Share Your Expertise with International Students

UPF International Programs offer faculty members the opportunity to contribute to the university’s internationalization strategy by designing and teaching courses for an international and multidisciplinary student community.

Since 2004, our programs have welcomed students from universities and institutions around the world. We invite UPF faculty members (PDI) to contribute new courses to our growing portfolio.

Teach Through International Programs

Faculty members can propose courses in different formats:

Approved modules will be included in the official UPF International Programs catalogue. Each year, we curate our International Programs course offerings for Fall, Winter, and Summer Terms by selecting modules from this catalogue. The full catalogue is also made available to external partners to explore potential collaboration opportunities.

What We Look For

We particularly welcome courses that:

  • Bring together students from different academic disciplines
  • Explore innovative or emerging topics
  • Connect research and teaching through knowledge transfer
  • Address global challenges and perspectives
  • Incorporate themes such as sustainability, inclusion, and digital transformation
  • Can be followed by students from different academic backgrounds without specific prerequisites

Courses are taught in English or Spanish and are primarily aimed at undergraduate students in their third and fourth years. Summer courses may also be open to students from the second year onwards.

Call for Proposals

For full details about the requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission process, please consult the official Call for Proposals:

Download the complete Call for Proposals [Català] | [English] 

How to Submit a Proposal

Any UPF faculty member (PDI) can submit a proposal. We encourage teams of faculty members to work together and submit collaborative course proposals. In the case of a joint proposal, one faculty member should act as the coordinator and submit the proposal on behalf of the team, ensuring clear communication and consistency throughout the review process.

The proposal coordinator must have an active UPF affiliation and a valid UPF institutional account in order to access and submit the online form.

Submit your proposal using the Module Proposal Form. Please be sure to use the proposal template when submitting your form. You can download the template here: Download Proposal Template.

 

Module Proposal Form

Review and Approval Process

Proposals are reviewed by the International Programs Commission twice a year, ensuring they meet the following criteria. The review meetings are provisionally scheduled for October and April.

Proposals are assessed according to criteria including:

  • Alignment with the strategic priorities of UPF International Programs.
  • High academic quality and relevance of course content.
  • Faculty experience and expertise.
  • Alignment and complementarity with UPF’s existing undergraduate course offering, avoiding substantial overlap in content

Applicants will be informed of the outcome using the contact email provided in the proposal.


For more information or to discuss your proposal, contact us at [email protected].
 

Teaching through International Programs must be compatible with the terms of your contract and any grants or other funding arrangements. Faculty members are responsible for checking whether any incompatibilities or restrictions apply to their individual circumstances.

Faculty members under the PSR category are not eligible to teach through International Programs.

If you are unsure whether your contract or grant allows you to teach through International Programs, please consult Human Resources before submitting a proposal.

International Programs are primarily aimed at undergraduate students in their third and fourth years. Summer programs may also be open to students from the second year onwards.

All our modules are open to UPF students. Courses taught in English can count towards the Minor on International Intercultural Studies, while some courses may also count towards other UPF minors, depending on their subject area.

Courses should be designed so that students from different academic backgrounds can participate. Specific prerequisites may be established where academically necessary, but courses that do not require specialised prior knowledge are particularly encouraged.

Courses are generally taught at the Ciutadella Campus, although another UPF campus may be used when appropriate facilities are required or depending on campus availability.

No. Courses already included in the International Programs catalogue do not need to be submitted again. This also applies if a course was not programmed in a particular edition: its inclusion in the catalogue of eligible modules remains valid.

If you wish to continue offering an existing course, simply let the International Programs team know if there is any relevant change. If you wish to withdraw your course, please contact us.

Yes. Faculty members may submit more than one course proposal. We welcome proposals across different topics, disciplines, and teaching formats, provided that each proposal meets the requirements of the call.

The proposal coordinator must have an active UPF affiliation and use their UPF institutional email account to access the form. If you continue to experience problems, please contact us and send a screenshot of the error.