LIU Global

LIU Global offers the only program in the world that integrates a series of yearlong cultural immersions into a progressive, four-year Bachelor of Arts degree. During its 46 year history, LIU Global (previously Friends World Program) has established itself as a leader in experiential education, providing students with an individualized in... read more LIU Global offers the only program in the world that integrates a series of yearlong cultural immersions into a progressive, four-year Bachelor of Arts degree. During its 46 year history, LIU Global (previously Friends World Program) has established itself as a leader in experiential education, providing students with an individualized international experience as well as a broad-based liberal arts education from one of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the country.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree program spend the first three years living and learning at the College’s overseas centers and program sites in Costa Rica, China, India, Australia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ecuador and Peru, engaging with a variety of cultures and people through coursework, fieldwork, service learning projects, internships, independent studies and immersion.

Studies begin with a foundation year at the Costa Rica Center in Heredia City, Costa Rica. In the second year, students can choose to study at the India Center or can participate in the Comparative Religion and Culture Program (CRC), a yearlong program that brings students to Taiwan, India, Thailand and Turkey. As juniors, students can spend an academic year at the China Center or traveling with CRC. In addition, they also have the option to spend the fall semester traveling through South America and/or the spring semester in Australia. The final year of the program begins with an independently designed research project in a location of the student’s choice and culminates in a semester in New York City where students complete a series of capstone experiences and a senior thesis. Over the course of the program, students build language skills, gain hands-on experience and acquire a cross-cultural education that is valuable to employers in today’s globalized economy.

LIU Global promotes an experiential educational approach to the program, with most of the student work at the centers being in the form of independent research projects, local involvement and internships at various organizations. The emphasis is on cultural studies, arts, language, development and sustainability issues and international relations but students study a wide variety of subjects under the instruction and guidance of their advisors. Less