Short-Term Abroad Programs

Short-Term Abroad Courses

To excel in their career, our students need not only a deep understanding of global and regional issues but also the ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead in a cross-cultural environment. Short-term abroad programs allow students to strengthen these skills as they travel with Elliott School professors to their regions of expertise. Students will earn credit faster through these intensive academic and cultural experiences and increase their international knowledge and skills.

Winter 2027 Elliott School Short-Term Abroad Program

Taiwan Resilience under Military Coercion

Location: Taipei City & Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Dates abroad: December 29th, 2026 - January 9th, 2027

Faculty lead: Dan Peck

Pre-departure class dates:

• Two Saturday Sessions TBA

Description: Taiwan Resilience under Bombardment, Blockade, and Invasion; Past, Present, and Future is a three-credit short-term abroad course focused on a major global flashpoint. Located at the heart of the Asia-Pacific region, central to intensifying U.S.-China strategic competition, and the target of focused and growing coercion from China's military, Taiwan could face military aggression in the near future. This course will examine a likely near term or future war, placed in the context of historical lessons learned, and framed by current and emerging technological development. The course will explore what a war involving China, Taiwan, the United States might entail, specifically China's military capabilities and options for coercion and compellence. Students will consider Taiwan’s whole of society resilience by visiting organizations and leaders at several key locations around Taiwan. Students will undertake a group project and an individual research paper assessing key factors related to China's coercive options, Taiwan's readiness and resilience, or elements of how a conflict would impact Taiwan, China, the region, the global economy, and the international order.

This course is open to only graduate students.

Application link

Information Sessions: TBA

State and Society in Egypt

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Dates abroad: December 29th, 2026 - January 9th, 2027

Faculty lead: Nathan Brown

Pre-departure class dates:

• Three Sessions TBA

Description:

This course will focus on state institutions in Egypt and their engagement with Egyptian society. There will be a special focus on religious, civil society, and legal institutions since those are fairly accessible but often less understood; they also fall within the expertise of the instructors.  The class will combine some sessions on the GW campus and some in Cairo on the campus of the American University in Cairo; classroom sessions will be supplemented by site visits in the Cairo area. In looking at Egyptian legal institutions, the course will examine the role played by those institutions in shaping and being shaped by existing social structures. The course's examination of religious institutions in Egypt will offer insight into their role in Egyptian society and the relationship among legal, religious, and political structures in Egypt. And there will be consideration of how civil society navigates the political landscape in Egypt.  

This STAP course is open to graduate students and qualified, upper-level undergraduates.

Application link

Information Sessions: TBA

Spring Break 2027 Elliott School Short-Term Abroad Program

Intelligence Partnerships in Democratic Societies: Cooperation, Intelligence Diplomacy, and National Security Decision-Making

Location: Brussels, Belgium & London, UK

Dates abroad:  March 6th - March 13th, 2026

Faculty lead: Paul Shaya & Matthew Salvetti

Pre-departure class dates: TBA

Post-trip class dates: TBA

Description: From James Bond to Jack Ryan, popular culture has long portrayed intelligence as the work of individual nations and their secret services. In reality, intelligence is an inherently international enterprise: much of the work takes place overseas, and the United States increasingly relies on close cooperation with allies and partners. In an era of strategic competition with China, Russia, and other regional powers, this "intelligence diplomacy" is more important than ever to address rising geopolitical challenges, cyber threats, disinformation, terrorism, and other transnational issues. The program will take students to Brussels and London—two of the world's most important centers of both international security cooperation and intelligence activity—to engage directly with practitioners and institutions at the heart of these partnerships.

This STAP course is open to graduate students and qualified, upper-level undergraduates.

Application link

Information Sessions: TBA

Understanding How Gender, Climate Change, and Ethnic Marginalization Intersect in Kenya

Locations: Nairobi, Kenya

Dates abroad:  March 5th - March 13th, 2026

Faculty lead: Andrea Bertone

Pre-departure class dates: February 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, 7:10 - 9:00pm

Description:  

Understanding How Gender, Climate Change, and Ethnic Marginalization Intersect in Kenya explores how climate change affects women and marginalized communities—and how those communities are responding. Using an intersectional lens, students will examine the connections among gender inequality, climate vulnerability, land tenure, economic opportunity, and ethnic marginalization, with particular attention to Maasai pastoralist communities. The course will also investigate the relationship between Kenya’s national policies on climate adaptation and gender equality and their implementation at the community level.

This course is open to graduate students and qualified, upper-level undergraduates.

Application link

Information Sessions: TBA

Summer 2027 Elliott School Short-Term Abroad Programs

Climate Frontlines: Lessons from the Amazon for Global Environmental Security

Location: Brasília & Belém, Brazil

Dates abroad: TBA

Faculty lead: Renata Avelar Giannini

Pre-departure class dates: TBA

Post-Departure Class Date: TBA

Description:  Environmental change is no longer a future concern. It is already reshaping security, governance, and everyday life across the globe. From climate-driven displacement and environmental crime to pressures on food, water, and public health systems, today’s environmental challenges are deeply political and increasingly destabilizing. Understanding these dynamics is essential for anyone seeking to work in international affairs, security studies, development, or environmental policy. 

This 3-credit summer short term abroad course offers students the analytical tools and real-world exposure needed to make sense of environmental insecurity in one of the most consequential regions on the planet: the Amazon. Grounded in the concept of human security, students will analyze environmental crime, deforestation, territorial disputes, and climate governance in a biome approaching a global tipping point. Through engagement with practitioners, and a strong focus on justice, governance, and conflict sensitivity, students will learn not only how environmental risks emerge, but how effective, ethical, and sustainable responses can be designed. 

This STAP course is only open to graduate students.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply?

To begin an Online Application, use the links above or find the brochure for the program(s) you are interested in applying for in the programs section of GW Passport. Once there, click "Apply Now" to be in an application. (If no “Apply Now” button appears, the application cycle for the program is not yet open.) Students must apply via GW passport and log in using their GW Net ID and password. You will select the semester in which you wish to study abroad. The system will then direct you to your application home page. Complete all e-signature documents, fillable forms, and offline requirements as listed on the right side of the screen.

Are there funding opportunities available for these programs?

ESIA does not offer any short-term abroad-specific scholarships at this time, but we encourage students to look into external funding opportunities. If you have funding or scholarships for tuition, you can apply them to the cost of tuition. If you have other scholarships or funding, please check with the financial aid office to see if they can be applied to the other program fee costs posted to your student account.

What if I missed the info session?

Please email esiashorttermgwu [dot] edu (esiashortterm[at]gwu[dot]edu) for info session recordings.

I am a faculty member interested in creating a STAP course; how should I proceed?

A call for STAP proposals for the next academic year is circulated to faculty during the Spring semester. If you are interested in creating a program, please email esiashorttermgwu [dot] edu (esiashortterm[at]gwu[dot]edu.)

If you have any questions about Short-term Abroad programs, please contact esiashorttermgwu [dot] edu (esiashortterm[at]gwu[dot]edu).