Global Opportunities
An international view of social justice
SP2 takes seriously its responsibility to prepare students for leadership positions both nationally and internationally, and thus has created a wide range of global opportunities. Students at SP2 gain a global perspective through strong international curricular content, learning from international faculty, interacting with peers from across the globe, and engaging in study abroad programs and global immersion experiences.
Global Courses
A number of SP2 courses take place in global locations. An application is required for global courses. Once a student is accepted to a course, they will be contacted with information about enrolling. View current course offerings.
The Netherlands
NPLD 7500: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Partnerships and Practices
NPLD 7500 examines the relationship between business and society using the prevalent framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a focus on corporate philanthropy. The large question that we focus on is, “What is the responsibility of business to society, if any?” We examine how it is conceptualized, its practice, the societal partnerships forged, and its impact.
Businesses performing philanthropic activity often use their platform of CSR activities to engage with society, directly, via a corporate foundation, or through partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Although such philanthropic activities are not directly related to profit-making ventures, they may boost their reputation, be used in marketing their products, talent recruitment, increase employee engagement and commitment, and thus contribute to the profit indirectly. Many businesses undertake their CSR related philanthropic activities using strategic partnerships with nonprofits or public sector organizations to meet their goals. This provides opportunities to nonprofit and public sector leaders in achieving social and sustainable change.
Dates
Pre-travel course meetings: TBD
Travel Days: May 4 to May 15, 2025
Sample Itinerary for Netherlands Visit
This is a sample itinerary based on previous course arrangements. Speakers and excursions for 2024 will be finalized in the spring and may differ from previous years’ courses.
Day 1
Morning: Arrival of students
Afternoon: free
Evening: Informal dinner
Day 2
Morning Lecture: Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Afternoon Lecture + Field Visit to Dutch Company
Evening: Free
Day 3
Morning Lecture: Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Afternoon: Jarige Job, Corporate-Nonprofit Initiative
Evening: Free
Day 4
Morning Lecture: Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Afternoon: Amsterdam – CSR visit
Evening: Free
Day 5
Morning: Amsterdam Rijks Museum
Afternoon: Workshop Social Enterprise
Evening: Free
Day 6
Morning: Utrecht Visit to Dutch Corporation
Afternoon: CSR/Nonprofit partnership
Evening: Free
Day 7
Free Day (National Holiday in Netherlands)
Day 8
Morning Lecture
Afternoon: Guided Tour
Evening: Closing Dinner
Eligibility
Any Penn graduate student may apply for this course.
Applications from upper-division undergraduates will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Students must be open-minded and have an appreciation for different worldviews and opinions.
Students do not need to speak a foreign language in order to participate in this course.
Costs & Fees
Tuition
Students are charged regular course tuition from their home program for this course
Program Fee: $725. In addition to tuition, students are charged a $725 program fee to cover the cost of local arrangements.
Additional Expenses
The following are not covered by the program fee:
- Airfare from the United States (or your point of trip origin) to/from Amsterdam/Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Visa Application (for those who come from non-Western countries)
- Lodging/Accommodations in Rotterdam
- Meals/Snacks
- Local transportation (trains to and from Amsterdam, Utrecht; expected to be about $150)
- Money for souvenirs, etc.
Logistics
Arrival and Departure
Students should arrange to fly into the Amsterdam airport and are responsible for securing transportation to Rotterdam. (Trains run from the airport to Rotterdam every 20 to 30 minutes.) Transportation options will be reviewed during the on-campus sessions.
All students need to be in Rotterdam for the start of course activities by May 4th at 5:00 pm.
Many students choose to travel on their own before or after the course dates. This is fine as long as they can ensure their attendance for all activities between May 4th at 5:00 pm until May 15th at 2:00 pm. It is recommended that students choose accommodations and flights accordingly in order to observe compliance with this requirement.
A list of all students accepted and confirmed will be provided to class in case students would like to share accommodations or arrange flights together.
Housing
Students will find their own accommodations. The general area will be provided to assist you in locating accommodations. The public transportation system in Rotterdam is excellent, so there is easy access to all locations.
Meals
Students are responsible for all meals except the opening dinner and the final lunch which are provided by the program.
