Learn & Travel
Visit several countries and cities while gaining a global education experience.
Semester at Sea
- Eligibility Requirements
- 2.5 cumulative GPA
- Class standing: Sophomore, Junior, Senior
- Restrictions: None, open to all SUNY students
- Program Information
Since 1963, Semester at Sea has brought college students, world-class faculty, and international experts together to travel, learn, and grow on board a campus unlike any other. On the MV World Odyssey, the shipboard community shares their expertise and experience with one another to create an immersive, inclusive, and boundary-crossed learning environment while stopping in 10–12 countries each semester.
Check out: Day in the Life of a Semester at Sea Student
On board you will find nine classrooms, a fitness center, four dining options, two cafes, a library, a pool, a wellness center, and a student union. There are also places on the ship to do laundry and to get salon services done (i.e. getting a haircut, manicure, shave, etc).
Students spend an average of 45 days throughout their semester in-country. When docked in port, opportunities range from service projects, to historical site visits, to exchanges with locals, to homestays. Learn more: A Day In-Country
- Academic Information
Academic programming on Semester at Sea promotes a global, hands-on, comparative approach that connects clearly articulated learning outcomes with faculty expertise for each voyage itinerary. Global Studies, our core course (three credits), is required of all students and provides a broad and comparative exploration of our interconnected and interdependent world. In addition to Global Studies, Semester at Sea students select 3–4 three-credit courses across a wide range of disciplines. Typically one-third of the courses are lower-division and two-thirds upper-division, constituting a variety of topics representing faculty expertise and voyage relevance.
Colorado State University (CSU) serves as the academic partner to Semester at Sea. Semester at Sea students receive CSU transcripts upon the successful completion of voyage courses, which then transfer to SUNY Plattsburgh.
- Programs & Majors
- Anthropology
- Art
- Broadcast Journalism
- Business Administration
- Communication Studies
- Ecology
- Economics
- Education
- English
- Environmental Geoscience/Science/Studies
- Fitness/Wellness Leadership
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- HDFR
- Management
- Marketing
- Music
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Theater
- Housing
The MV World Odyssey is the Semester at Sea campus. Students stay in double or triple cabins, much like an on-campus dormitory. All student cabins are equipped with a TV, mini-refrigerator, closets, drawers, a restroom (shower, toilet, shelf space), and a safe shared between cabin mates. Linens, towels and cabin cleaning are provided daily by cabin stewards. The MV World Odyssey meets the International Maritime Organization’s SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Public Health requirements, as well as all other statutory standards.
360 Degree Virtual Student Cabin Tours
- Support Services
Each voyage brings together a new, diverse group of people from all different walks of life. Our community represents all ages, races, cultures and sexual orientations, and our 200 multinational crew members representing 50 nationalities adds to this rich mix. We pride our program on its ability to connect people from various parts of the world. Our community supports all individuals and respects diversity of viewpoint. Our students have access to all the support services available on a traditional land-based campus, including dedicated resident directors, mental health counselors, and medical professionals.
Learn more about Community Life and Support Services.
- Cost
- Application Information
The first step of the application process is to complete the SUNY Plattsburgh study abroad application and submit all additional materials, which include official transcripts, academic references, and a study statement. You will also be linked to the Semester at Sea application and receive a promotional code to waive the Semester at Sea application fee. Once your application is complete and has been reviewed, students will be sent additional instructions on how to move forward in their application process. It is important that you complete your application materials in this order because if you do not, it could delay your acceptance into the program.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, please allow at least 2 weeks from the time of submission before reaching out.
Application Deadlines
- March 15 for fall (extensions are granted)
- October 1 for spring (extensions are granted)