CAPA Study Abroad | Sample Custom Programs

Our flexible custom program options take advantage of CAPA’s more than 45 years of expertise in creating academic and internship programs in global cities. CAPA works directly with faculty and study abroad staff to tailor a program that will meet every institution’s academic, logistic, and risk management needs at a price accessible to your students. We manage all aspects of predeparture advising and in-country support, allowing faculty to focus on teaching.

Custom Program Locations

Discover custom program opportunities across our locations below and view previous custom programs that took place in each city.

Explore more custom program opportunities and locations HERE.

Barcelona, Spain

CAPAStudyAbroad_Summer2022_Barcelona_TaylorAtkinson_group photo with friends at Parc Güell

Sample Disciplines:

Architecture
Art & Design
Business
Dance
Education
Exercise Science
Globalization
History
Internships & Professional Development
Political Science
Public Health

CAPA-Led Learning Opportunities:

Compare architectural styles in Barcelona’s historic Gothic quarter to the modern style in the Eixample neighborhood on walking tours led by professional guides and CEA CAPA faculty.
Listen and ask questions with a guest expert on Barcelona’s policies supporting refugees from the Mediterranean migration crisis.
Explore the challenges and advantages of life and work in Barcelona by speaking with working professionals, startup entrepreneurs, educators, and other experts during a site visit or guest lecture.
Include a bespoke internship placement in Barcelona to support student growth of cross-cultural communication skills and networking.

Cultural Engagement

Explore Mediterranean cuisine and culture through a cooking class or tapas tasting experience.
Take a Flamenco dance lesson or attend a performance.
Visit Camp Nou, the famed home stadium of FC Barcelona.

Excursions

Day trip to Montserrat including the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, and hiking along the mountain to admire the panoramic views.
Day trip to Girona and Figueres with a walking tour of Girona and entrance to the Dali Museum.

Learn more about Barcelona with our Barcelona City Guide.

SHORT-TERM FACULTY-LED PROGRAM WITH HBCU

Participants on this program include students from the home institution as well as faculty members who lead discussions with students in a course taught by CAPA faculty in Spain. Faculty leaders explore a global context for their disciplines and develop study abroad program leadership skills. Through lectures, walking tours, and a collaborative project that connects students to another cohort in Florence, these joint programs focus on globalization and social dynamics associated with this through a course that was co-developed with the home institution and CAPA faculty.

READ NOW: CONNECTING GLOBALLY USING TECHNOLOGY

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SEMESTER PROGRAM

This program was designed to replicate the institution’s own center-based study abroad programs, and consists of closed courses taught by CAPA and a visiting faculty from the institution. The program makes use of CAPA’s extensive network of faculty in Barcelona from a variety of disciplines, as well as the study center classroom space and on-site academic, program, and student support services.

Dublin, Ireland

Sample Disciplines:

Business
Criminal Justice
Education
History
Internships & Professional Development
Irish Culture & Heritage
Poetry and Literature
Music
Political Science
Psychology
Religious Studies

CAPA-Led Learning Opportunities:

Tour Dublin’s booming business neighborhood to learn about the development of the technology and innovation sector in Ireland and its relationship to the broader socio-political effects of industry on power structures and gentrification.
Engage with local business owners, faculty, and experts in their fields through site visits and guest speakers to learn first-hand about how different organizations are run in Ireland.
Include bespoke internship placements in Dublin to support student growth of cross-cultural communication skills and networking.
Offer an introductory workshop and overview of Irish Language, including Gaelic history and cultural use, common words and pronunciations, political implications of language & Gaeltachts, and the features of Hiberno-English (Irish English dialect).

Cultural Engagement

Enjoy an evening of Irish food, music, and dance at a historic restaurant.
Take a tour and see a sporting event at Croke Park.
Enjoy a theatre or dance performance at the Abbey Theatre.
Visit Kilmainham Gaol to learn about Irish history through the stories of people convicted of crimes across historic chapters of Irish history, from the 1798 rebellion to the Irish Civil War.

Excursions

Day trip to the famous Cliffs of Moher and Galway—explore the scenic Cliffs and the Burren, and enjoy a cultural walking tour of the bustling streets of Galway.
Day trip to Belfast for a guided tour to hear first-hand the local experiences and repercussions of conflict in Northern Ireland and visit the famous political murals and Peace Wall; visit the Titanic Museum to learn about the history of the ship-making industry and its impact on local culture.

Learn more about Dublin with our Dublin City Guide.

3-WEEK IRISH CULTURE & HISTORY PROGRAM

Students from a small private university on this summer program enroll in two courses, one that is CAPA-taught by a local Irish faculty member, and the other taught by a faculty member visiting from their home institution. The program focuses on Irish culture and heritage as a subject with several excursions to Belfast, Cliffs of Moher & Galway, and Kilkenny & Wicklow.

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SEMESTER PROGRAM

On this custom program, students from a large public university enroll in CAPA Dublin courses at our study center or at a local Irish university. To ensure students understand the cultural dynamics of Dublin and Ireland, the Institution and CAPA collaborate to offer a course on Irish History and Culture that is required for all students studying abroad in Dublin from the Institution. This course includes field study within and outside of Dublin, and fosters a sense of community during students’ time abroad.

Florence, Italy

Sample Disciplines:

Agriculture & Food Studies
Art History
Business
Education
Engineering
Italian Language & Culture
Health & Wellness
Media Studies
Philosophy
Sociology
Studio Art
Women’s Studies

CAPA-Led Learning Opportunities:

Tour a Tuscan farm to learn about sustainable farming and production practices.
Compare US and Italian education policy, certification, and approaches to early childhood education by attending a panel of local experts.
Visit women-owned businesses, such as chef-owners in the tourism and hospitality industry in Florence to sample their cuisine.
Examine the architectural styles of Renaissance Florence on a guided walking tour including Florence’s famous Duomo.
Volunteer at a local soup kitchen, for a city beautification project, or in local schools.