Additional Information
NPL Program
This course fulfills an NPL core course in the Nonprofit Leadership program.
Global Human Rights Certificate
This course is not pre-approved to fulfill any requirements for the Global Human Rights certificate.
Contact Information
Femida Handy, PhD
Professor
215-573-2660
Adam Roth-Saks, MSEd
Administrative Director, MS in Nonprofit Leadership
215-898-1857
Scott Harkey
Course Assistant
Office of Financial Aid
finaid@sp2.upenn.edu
Costa Rica
NPLD 5850: Penn Social Impact Lab
Students will learn how innovation and entrepreneurship play a central role in public problem solving. The course will explore how social entrepreneurs co-develop new ideas with key stakeholders, articulate problems and solutions, define intended impact, understand competition, and collaborate with other actors. At the end of the course, students will have mastered a set of conceptual tools and strategies that will allow them to be effective problem solvers in diverse settings throughout their careers and personal lives. The course has five core objectives:
- To introduce students to the concepts and practices of social entrepreneurship;
- To introduce students to the components of a successful social enterprise;
- To train students to view the world from a perspective of social innovation;
- To encourage and empower students to develop their own innovative solutions to different social problems around the world;
- To introduce students to real social issues and social innovations in a real-world setting.
Dates
Pre-travel dates (online): Friday, January 31st, 2025, 1:00pm – 3:30pm; Friday, February 7th, 1:00pm – 2:00pm; and Friday, February 14th, 1:00pm – 3:30pm
Travel Days: March 9 to March 15, 2025
Sample Itinerary for Costa Rica Visit
Day 1: Arrival
Settle in with our hosts at the Chilamate Rainforest Eco Retreat.
Day 2: Observation and Empathy
Learn the fundamentals of observation and empathy for social innovation.
Day 3: Collaboration and Brainstorming
Practice collaborative problem solving.
Day 4: Workshopping
Refine a practical social innovation design brief, and practice the art of storytelling.
Day 5: Life Lab and Community Service
Explore work and life views, while taking in your surroundings in the rainforest of Sarapiqui.
Day 6: Leadership Development
Develop personal goals and embrace failure.
Day 7: Departure
Return home.
Eligibility
Any Penn graduate student may apply for this course.
Applications from upper-division undergraduates will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Students must be open-minded and have an appreciation for different worldviews and opinions.
Students do not need to speak a foreign language in order to participate in this course.
Costs & Fees
Tuition
Students are charged regular course tuition from their home program for this course
Program Fee: $800. In addition to tuition, students are charged a $800 program fee to cover the cost of local arrangements including housing, meals, and in-country transportation.
Additional Expenses
The following are not covered by the program fee:
- Airfare from the United States (or your point of trip origin) to/from Costa Rica
- Visa Application (if applicable)
- Money for souvenirs, etc.
Logistics
Arrival and Departure
Students should arrange to fly into San José International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica by 2 pm on March 9th. Students are responsible for their own airfare to Costa Rica. We will provide bus transportation from San José Airport (SJO) to the course accommodations. Housing, meals, and all in-country transportation are included in the program fee.
Additional Information
NPL Program
This course fulfills an NPL core course in the Nonprofit Leadership program.
Global Human Rights Certificate
This course is not pre-approved to fulfill any requirements for the Global Human Rights certificate.
Contact Information
Peter Frumkin, PhD
Professor
215-573-9298
Adam Roth-Saks, MSEd
Administrative Director, MS in Nonprofit Leadership
215-898-1857
Montana Tamny
Program Manager, CSIS
India
SWRK 7480: Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment in India
Since 2013, students from several Penn schools have traveled to India with Dr. Femida Handy during the winter break to study microfinance and its applications to their area of graduate study. For a great overview of the course, watch the video created by Lauren Hirshon and Jennifer Gillard in 2013.
SWRK 7480: Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment in India examines microfinance and its engagement with marginalized communities, such as those in India. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of the phenomena of microfinance and its role in poverty alleviation. By studying the use of self-help groups with NGO facilitation, their impact on women’s empowerment will be examined and understood through interaction with women engaged in microfinance activities.
Dates
January 3 to January 13, 2025
Application
There is no application available at this time.
