CED Study Abroad Programs
Several College of Education faculty regularly host study abroad opportunities, which are open to students in the CED and may be open to students from other colleges. These programs are generally offered during university breaks, such as winter or summer sessions.
Please contact the relevant faculty member for further information on the programs they offer. Additionally, the Center for International Education provides a full listing of faculty-led programs from across the university, many of which are open to undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students from any college.
Graduate/Post-Baccalaureate Programs Abroad
Alex Morales — Cambodian Culture, Education, and Diaspora

This class provides an examination and analysis of history and conditions leading to the diaspora of Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge Regime and to the resettlement of many in California, including social and psychological effects for individuals and families. Examination of current educational issues in Cambodia and local Cambodian communities in the U.S. are also part of the class. The class also provides students the opportunity to become involved in project-based learning activities for impoverished children, students, and their families in Cambodia. These activities take place in collaboration with Hearts Without Boundaries and Rescue Task Force, two U.S. non-profit organizations that provide heart surgery, dental services, and educational support.


Bita Ghafoori — COUN 680: Advanced Treatment Seminar, Study Abroad Course in the U.S. and Greece
This elective course provides training on current evidence-based treatment for individuals and families contending with depression and anxiety disorders, including stress and loss, in adults and children. Actual materials that can be used for treatment will be provided along with opportunities to practice interventions and techniques in class. The overall intent is to “fill in the gaps” in students’ knowledge about how to design and implement a course of therapy for common psychological presentations. While in Greece, students have the opportunity to dialogue with Greek students who are obtaining a M.S. in Psychology, attend a psychodrama of a Greek family therapy by a Greek professor with a specialty in family therapy, discuss Socratic questioning in Delphi (where Socrates and Plato engaged in Socratic dialogue), and visit historic and cultural sites such as Temple of Zeus, Acropolis, Balos Lagoon, Castle of Rethymno, and Chania.

Undergraduate Programs Abroad
Opportunities for Summer Terms
Course Credit
L/ST 471: Social Studies Capstone (3 units)
Course Description
Course content excursions, events and site visitations will expose students to Scandinavian history, heritage, and culture throughout the trip.
For Liberal Studies Majors:
L/ST 471 is a three-unit course designed to provide pre-service teachers with a more intensive understanding of the content and disciplinary skills of history and the social sciences pursuant to the K-8 curriculum in History/Social Science in California. Assessment and inquiry will focus upon student literacy in the social sciences, integrating geographical perspectives with historical analysis, and facilitating student depth of knowledge and global perspective in understanding contemporary California, and Early American and Pre-Modern World history.
Course will include 1 mandatory pre-travel departure meetings
The first two classes will take place on campus at CSULB.
The remainder of course meetings will take place in Finland.
Course Credit
L/ST 250: World Historical Geography (4 units)
Course Description
What is this course about and why is it important?
In this survey of early world history, students shall be introduced to the major cultural, economic, social and political characteristics of the early civilizations of the world. Chronological focus shall be on the Ancient (3500 BCE to 500 BCE) and Classical (500 BCE to 500 CE) periods, encompassing the content and chronology of the 6th Grade California Social Science Curriculum. Our focus will be to construct a historical geography framework and to do so with a global perspective that emphasizes interaction between civilizations and major cultures in the early world. Special attention shall be given to the Mediterranean region, with focus on its increasing intensity of cross-cultural contact and exchange between cultures and civilizations over time. Students shall examine the importance of trade, the spread of world religions, and the role of nomadic pastoralism in the diffusion of culture and technology across the periods of study. Students will examine and analyze evidence of broader civilizational developments, the rise of global empires, and the spread cross-cultural trade.
Course will include 1-2 mandatory pre-trip meetings - dates TBD.
*Could meet the undergraduate history GE requirements, or serve as extracurricular units if needed.
*Travel only option available for a small number of attendees.
The Semester-Abroad Experience
Liberal Studies students who want to take a full load of classes (four or five traditionally) during the Spring or Fall term(s) essentially "build their own journey." Students are encouraged to do their own research on opportunities and places abroad beforehand, and afterward will meet with an Advisor to discuss possible major course substitutions and credits, sign contracts, and then continue to meet with the Study Abroad office to finalize documentation and payments.
We recommend students to start on the CSULB Study Abroad Website. The Study Abroad / International Studies Office provides information sessions, searchable databases with options around the world, and scheduling options with a Study Abroad Advisor.
Here are some recommended and historically-popular Study Abroad Semester sites to discuss with a Study Abroad Advisor for our Liberal Studies students, based on the breadth of course offerings that align with program requirements:
- Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- CSULB London Semester
- Dankook University, Seoul, South Korea
- Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
- Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
- John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
- Mary Immaculate, Limerick, Ireland
- University of Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
We recommend that students explore the website for possible places and/or institutions of interest around the world. And touch base with a Study Abroad Advisor, either through information sessions and follow-up Q&A and/or scheduling a meeting through your Single-Sign-On under 'Beach Connect'. The Study Abroad Advisors will review eligibility, application documents and processes, finances and deadlines, etc..
After meeting with a Study Abroad advisor and determining a university/courses abroad of interest, the next step is to meet with a Liberal Studies advisor to discuss substitutions and/or equivalencies. The Liberal Studies curriculum is fairly specific and student's won't generally find "automatic" equivalencies to know what credit they are getting for their classes abroad. It's important and required to meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss which graduation requirements at CSULB will be met with Study Abroad coursework. The Liberal Studies Advisor will also sign with approval on the Study Abroad contract, which will designate which course/major classes are being met abroad.
- Students can refer to the Liberal Studies for directions on how to reach a Liberal Studies advisor (phone, drop-ins, appointments).
If you let us know which courses and locations of the world you are most interested in, we'll take a look at your academic plan and see what works best in course equivalencies toward graduation.