Semester At Sea, University of Virginia

The MV Explorer is the "floating university campus" for the longstanding Semester at Sea (SAS) study abroad program, and the University of Virginia is the academic sponsor that grants academic credit for participation in SAS courses. Built in 2002, the ship is fully equipped as a small college campus with classrooms, 8,000-volume library, computer lab, student union, 2 dining rooms, campus store, fitness center and sports deck, swimming pool, and medical clinic. Student living areas are arranged much like campus residence hall environments. One of the fastest and safest ships afloat, the MV Explorer quickly becomes home each semester to a shipboard community of approximately 700 students, distinguished faculty hailing from universities in the US and abroad, and qualified staff from various institutions of higher education.

SAS focuses on the undergraduate study abroad program, which is available to students seeking their first bachelor's degree at any accredited college or university. During the fall and spring semester voyages, there are approximately 70 unique courses offered from a variety of disciplines, making shipboard education possible for all majors at lower and upper levels. While en route to each port, SAS arranges for the students to attend lectures given by local experts and many class projects are completed on arrival at a destination.

The International Field Program is an integral part of Semester at Sea, actively involving students in the countries visited. Educational activities on land are designed to complement classroom instruction, with 20% of course requirements fulfilled through the Field Program. The Semester at Sea study abroad program enables students to take advantage of field trips in each country visited that provide both structured and informal activities, permitting students to observe, compare, interact with, and participate in the different societies visited.

All SAS itineraries take students to a wide range of countries where you will experience exotic and vibrant cultures, developing economies, and diverse political systems. Itineraries are planned to complement the focus of the academic program on global and comparative studies and will take you to exciting places well beyond the traditional study abroad destinations. A common itinerary for a fall voyage may include stops in Brazil, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Costa Rica, while a spring voyage may also visit Asia and include Spain, Italy, Turkey and Egypt as well. In addition, shorter summer voyages have a regional focus in Europe, Asia, or Latin America. Please refer to the SAS Website for the most up-to-date itineraries for upcoming voyages, since ports-of-call may be subject to change.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis and Semester at Sea gives out $1.7 million in financial aid and grants each year.

Take a virtual tour of the ship

For questions, e-mail Info@semesteratsea.org , or call (800) 854-0195.