Sample Itinerary for India Visit
This is a sample itinerary based on previous course arrangements. Speakers and excursions for 2024 will be finalized in the spring and will differ from previous years’ courses.
Day 1: Mangalore
Visit to Nitte University in Mangalore
Lecture: Economic and Social Development in India by Nitte faculty
Site visit to a local SHG in Mangalore to see how the Self-Help Groups (SHG) movement that is organized for microfinance operates in an urban setting
Day 2: Nitte
Lectures: Lectures are given by Nitte College faculty and staff. Presentation topics have included Microfinance in India; Indian culture; and student life at Nitte College
Cultural exchange program and presentation with Nitte College students
Day 3: Nitte and Historical Sites
Visit to a local SHG rural group
Afternoon: Historical sites visited vary, but past years have visited temple sites (Jain, Hindu, and Buddhist), local produce/flower markets, a student-run art show at a local arts college, and other sites with cultural and historical significance. The purpose of these visits is to introduce you to the vibrant culture and society of India.
Lectures: Overview of Indian history, culture, and caste
Day 4: Site Visits
Microfinance Initiatives and self-help groups – Past groups have visited a variety of SHG groups (e.g., jasmine growers SHG, mixed men/women SHG in a fishing village, eggplant growers SHG, etc.) and attended SHG meetings to see how SHGs operate in their communities and learn from SHG members and facilitators. These visits will occur across multiple days during the trip.
Day 5: Site Visits
Bank Visit – You will interact with bank staff and other stakeholders whose work supports and facilitates SHGs and learn about how banks are involved in the SHG movement. Followed by visits to Rural SHG groups financed by the bank
Day 6: Site Visits
Microfinance Rural Development Projects – additional site visits to SHGs. Past classes have also visited a local nonprofit/NGO and a local school for street children to learn about the role of education in the empowerment of women and children and their families.
Day 7: Site Visits
SKDRDP Dharmasthala – You will visit the temple site in Dharmasthala, talk with representatives working with SKDRDP’s SHGs, and have a meal together at the temple. Followed by visits to Rural SHG groups financed by the temple
Visit to elephant orphanage
Day 8: Site Visits and Nitte
Visits to Self Help Groups
Final Lecture, Group Discussion, and Reflections – You will share your reflections as a group and begin to brainstorm topics for your final paper/project.
Eligibility
Any Penn graduate student may apply for this course.
Students do not need to speak a foreign language in order to participate in this course.
Enrollment Requirements
To participate in this course, students will need to:
Have a valid passport and obtain a e-visa to India. Note: students from non-western countries should allow as much lead time as possible for obtaining a visa, as processing delays have prevented students with citizenship outside the U.S. from being able to participate in this course in the past.
Costs & Fees
Tuition
Students are charged regular course tuition from their home program for this course.
Program Fee: $1450
In addition to tuition, students are charged a $1450 program fee to cover the cost of local guides, travel expenses for field visits, groups activities, and lodging and meals at the guest house.
Additional Expenses
The following are not covered by the program fee:
- Airfare from the United States (or your point of trip origin) to/from Mangalore, India
- Visa Application Fees
- Personal/Incidental expenses while in India, including souvenirs, snacks or other food not covered in the program fee, etc.
Logistics
Arrival and Departure
Students book flights that arrive in India and get them to Mangalore on January 2. Students may wish to arrive early to adjust to jet lag; this is welcome, but students are responsible for their own lodging prior to January 2. Flight logistics will be discussed in the first class session, but students usually fly to Bangalore, Mumbai, or Delhi (where electronic visas are accepted), and then make a separate reservation on a local airline for a flight to Mangalore. Students should not book early flights on January 13, as it can take 2 hours or more to get to the airport in Mangalore, depending on traffic.
Lodging
Students will stay at Nitte University’s accommodations for the entirety of the course (check in on January 3 and checkout on January 13). Students will be expected to share a room, although a limited number of single rooms may be available, and students may reserve these for an additional fee. To arrive on Jan 3, you will need to leave the USA on Jan 1st . If you would like to arrive a day earlier (Jan 2nd), that can be arranged upon request and availability for an additional fee of about $35.
Meals
ALL meals will be provided at the Guest House and the cost of meals is included in the program fee.