Cultural Engagement

Hike to the top of Fiesole Hill and take in the view of the city.
Tour a local market and gather food for a traditional Italian cooking class.
Take a guided tour of the famous Uffizi galleries or the Accademia Gallery to see Michaelangelo’s David statue.

Excursions

Spend the day in Tuscan towns of Siena and San Gimignano learning about Italian history and culture with entrances to the Siena Duomo and Piccolomini.
Visit the historic university-town of Bologna with a tour of the city in the morning, followed by an afternoon tour of a balsamic vinegar producer in nearby Modena.
Take an overnight excursion to Rome and the Vatican with a guided walking tour of ancient Rome, and tours and entry to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.

Learn more about Florence with our Florence City Guide.

FALL SEMESTER ART & ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM

CAPA designed this semester-long program in collaboration with a community college with financial accessibility in mind. By customizing the program length and CAPA-taught courses, alongside courses taught by visiting faculty from the home institution, the program is more accessible to students on this long-standing semester study abroad program. CAPA provides pre-departure recruitment and marketing support, as well as on-site support for this diverse group of students and visiting faculty.

3-WEEK COMPARATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Run as an early summer program to align with the school calendar in Florence, this program includes visits to local schools that employ the various renowned learning methods that were founded in Italy such as Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Through our contacts, CAPA arranges for panel discussions with local experts and teachers on educational policy, certification, and approach. Two visiting faculty each teach a section of the course designed for both undergraduate and graduate education majors.

London, England

Sample Disciplines:

Business
Communications
Economics
Health
History
Internships & Professional Development
Literature
Political Science
Psychology
Theater
Writing

CAPA-Led Learning Opportunities:

Engage with local entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals through site visits and guest speakers to learn about the business and social landscape of the UK.
Analyze the impact of immigration and multi-culturalism after visiting diverse and famous areas like Brick Lane, the East End, Camden, or Brixton.
Act or write in a theater workshop.
Include bespoke internship placements in London to support student growth of cross-cultural communication skills and networking.

Cultural Engagement

Tour the Houses of Parliament.
Try food from around the world in famed multicultural spots like Camden Town and Borough Market.
Quibble and question at Speaker's Corner.
Explore a wide variety of renowned and free museums.

Excursions

Visit Bath and Stonehenge for a glimpse into pre-historic and Regency Britain.
Take the train to Cambridge for museums, punting, and a taste of life among the world's greatest minds.
Travel to Brighton to explore the history and LGBTQIA+ culture in a quaint seaside town.

Learn more about London with our London City Guide.

FALL SEMESTER THEATER PROGRAM

Under the leadership of CAPA’s Director of Theatre Education, a select group of BFA students from a large public university take an intensive acting course and a series of theater workshops using CAPA’s black box theater space, The Street, and other performance venues in London. A course of choice through the CAPA London fall program rounds out the curriculum. Excursions include a customized visit to Stratford-upon-Avon and excursions and cultural events and activities through the CAPA London program.

SHORT-TERM SOCIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM

Students on this January-term faculty-led program explore and compare how the Black Lives Matter movement has taken root in London and nearby Bristol, and examine the Black experience through art, film, race, class, gender, and sexuality. The program is intentionally layered with various perspectives on the Black Lives Matter movement through guest speakers, site visits to various organizations and Black-owned businesses, Black history walking tours, and a day of community service.

Sydney, Australia

Sample Subjects:

Architecture
Art
Biology
Business
Communications
Design
Health
Human Development
Internships & Professional Development
Political Science
Psychology
Sport Management

CAPA-Led Learning Opportunities:

Understand how indigenous Australians lived off the land, using plants for food and medicine through a tour of the Sydney Botanical Gardens.
Evaluate the impact of settlement and social movements throughout history after touring The Rocks neighborhood.
Include bespoke internship placements in Sydney to support student growth of cross-cultural communication skills and networking.
Visit a local charity and learn how their community-focused work has impacts far beyond Sydney.

Cultural Engagement

Tour behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera House.
Climb a pylon at the base of Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge while learning the importance of the Bridge and surrounding areas to Sydney's history.
Board a harbor cruise and enjoy lunch while learning about the city and its history.

Excursions

Head to the Blue Mountains for a day of trekking through the Bush, including a packed lunch and a meet and greet with native species at the wildlife park.
Sleepover at the Taronga Zoo on a Roar and Snore.
Visit Jervis Bay to learn about the stunning natural seascape, rich biodiversity, and ecological preservation efforts.

Learn more about Sydney with our Sydney City Guide.

WINTER TERM WELLNESS PROGRAM

Over three weeks, students from a large public university explore health and wellness in Australian Culture with a faculty member from their home campus. In collaboration with the home university, CAPA hires guest speakers to join the class to discuss mindfulness and positive ageing. Outside of class, visits include a Bush Tucker Tour highlighting native plant species and how Indigenous Australians lived off the land; farmers markets; and a day trip to the Blue Mountains.

SUMMER STUDY & INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

On this 6-week summer program, students from a large public university earn six credits by either enrolling in two content courses or a course plus an internship. Courses include CAPA’s signature course, Analyzing and Exploring the Global City: Sydney, taught by a CAPA faculty member, and an intercultural communication course taught by the visiting faculty from the home institution. An overnight “Roar and Snore” excursion to the Taronga Zoo builds community with a noteworthy and engaging cultural activity.

Sample CAPA Custom Programs

Custom Program Locations

Barcelona, Spain

Dublin, Ireland

Florence, Italy

London, England

Sydney, Australia

Get in Touch with CAPA