Cultural Thread - What is a CCE?
All Prior Catalogue Years (Before 2025-2026)
Cross-Cultural Component
The Cross-Cultural Component is a four-course series through which students explore the study of culture:
- Cultural Seminar (CCS100/199)
- Cross-Cultural Development (CCD)
- Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE - CCS300)
- Global Perspectives Colloquium (CCS400)
CCE Overview
As part of the Pio Core, every undergraduate student at Carroll will participate in a Cross-Cultural Experience (CCE) as a requirement to graduate. The CCE requirement allows students to continue to build on knowledge learned in previous cross-cultural classes and incorperate it into the experiential learning activities offered in the CCE. Students choose to complete either: a Global Education Course CCE with locations including on-campus, local, domestic, and international, OR a Study Abroad CCE where students travel abroad to take classes with options ranging from two weeks to an entire academic year.
CCEs must be credit-bearing experiences (a minimum of 2 credits). Student may earn these credits through Carroll or another accredited institution.
All CCEs have 3 key aspects: preparation, experiential learning, and reflection. In the classroom, students will prepare by learning about a specific country or culture by exploring its values, traditions, and social practices and empower students to build real-world skills—like communication, problem-solving, and innovative thinking. Students will engage in interactive activities that provide first-hand experiences with cultural practices, traditions, and media—such as cooking demonstrations, guest speakers, or visiting the country being discussed. And finally, students will be expected to reflect on what they have experienced. All students are required to complete a written reflection but many students go beyond this, creating videos, photo essays, art works, presentations, or other academic or creative artifacts to share what they have learned.
The academic portion of CCEs is housed under the Office of General Education while the logistics and advising portion is housed under the Office of Global Education (OGE).
Have you been or are you currently in the military? Click here to learn more about your option.
Are you an F-1 international student? Click here to learn more about your option.
Value of CCEs
Carroll University’s mission states that: Carroll University provides a superior education, rooted in its Presbyterian and liberal arts heritage, and draws upon its Christian tradition to prepare all students for vocational success, lifelong learning and service in a diverse and global society. Preparing students to work in a diverse and global society requires that we prepare students to interact effectively with people who may be different from themselves, to communicate across national and cultural divides, and to understand that our own worldview is not the only one. The ability to work with people from different cultures is one of the top skills employers are looking for in new graduates. Carroll’s faculty is committed to preparing our students to be as competitive as possible in this global environment, where events a continent away can influence our local economy.
CCE Program Options
The CCE can be fulfilled by a Global Education Course CCE or Study Abroad Program.
Global Education Course
This option allows students to take a course with or without a travel component at Carroll and receive the credits from Carroll. Global Education Courses are offered during every term.
For Global Education Course CCEs that travel, a faculty member teaches the course, arranges the travel, and travels with the students. The faculty member is involved in every aspect of the course, including immersion.
For local CCEs courses and a course called International Volunteer, the faculty member teaches the course, but students arrange their own volunteering/travel with the help of the OGE office and professor. The volunteer/travel portion in these instances is completed without a faculty/staff member.
For on-campus CCEs, no off campus travel or activities are required at all. All experiential learning will take place within the classroom. Students will still interact with the culture they are learning about through various activities such as guest speakers, cooking or dance classes, and virtual tours.
A Global Education Course can be an NCE or CCS300. The difference between the two is the number of credits. An NCE is 4-credits whereas a CCS300 is 2-credits. Currently there are more CCS300 options than NCE options.
Study Abroad
This option allows students to take course(s) at an international institution and receive the credits from Carroll through a course pre-approval process. Students will not only complete their CCE through study abroad, but will also complete major, minor, or general education credits to transfer back to Carroll University as well. Study abroad programs are offered during every term. There are three types of study abroad programs: exchange, affiliated, and unaffiliated.
Exchange Programs
Exchange programs are institutions with which Carroll University maintains agreements with for sending and receiving students. Carroll has exchange partnerships with institutions around the world. Exchange programs are one of the most CCE options, and they often offer a wide variety of classes for students of all majors.
Finances
- Receive traditional financial aid package
- Pay Carroll University tuition
- Pay room and board cost to the host institution
- CCE award can be applied if student is eligible
Affiliated programs are study abroad programs that are offered by institutions and organizations with which Carroll University has signed a formal agreement. Some of these programs are degree-granting institutions and some of them are smaller programs designed primarily for U.S. and/or international students. Many of these programs offer a hybrid option which allows students to take a mixture of coursework both at a local degree-granting institution and at a study center that is designed to provide coursework for U.S. students. These programs typically also offer a wide variety of housing options, such as apartments, dormitories, and homestays with local families.
Finances
- Keep federal and state aid (institutional aid does not apply)
- Pay cost of host tuition to Carroll University
- Pay room and board cost to host institution
- CCE award can be applied if student is eligible
Unaffiliated Programs
Unaffiliated programs are any that Carroll University does not officially promote. Just because we do not promote them, however, does not mean that we do not recognize the benefits they can offer our students! Because students are able to find programs that fit their schedules and their academic interests, unaffiliated programs options are available to meet virtually every student’s needs and interests. Unaffiliated programs can also include faculty-led programs offered from other institutions, such as UW-Milwaukee and Marquette, or programs offered by institutions far away, such as NYU, Xavier, or Gonzaga University. They will need to be pre-approved by a CCE advisor who will be interested in three main things: is it safe, is it accredited, is it reputable?
Finances
- Pay all costs (tuition, fees, room and board) directly to program (not Carroll)
- Eligible to keep federal aid (institutional aid does not apply)
- Must complete a Consortium Agreement in order to use federal aid
- CCE award cannot be applied
Questions?
Email cce@carrollu.edu, attend a CCE Info Session, meet with a staff member or peer advisor, check out our frequently asked questions page or use the chat now function.