Additional Information
MSW Program
This course fulfills a general elective requirement in the MSW program. It does not count as a clinical practice elective, macro practice elective, policy option, or research option.
MSSP Program
This course is pre-approved to count as an elective in the MSSP program.
Global Human Rights Certificate
This course is not pre-approved to fulfill any requirements for the Global Human Rights certificate.
Contact Information
Femida Handy, PhD
Professor
fhandy@upenn.edu
Tiana Marrese, MSc.
tmarrese@upenn.edu
Vanessa Dib
vdib@sas.upenn.edu
Office of Financial Aid
finaid@sp2.upenn.edu
Global Course Enrollment
Pre-registration
- Attend global course information session
- Complete application for global course
Once accepted
- Register for global course
- Attend group travel health session for course, complete health form and submit to trip coordinator
- Watch Travel Smart Penn’s international traveler training video
- Get any required vaccines. Review more information and make an appointment at the Penn Wellness Travel Clinic.
- Apply for any required visas*
- Make sure passport is current, including duration of course abroad – provide copy to trip coordinator
- Sign Assumption of Risk and Release from Liability Form w/ Attestation form, submit this to course instructor or TA
- Refer to Penn-Affiliated student travel abroad checklist
- Make flight arrangements according to instructor instructions
- Familiarize yourself with travel insurance plan
- Familiarize yourself with International SOS re: 24/7 assistance abroad
*may be included in international health and risk management session
Additional Opportunities
SP2 students are welcome to explore other opportunities to gain a global perspective or experience.
Internationally-Focused Courses at SP2
Students interested in international issues may choose to take a semester-long course on Penn’s campus. These classes provide a global focus without the need to leave Philadelphia.
SWRK 7550: International Social Work: Practicing in the Global South
Pre-approved course for the Global Human Rights Certificate. This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to societal problems in the developing world; familiarize them with global professions in social work, education, public health, etc.; and help prepare them for overseas/cross-cultural practice. Through the course students will identify numerous strategies and skills social workers and other professionals have used to collaboratively build interventions within the human rights, social welfare, education, health care and sustainable community development arenas. The course will expose students to views of development as they relate to individual, interpersonal, family, community, societal and international change. Students will learn about the history of specific global problems, how cultures affect response, different social services delivery systems, and initiatives aimed at resolution. Students will explore a specific development issue within a country and community.
Students who have taken this course have come from graduate programs in Bioethics, Social Policy, Social Work, Education, Liberal Arts, African Studies, Law, Public Health, Nursing, and Engineering.
SWRK 7630: Global Human Rights and US Immigration: Implications for Policy & Practice
Pre-approved course for the Global Human Rights Certificate. This course will begin with the history of migration to the US, as well as legal definitions of newcomers, including obtaining documents for lawful permanent residence, refugee status, as well as grounds for exclusion and deportation, and paths to naturalized citizenship. We will then review how a framework of cultural competence, and a strength or asset-based approach can inform service to immigrant clients. The core portion of the course will then focus first on the intersection of immigrants and health, mental health, employment, crimes, public entitlements, and public education. The course will conclude with family issues relevant to immigrant families: women, children, lesbian and gay, and elderly immigrants. Public policy issues will be integrated throughout, and the course will end with specific suggestions on systems change at various levels. By the end of the course students should be able to identify strategies for individual clients advocacy (micro); agency and community strategies (mezzo), and government advocacy (macro) to empower immigrant clients to become full community participants.
NPLD 5640: Social Impact and International Development
Social Impact and International Development will explore impact creation in resource-constrained settings, especially outside of one’s home community. The class will cover:
- adapting solutions as a way of generating ideas,
- careful stakeholder segmentation,
- challenges of deliverables and distribution,
- revenue and developing a unit of transaction, and
- identifying and reducing uncertainty and risk.
Students will produce written and verbal reflections on the tensions of working in a developing context; insider-outsider identities and trade-offs; and ethics, tensions, and opportunities of working in and out of one’s home community.
