Global Residency Course Offerings, Costs, and Eligibility
Upcoming Global Perspective Residencies
Every year, GSPM faculty lead short-term study abroad courses that explore the political environment of a country outside the United States and engage with alumni in the country. Upcoming global perspective residencies include Spain and the United Kingdom. Students recently traveled to Brazil, Mexico, Germany and Brussels.
Where are our faculty and students going next? Upcoming residencies include:
- Spain: Fall 2025 (In-country: December 14 – December 20, 2025) - Applications being accepted until September 15!
- United Kingdom: Spring 2026 (In-country: March 8 – March 14, 2026 ) - Applications open mid-September.
For more info about the residencies contact Jessilyn Larsen by email at jlarsen9
gwu [dot] edu (subject: Global%20Residency) (jlarsen9[at]gwu[dot]edu) or call (202) 994-0684.
Spain: Fall 2025
This course and the related in-country program are open to graduate and undergraduate students.
The four-week asynchronous course will familiarize students with the country at a crossroads of Europe, America, and Africa. An ally of the United States and a strong supporter of the European Union, Spain also has close relations with Latin America. It is a country offering enlightening lessons about the political system of a parliamentary monarchy, the transition from military rule to full democracy, a decentralized state (Estado de las autonomias), and separatism. While learning about politics, policies, security, and business, students will also explore Spain's more than 3,000-year history and diverse and exuberant culture.
Application Deadline: September 15, 2025
Asynchronous Coursework: November 10 – December 13, 2025
Immersion Week in Spain: December 14 – December 20, 2025
United Kingdom: Spring 2026
This course and the related in-country program are open to graduate and undergraduate students.
The four-week asynchronous course will familiarize students with the United Kingdom (UK) as a close ally of the US and an important member of NATO. It will analyze the UK-US “special relationship” due to political, economic, cultural, and military ties throughout the centuries and today. Building on the legacy of Sir Winston Churchill, it will offer enlightening lessons on democratic development, including the devolution of powers, and on managing and overcoming crises, such as World War II, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge of separatism, and recent geopolitical conflicts.
Application Deadline: January 12, 2026 (applications open mid-September)
Asynchronous Coursework: February 9 – March 7, 2026
Immersion Week in the UK: March 8 – March 14, 2026: immersion program in London (England) & Edinburgh (Scotland)
- More info about spring 2026 in the UK
Global Perspectives Residency, Spring 2026
UNITED KINGDOM: Strategy and Statecraft: Churchill and the Evolution of the Modern United Kingdom- CPS 6200.DE and DE 1 (CRNs: 42151 and 42158)
- Wednesday, February 4 (TBC): Welcome pre-course meeting.
- Monday, February 9 – Saturday, March 7: asynchronous coursework.
- Sunday, March 8 – Saturday, March 14: immersion program in London (England) and Edinburgh (Scotland).
Abstract: The four-week asynchronous course will familiarize students with the United Kingdom (UK) as a close ally of the US and an important member of NATO. It will analyze the UK-US “special relationship” due to political, economic, cultural, and military ties throughout the centuries and today. Building on the legacy of Sir Winston Churchill, it will offer enlightening lessons on democratic development, including the devolution of powers, and on managing and overcoming crises, such as World War II, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge of separatism, and recent geopolitical conflicts.
An immersion program in London (England) and Edinburgh (Scotland) is generously sponsored by and will be developed in close cooperation with the International Churchill Society and the National Churchill Leadership Center). It will include meetings with officials and experts from government, NGOs, media, and business, security, and PR firms for an in-depth understanding of today's realities of the United Kingdom and its future prospects.
This course and the related in-country program are open to graduate and undergraduate students.
Our Global Residency Program courses are offered in a variety of locations around the globe. Due to the international nature of these courses, the costs associated with them vary by time and location.
- Registration Process
Registration to GSPM's Washington D.C. Residency is handled through GWeb, similar to other GW course registration.
Application to GSPM's international courses are handled through GW Passport. (Direct links to the application are provided below for their respective courses). After the application deadline passes, GSPM reviews each application and notifies the students individually about acceptance into the program and provides the information on how to register with the GW Registrar's office.
- Costs
We understand that financing your education can be stressful and challenging! With this in mind, we want to provide for you a clear picture of where your money paid to GSPM’s Global Residency Program is going – and why.
Think of the cost of a Global Residency Program as existing in two buckets: tuition and group expenses.
Tuition
Each course is billed tuition that corresponds to the number of credits in the course. The tuition is a figure set annually by GW and, depending on which GSPM program you’re in, will be similar to what you would pay for a D.C.-based course. Tuition does not go toward any travel expenses. This is the bare-bones cost to simply run a course, as decided by GW.
Group Expenses
This charge covers arrangements made by GSPM on behalf of the student. What is included varies based on the residency location, but this typically includes on-location (that is, in the residency country) group transportation, group meals, lodging, and some cultural events. GW-mandated (required for study abroad under GW) health, safety, and emergency evacuation insurance is always included at $1/day, minimum $17.50. GSPM keeps none of this money. It goes directly to student expenses and often saves students out-of-pocket money, since group and bulk purchases can often be achieved at a discount.
Individual Expenses
Separate from these two GSPM payment buckets are your own controllable travel expenses. This includes non-group meals, transportation to and from airports, airfare, souvenirs, and any necessary travel documents based on the location (passports, visas, etc.). You can choose to be as frugal or as extravagant as you wish. You can pursue additional federal student aid for airfare, visa fees, meals, transportation, and other out-of-pocket costs that aren’t charged by GSPM. Please contact GW’s Office of Student Financial Assistance to explore your options.
Total Cost
It is important to note that the total cost (including tuition and group expenses) fluctuates depending on a few things, both inside and outside of your control:
- The location: Some countries are cheaper to visit than others.
- The year/time: Costs fluctuate based on economies.
- Your personal travel preferences: Extra leg room? Filet mignon on your flight? Bringing extra bags (meaning extra bag fees)?
=
$6,000-$7,000 total charged to your GSPM Student Account. And, then you can choose and pay for your own non-group meals, transportation to and from airports, airfare, and any necessary travel documents based on the location (passports, visas, etc.)
Generally speaking, for a three-credit Global Residency Program course:
+
Group Expenses ($1,400-$2,000, location- and season-dependent)
Why so expensive? Keep in mind two aspects of any GW study abroad program:
- Per-credit tuition is charged. Three- or six-credit tuition applies to each Global Residency Program course.
- Traveling is expensive. GSPM aims to mitigate this by booking your in-country group transportation, several group meals, and lodging at discounts based on group rates and our relationships with vendors.
GSPM does not charge anything over what it costs to have you take a three- or six-credit course at GW and also to pay for your group expenses abroad.
- Scholarships
For questions on scholarships, please contact academic advisors sydney [dot] roig
email [dot] gwu [dot] edu (Sydney Roig) or joshua [dot] adamekemail [dot] gwu [dot] edu (Josh Adamek). - Cancelation Process
If you need to cancel your Global Residency Program course, please contact Jessilyn Larsen by email at jlarsen9
gwu [dot] edu (subject: Global%20Residency) (jlarsen9[at]gwu[dot]edu) or call (202) 994-0684.
Past Global Residencies
- Brazil: August 10-August 16, 2025
- Germany: March 9 – March 15, 2025
- Mexico: December 8-14, 2024
- European Union - Brussels: September 8-14, 2024
- United Kingdom: March 17-23, 2024
- Spain: December 10-16, 2023
- Brazil: September 10 -16, 2023
- The Republic of Georgia: June 11-17, 2023
