Experience

Why Semester at Sea?

For students looking for more than a typical single-country study abroad experience, Semester at Sea opens up a world of possibilities for academic, cross-cultural, and personal growth.

Global Citizenship Starts Here

For more than 60 years, Semester at Sea has been a pioneer and leader in multi-country comparative education. When you join a Semester at Sea voyage, you join a vibrant living and learning community on the adventure of a lifetime, visiting 10+ countries and coming home with a new perspective on the interplay of world cultures. Along the way, you’ll take courses with our award-winning faculty, enjoy guided travel in-country or plan your own travel, and build friendships for life.

Watch our overview video to learn more

Learning Cohorts

You may apply to participate in a learning cohort as part of your Semester at Sea experience. Semester at Sea currently offers two cohorts: 1) Social impact (the Chapman Impact Cohort); and 2) the Engineering Cohort. We encourage all engineering majors and students interested in the Chapman Impact program to indicate their interest when submitting their admission application.

Learn more:

97%

of voyagers

say SAS was their most significant college experience

42%

of voyagers

spend extended time living abroad after SAS

73%

of voyagers

experience long-term positive impact

22%

of voyagers

go on to work outside the United States

Semester at Sea Benefits

Global Experience

Unlike traditional study abroad programs, you will gain a comparative understanding of international cultures and the critical issues facing our world.

Academic Benefits

Earn college credits toward your degree while engaging with world-class faculty in an intensive live-learn environment on our ship and in destinations around the world.

Career Enhancement

Semester at Sea offers unique benefits for your post-college job search, from improved leadership skills to an invaluable global perspective on the challenges of tomorrow.

Personal Transformation

Semester at Sea participants begin as college students and return to their home campus as confident citizens of the world, ready to embark on a life of learning and adventure.

Hear From Past Voyagers

Headshot of Jennifer DiGiuseppe

Semester at Sea was a truly life changing event that is unmeasurable to how it has shaped me to be the person I am today. I was not one to travel before this trip and didn’t want to study abroad in a place I knew I could easily get to later in life. This trip planted the travel bug in me, opened my mind, introduced me to life long friends and changed the way I view the world we live in. The smallest moments are some of the largest most impactful moments I had. This was the most educational experience I have ever received and there is no cost to how valuable it has been to me. Thank you semester at sea for truly changing my life.

Headshot of Lindsay Rappaport

Semester at Sea was and still is the most impactful thing I have done in my life. It dramatically changed how I viewed the world and who I am as a person. It opened my eyes to how diverse and fascinating the world is from the lens of a semi sheltered girl from Los Angeles. I thought growing up in Los Angeles introduced me to all the diversity there was, but once I traveled to all these countries around the world and truly saw how people lived and experienced life, it completely changed my view. It showed me people of the world are kind and have interesting and wonderful stories to tell and I never would have experienced that without Semester at Sea. I am forever grateful to everything Semester at Sea taught me and I still emphatically share my experience with anyone who will listen and continue to travel the world, even 12 years later.

Ready to Set Sail?

Take the first step on the journey of a lifetime.