NPLD 5670: Unleashing Large Scale Social Movements
There is no shortage of compelling ideas and effective interventions for making the world better, however, very few of these great ideas spread. Aspiring leaders of big social change rarely succeed in engaging others in a meaningful or comprehensive way, their passion and their knowledge reaching hundreds or thousands when millions more could benefit. There are exceptions to this pattern, however, and this course seeks to explain what sets apart the initiatives that become successful large- scale movements. These efforts reliably address three questions in order to have a big impact:
- How can we secure a genuine commitment from others to join us in the hard work ahead?
- How can we set a strategy that gives us leverage and reach, making the most of our finite resources?
- How can we take action, day in and day out, in such a way that we meet our aims for growth and impact, optimizing rapid learning and improvement by everyone in our movement?
Drawing on examples from around the world and across the social sector, this course will walk you through these questions and provide you with a blueprint for spreading ideas, innovations, and programs that work, allowing you to engage the most people possible to change behavior and social outcomes at scale.
NPLD 5820: NGOs and International Development
The first part of the course offers a broad perspective on development, aid, and the role of NGOs. The latter half of the course focuses on issues in NGO management: fundraising, staff (expatriate and local), monitoring and evaluation (including randomized controlled trials). The course is aimed at students with zero to moderate experience in international development, but students with extensive work experience with NGOs or development work are also welcome.
International Independent Studies
In limited cases, SP2 is able to assist students in setting up independent studies in other countries. In these situations, students must take the initiative with both SP2 and the proposed host institution in conceptualizing and planning the details of an individualized research program. Students will receive substantial assistance in this effort through their SP2 sponsoring faculty member.
Examples of recent international independent research projects successfully completed by students include:
- Arequipa, Peru: Adoption and Foster Care Systems Among Differing Cultures
- Refugee Civil Documentation Issues in Jordan
- Nutrition and Educational Outcomes of Migrant Children in China
- Adolescent Girls in Rural India: Issues and Paths for Change
- Social Program Evaluation in Latin America
- Connecting Global to Local: Race, Gender, Nationality & Immigrant Communities
- Intimate partner violence among Korean and Korea-American women
- Conducted in Korea by an MSW student in cooperation with a PhD alum
- Policy implications of the status differential between men and women in Macedonia
- Conducted in Macedonia by an MSSP student as part of her internship in Macedonia
- Comparative perspectives on K-12 education in Greenland and Hawaii
- Conducted in Greenland by an MSW student
- ‘Resiliency’ among Burmese refugee women in Thailand
- Conducted in Thailand by an MSW student in cooperation with a local NGO in Thailand and a Penn PhD alum
Penn’s Global Research & Internship Program
Penn’s Global Research & Internship Program (GRIP) provides opportunities for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to intern or conduct research abroad for eight to twelve weeks over the summer. GRIP partners with for-profit, nonprofit and non-governmental organizations around the world. Each intern will receive an award to offset their internship-related expenses, funded by the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, students who have already secured an internship or research opportunity abroad can apply for funding.
Learn more about Penn’s Global Research & Internship Program.
FLAS Fellowships
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies or with the international aspects of professional or fields of study.
The goals of the fellowship program are:
- To assist in the development of knowledge, resources, and trained personnel for modern foreign language and area or international studies.
- To foster foreign language acquisition and fluency.
- To develop a domestic pool of international experts to meet national needs.
FLAS fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the University of Pennsylvania’s Title VI National Resource Centers to assist students in acquiring foreign language and either area or international studies competencies, including the international aspects of professional or other fields of study. FLAS awards are available only for specific languages, and are contingent on federal funding. Please direct any questions to the FLAS Coordinator of your chosen language.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Applications by students in professional fields are encouraged. Preference will be given to applicants with a high level of academic ability and with previous language training. Academic Year and Summer FLAS awards are two separate competitions requiring two complete and separate applications.
Students receiving Academic Year Fellowships must be enrolled in full-time study for the duration of the FLAS award and must take one language course and one related area or international studies course each semester. Academic Year Fellows must be admitted to or enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or professional programs at the University of Pennsylvania. FLAS awards may be used in some cases for students participating in official overseas language programs and in very limited cases for dissertators. Summer Fellowships are for intensive language programs either domestically or abroad and require a separate application from the Academic Year Fellowship (minimum contact hours and duration of summer courses are outlined in the FLAS FAQ section).