Global Opportunities
An international view of social good
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.
The Netherlands
NPLD 7500: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Partnerships and Practices
NPLD 7500 explores the relationship between business and society through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a particular emphasis on corporate philanthropy. The central question we investigate is: What is the responsibility of business to society, if any? We examine how CSR is conceptualized, how it is practiced, the nature of partnerships formed with society, and its broader impact.
This is a travel course to the Netherlands, where we examine CSR in the European context and compare it with practices in the United States and India. The course includes site visits and lectures by Dutch academics at Erasmus University, as well as insights from local corporate and nonprofit practitioners.
Businesses engaging in philanthropic activities often leverage their CSR platforms to interact with society, either directly, through corporate foundations, or in collaboration with nonprofit organizations. While these activities may not be directly tied to profit-making ventures, they can enhance corporate reputation, serve as marketing tools, aid in talent recruitment, and improve employee engagement and commitment, ultimately contributing to profitability in indirect ways.
Pre-travel course meetings:
April 11th and 12th 9am to 12noon
Travel Days:
May 3 to May 14, 2026
This is a sample itinerary based on previous course arrangements. Speakers and excursions for 2026 will be finalized in the spring and may differ from previous years’ courses.
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: Welcome 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
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.
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.
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.
Drop with 100% refund of tuition and fees: April 3rd (30 days prior to travel)
Drop with 50% refund of tuition and fees: April 18th (15 days prior to travel)
Withdraw 0% refund of tuition and fees: April 19th
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 3rd 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 3rd at 5:00 pm until the evening of May 13th. 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.
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.
Femida Handy, PhD
Professor
215-573-2660
fhandy@upenn.edu
Scott Harkey
Instructor
harkeys@upenn.edu
Scott Harkey
Course Assistant
harkeys@upenn.edu
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 varied 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.
Pre-travel dates (online):
Friday, January 30th, 2026 1:00pm – 3:30pm ET, Friday, February 6th, 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET, Friday, February 13th 1:00pm – 3:30pm ET
Travel Days:
March 8 to March 14, 2026
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.
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.
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.
Drop with 100% refund of tuition and fees: February 6th (30 days prior to travel)
Drop with 50% refund of tuition and fees: February 21st (15 days prior to travel)
Withdraw 0% refund of tuition and fees: February 22nd
Arrival and Departure
Students should arrange to fly into San José International Airport (SJO) in Costa Rica by 2 pm on March 8th. 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.
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.
Adam Roth-Saks, MSEd
Senior Director of Operations, Catalyst @ Penn GSE
(215) 746-3149
adamsaks@upenn.edu
Montana Tamny
Program Manager, CSIS
tamnym11@upenn.edu
India – Microfinance
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(opens in a new tab) 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.
Pre-travel sessions (online):
9am to 12noon November 15th, December 16th and 20th
Trip Dates:
January 2 to January 12, 2026
There is no application available at this time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Femida Handy, PhD
Professor
fhandy@upenn.edu
Abigail Dickson
Abid1137@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(opens in a new tab) video
- Get any required vaccines. Review more information and make an appointment at the Penn Wellness Travel Clinic(opens in a new tab)
- Apply for any required visas(opens in a new tab)*
- 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(opens in a new tab)
- Make flight arrangements according to instructor instructions
- Familiarize yourself with travel insurance plan(opens in a new tab)
- Familiarize yourself with International SOS(opens in a new tab) 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. This course seeks to explain what sets apart the initiatives that become successful large-scale movements.
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).
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 (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.
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.
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.