Abroad's Leading Short-Term Education Abroad Programs website.
• UND is a member of the Forum on Education Abroad, so if you are interested in accessing the Forum's Curriculum Toolbox please email at UND.studyabroad@UND.edu.
• Study Abroad staff are members of NAFSA and have a copy of the Guide to Successful Short-Term Programs Abroad, 3rd Ed. Email UND.studyabroad@UND.edu if you are interested in reviewing this book.
• True North Intercultural: Resources for intercultural learning
• NACE Career Readiness