Travel Opportunities
We’re Beavers—close to home and around the globe. Through travel study and study abroad opportunities we cultivate our purpose and build cultural awareness. As an undergraduate student at our Storm Lake campus, you have access to domestic and international trips every academic year during May Term courses. Where will BVU take you?
Buena Vista University brings the world to our students and our students to the world. With our travel and global engagement experiences, you will graduate as a well-informed, culturally competent, and confident person.
Through BVU's travel programs, our students become more confident, more articulate, more adventuresome, and more reflective. They make new friends, develop new skills, and become new and better versions of themselves. Each year, students find the perfect placement matching both their life and academic goals. Will you be one of those students this year?
Faculty-Led Travel
During our May Term—and at other times of the year—we sponsor domestic and international study trips led by faculty. Financial support is available to assist students with these experiences. These three credit hour courses last up to three weeks and can include an on-campus classroom element.
Interested? Contact the Director of Travel.
Study Abroad
Looking to expand the boundaries of your education? Experience the world through our study abroad programs where you can explore another country for a semester, an academic year, or the summer. BVU offers financial support for study abroad which is up to 12 credit hours through a foreign institution.
Contact the Director of Travel for details.
Internships
Dive further into your area of study with an internship. Internships are typically three credit hours and allow you to experience a professional working environment while gaining practical knowledge.
Reach out to your Academic Advisor for more information.
- Students
- Faculty
Students
Application Process
To register for a trip, students must
- Fill out the Travel Application Form
- Pay the deposit
Approval for the application will be granted by the following:
- Faculty Advisor
- Health Services
- Student Success
- Business Office
Once approved, the Registrar will notify you that you have been approved and enrolled in the course.
View the Full Details on Registering for TravelFunding
Costs for travel courses vary depending on duration, location, and activities for each trip. Each price is published with a summary of the trip and the dates of the course.
- You must pay a non-refundable deposit before being considered for additional funding. The deposit is 10 percent of the published price of the trip.
- You may apply for Value Added Funds, which are funds provided by generous benefactors to cover the cost of credit-bearing-travel, internships and research.
Faculty
Travel courses are offered for academic credit. Faculty leading the travel courses set the parameters of their experiences while also meeting the guidelines set forth by the University.
Faculty plan trips that allow students to experience another culture, while also receiving an education in a safe and healthy environment.
Faculty interested in leading or joining a travel course must consider the following:
- To propose a travel course, you must fill out a proposal form to submit to the Dean.
- Consider the cost of the trip.
- Know the deposit (10 percent of the total cost per person per trip).
- Establish a payment schedule.
- Prepare a syllabus which includes objectives of the course.
McCorkle Fellows
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Paul and Vivian McCorkle, longtime benefactors of the university, the McCorkle Fellowship Program began in 2006 as a way to enhance the university's focus on global issues.
A different region of the world is selected for every trip. Faculty members compete to participate in a trip that will enable themselves and students to learn about the destination and bring that knowledge back to the classroom. Faculty and students prepare for the trip with readings and pre-travel seminars. Upon their return, faculty members share their new international perspectives and learning in the classroom and throughout the University.
Request Information
Learn More
Find out more about BVU.
