A new study abroad program will allow college and graduate students from around the world the chance to study on board a ship. The Scholar Ship will depart from Athens, Greece on Jan. 10, 2007 and will travel to seven destinations on five continents over the span of 16 weeks.

This is the first study-at-sea program designed specifically for an international student body. Seven-hundred students will be selected to sail abroad the Scholar Ship, a ship-based study abroad program supported by five preeminent international universities.

Frank Dobisky, coordinator for the program, said that this program provides a unique opportunity for both undergraduates and graduates.

“This program is different from the semester at sea,” Dobisky said. “There will be students from all over the world, not just America.”

The program cost is around $20,000, Dobisky said.

“This program is international in nature,” Dobisky said. “By visiting different cultures and nations, students gain much from the program. In today’s day and age, it is important that students have a leg up on the global economy, and gain as much knowledge as possible.”

The University Study Abroad Office has not yet spoken formally about the Scholar Ship program, said Erika Ryser, associate director of the Study Abroad Office.

The Study Abroad Office at the University currently has programs in more than 50 countries around the world, Ryser said. In order for a new program to be passed, there are certain requirements that it must pass. Without University approval, there is no guarantee that University students will receive class credit for courses taken with the Scholar Ship.

“In order for us to consider a new program, it has to be a new location,” Ryser said. “Our office conducts extensive research into each new possible program.”

It is an oceangoing academic program for international students aboard a passenger ship dedicated exclusively to developing the intercultural leadership skills of its undergraduate and postgraduate students, according to the official Scholar Ship Web site.

The stops for the ship include Casablanca, Morocco; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Cochin, India; and Larnaca, Cyprus. The ship returns to Athens on May 1.