World Campus students can have immersive international learning experiences

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Studying abroad provides college students with the chance to take their learning to a new level.

Through international educational experiences, students can immerse themselves in the course work they learned and in a new culture and its language. These kinds of opportunities also give students the chance to bond with their peers over a rich, shared experience and expand their network.

Through flexible options, financial support and advisory resources, Penn State World Campus supports online learners who want to study abroad.

Here are some of the ways Penn State World Campus students have enriched their learning by studying abroad.

Learning how national culture influences the workplace and beyond

Students taking a management course in the bachelor’s degree in business went to Denmark in the spring 2025 semester, and they deepened their understanding of what it takes to navigate different cultures.

In the course, MGMT 345: Cultural Intelligence in Leadership and Management, students learned the concepts of how national culture can influence the workplace, leadership styles, operations and communications of businesses in different countries. They are using Hydro, a leading aluminum and renewable energy company with 32,000 employees in 40 countries, as a case study of how a multinational corporation can adapt to local customs while maintaining a global identity.

Students toured a Hydro plant in Pennsylvania in February and visited Hydro facilities in Denmark and experienced Danish culture over spring break.

Penn State World Campus student Amie Ruth wanted to broaden her knowledge about the cultural differences in leadership and management. She works for a global company, and cultural intelligence is important to her in the workplace, she said.

“Stepping outside my comfort zone, meeting new people and bringing back insights to grow as a leader were my biggest goals,” Ruth said. “More than anything, I hoped to return with a deeper understanding of global business and the confidence to apply those lessons in my career.”

In the last weeks of the semester, the students completed a final assignment that synthesized course concepts and travel experiences by analyzing cultural dimensions they observed abroad.

Gaining insight from international industry professionals

Since 2017, the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations has offered online learners the chance to travel abroad to compare human resources and employment relations between the United States and another country.

The elective course LHR 499: Foreign Studies consists of instruction about global human resources and employment relations policies and an international weeklong trip for students to observe what they have been learning.

The trip fulfills credits toward the master of human resources and employment relations and undergraduate degrees in labor and employment relations. This semester, the course focused on comparing Hungary to the U.S with a trip in April.

The trip is a way for students to learn beyond the written curriculum, said Trisha Everhart, assistant director of online programs for the School of Labor and Employment Relations.

“It’s an opportunity for them to experience a totally different culture,” she said. “Over the course of the week, we watched students grow — not just in what they were learning academically, but in how they engaged with a new culture. Their confidence, curiosity and cultural awareness all expanded in ways that only happen when you’re really immersed in a different environment.”

Graduate student Patricia Rodriguez said the richest part of her experience was the daily immersion within a different culture than her own.

“This cultural exposure wasn’t just about seeing new sights,” she said. “It fostered adaptability, empathy and a deeper understanding of global interconnectedness — skills that have proven invaluable both personally and professionally.”

Engaging with industry professionals

Along with opportunities for structured study abroad trips, Penn State World Campus students also have access to attend academic and industry conferences.

Two students studying digital multimedia design had the opportunity in December to travel to Japan for an international computer graphics conference.

Ben Jacob and Andrea Barolo were the first Penn State online learners to serve as student volunteers at the SIGGRAPH Asia conference in Tokyo. At the conference, they immersed themselves in the latest technology and trends in the field, and they were able to network with industry leaders and gain insight into hiring processes at their most desired employers.

“That was the highlight for me, to sit down with people I revere and have this one-on-one conversation,” Jacob said.

Barolo said networking was one of the best parts of being a student volunteer.

“I feel like one of the biggest things a student can learn is definitely how to network and how to talk to people,” he said.

Faculty support

The students who participated in each international experience had the support and guidance of Penn State faculty from their academic degree programs.

Gina Whalen, an associate teaching professor of business, taught the MGMT 345 course and traveled with the students to Denmark.

"This trip was an incredible opportunity for students to put cultural intelligence into practice, and they didn’t just study culture — they lived it,” Whalen said. “From trying new foods to engaging in thoughtful conversations with locals, they embraced every moment. Seeing their curiosity, adaptability, and enthusiasm firsthand was a testament to the power of experiential learning."

Michael Collins, an associate teaching professor from the Penn State School of Visual Arts, attended SIGGRAPH conferences when he was an undergraduate student and encouraged his students to seek out the opportunity.

“Attending the conference is fantastic, but having the chance to build lifelong relationships with other students from around the world just doesn’t happen anywhere else,” Collins said. “It’s particularly impactful for World Campus students, who might not have the same opportunities to network that on-campus students might have.”

A Penn State education online

World Campus students can enrich their online learning experience through a wide variety of activities, including internships, service, clubs and organizations, and experiential learning like study abroad.

Learn more about the degree and certificate programs that are offered online through Penn State World Campus.