Study abroad with Penn State—in Scotland
Maymester 2024
Throughout Criminal Justice/Gaming in Scotland, students will traverse the full spectrum of video game development, from conceptualization to user-experience testing. This encompasses skills like code debugging and animation while introducing gamification theories, gaming applications, and cultural media depictions.
During the embedded componenet of the course, taking place in spring 2024, you will join international teams with Scottish counterparts, specializing in professional game design. During a weeklong game jam, teams craft new games and culminate the experience with an "investor pitch" to academic seniors. Industry visits, ranging from elite U.K. game developers to independent cooperatives, further enrich students' insights and relate to the course's psychological aspects.
Abertay University, our partner, is renowned for its design prowess and its focus on practical game development. This entails leveraging gaming for varied applications such as trauma counseling, police training, social skill enhancement for those with autism, and fostering empathy among younger students. The exposure to these innovative applications helps students view gaming beyond entertainment, realizing its potential in social sciences, healthcare, and more. This amalgamation of tech and social science insights melds the two courses, Psychology of Gaming and Introduction to Game Design, cohesively.
Travel Itinerary (subject to change)
- Day 1 Depart from Philadelphia to Edinburgh
- Day 2 Arrive at Edinburgh, Scotland
- Edinburgh Castle
- Day 3 Palace of Holyroodhouse
- Scottish Parliament
- Day 4 Highlands Tour
- Transfer Dundee
- Day 5 Class at University of Abertay
- Day 6 Class at University of Abertay
- Discovery Point
- Day 7 Class at University of Abertay
- Dunnottar Castle
- Day 8 Class at University of Abertay
- Day 9 Return to Edinburgh
- Day 10 Fly back to Philadelphia
Expenses
International program costs, estimated at $2,500–$3,500 (subject to change), will be applied to your bursar account upon enrollment in the course, and are charged in addition to tuition paid. Grants and scholarship monies may be retroactively available through Penn State. Underwriting for each program is provided by Penn State Abington to maximize opportunities for our students to study abroad. Program costs include round-trip airfare, local ground transportation, all lodging, and some meals.
Non-U.S. citizens may require a visa in addition to their passport. Non-U.S. citizens should consult their embassy for information and may ask the Office of Global Programs for guidance.
About Embedded Courses
Traditionally, “study abroad” meant that students spent a semester in another country and attended classes at an accredited university. Short-term, faculty-led courses with an international travel component are viable alternatives as they offer solid academic international experiences at a reasonable cost with a reduced time commitment.
Students who are enrolled in a course within a faculty-led embedded course are taking an internationally focused class that includes a ten-day travel component. These study abroad programs are anchored on Penn State Abington’s campus with travel occurring over fall or spring break. Course material and lectures prepare students both academically and culturally for the short international excursion to the country of focus in the program.
Penn State Abington is committed to providing meaningful opportunities to study abroad. Exposure to other cultures is a vital step toward becoming a global citizen.
The goal of the courses with an international travel component is to embed the students into the life and culture of the university and the country they visit. Therefore, including international faculty and students at the host institution in academic and cultural activities is a highly regarded and critical component of all of Abington’s faculty-led programs.