The study abroad programs at Utah Tech University encourage students to expand and practice their knowledge in immersive international settings.
These programs form part of students’ degree plans, meaning that they count for credit, last one to 10 weeks and are faculty-led. These trips to study abroad appeal to students who want to enjoy a structured experience for a short period.
The cost for most of the trips covers transportation, lodging, meals and international travel insurance, but flights and other commodities can vary from program to program.
Here are three upcoming trips.
Pottery, Archaeology and Nature in Chihuahua, Mexico
Duration of the trip: May 8 – May 16, 2026
Cost of the trip: $1,900
Registration deadline: Jan. 1, 2026
Anyone can join if they contact the professor leading the trip.
This study abroad course takes students to the town of Mata Ortiz in Chihuahua. The trip is led by Theda Wrede, professor of English and literary studies, and she will be helping students learn the literature of the region while combining natural and social environments.
Wrede said the purpose of the trip is to encourage cultural understanding, introducing students to various facets of Mexican culture and fostering intercultural communication and appreciation.
During this trip, Wrede said students can expect to learn about human creativity expressed in literature, art, pottery and archeological findings.
Wrede said she sees this trip valuable because students will broaden their perspective on culture by immersing themselves in this Mexican community.
“[Students] will learn about the things they value, how they see themselves in relation to other people and the environment, and the role that art and creativity plays in their lives,” Wrede said.
The program requires six to 10 students to sign up in order to be confirmed.
Myths & Monsters: Creative Writing in Greece
Duration of the trip: May 11 – May 25, 2026
Cost of the trip: $2,999 (not accounting for airfare); will be made cheaper if more than 15 students sign up.
There isn’t an official deadline for the application on the website, but students can contact the leader of the trip for more information at cindy.king@utahtech.edu.
Applications are open to any students enrolled at Utah Tech.
Although there isn’t any official information on the website for now, the main goal of this program is for students is to learn Greek mythology and also write poems and stories about it. Participants of the program can expect to visit Crete, Mount Olympus, Naxos and Athens, among other historical places in Greece.
Cindy King, professor of English and creative writing, will be leading this trip. She said the course’s objective is to improve students’ creative writing skills while having a personalized program where they can interact and learn in-depth about Greek history and mythology, which is a culture that has inspired a lot of media that we see today.
“[Greece] is essentially the cradle of western civilization,” King said. “Some of the oldest stories that people have a general understanding of come or derive from Greek culture.”
Students will also have enough time to enjoy Greece on their own and interact with the culture outside from the scheduled itinerary.
The minimum applicants required for the trip is 12, but they will accept more.
Criminal Justice, Culture & Cuisine in South Korea
Duration of the trip: March 5 – March 14, 2026
Cost of the trip: $1,839
Registration deadline: Dec. 10, 2025.
Registration would be open to anyone that meets the GPA and prerequisite requirements, but the maximum number of participants have been filled for this year.
One of the faculty leading the trip, Mark Spooner, director of digital forensics crime lab, said the program will also prepare students first-hand for the workforce when dealing with barriers they might not understand.
The program will have excursions to many of the cultural, historical and academic sites in and around Seoul, South Korea.
The program coordinators will help students engage in practical activities related to understanding cultural, technological and procedural advancements in criminal justice and forensics with international partners.
Some of the locations in the program include, but are not limited to, traditional palaces, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sung Kyun Kwan University Law School, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea, the Namsan Tower, and a street food market tour.
The trip is led by Spooner and accompanied by Susan Hunt, part-time instructor for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The majority of the trip is scheduled, although students will have some free time to explore and experience South Korea.
Funding options for trips
There are funding options for the programs that students can apply for in order to help pay for the trips. Here are some UT scholarships that cater to students who want to be part of the study abroad programs.
- Honors program scholarship: This scholarship helps students enrolled in the honors program and progressing toward graduation to fund their study abroad trip.
- UT High Impact Practices Scholarship: This scholarship awards students up to $500 for the cost of the trip.
“Every student of mine who’s applied for it has gotten it,” King said about the High Impact Scholarship.
However, there are also external funding options that help cover costs.
“Many of our students have also raised funds through crowd funding apps like GoFundMe,” Spooner said.
The page for Funding & Scholarships that Utah Tech provides also has external sources that help students fund these programs.
There are more program options for upcoming semesters on the Faculty-led Programs website page, where interested applicants can see more information and contact faculty in charge of programs.
