Twenty Penn State World Campus students traveled to Hungary for a weeklong immersive experience in April as part of their course work for programs offered through the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations.
Through business and cultural site visits, the students were able to compare employment relations in Hungary and the United States, applying concepts learned earlier in the semester.
Students visited companies in multiple industries and were able to observe production processes and discuss issues and ethical decision-making with professionals.
“This travel abroad course wasn’t just a line on my transcript,” said student Patricia Rodriguez. “It was a transformative journey that cultivated a global mindset, strengthened my interpersonal skills, and expanded my professional network in profound ways.”
This trip is one of many immersive educational experiences available for students learning online through Penn State World Campus.
International travel for immersive experiences
Since 2017, the Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations has offered the international learning experience through the course LHR 499: Foreign Studies. The course consists of instruction about global human resources and employment relations policies and a weeklong trip outside of the United States for students to observe what they have been learning.
The trip is a way for students to learn beyond the written curriculum, said Trisha Everhart, assistant director of online programs for the School of Labor and Employment Relations.
“It’s an opportunity for them to experience a totally different culture,” she said. “Over the course of the week, we watched students grow — not just in what they were learning academically, but in how they engaged with a new culture. Their confidence, curiosity, and cultural awareness all expanded in ways that only happen when you’re really immersed in a different environment.”
The trip is not required course work for the fully online program but does fulfill credits toward the Master of Human Resources and Employment Relations and undergraduate degrees in labor and employment relations. This semester, the course focused on comparing Hungary to the U.S.
Course instructor and School of Labor and Employment Relations online teaching professor Brian Redmond said students first learn about the basics of their destination, including location, history, government structure, and culture. Then, they travel from across the U.S. and the globe to their destination.
This year’s trip included visits to General Electric (GE), Suzuki, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Greif, Egis, and Széchenyi Thermal Bath. The Penn State School of Labor and Employment Relations is connected to a global research network that includes the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The business site visits were organized in partnership with József Poór, D.Sc., and Katalin Szabó, Ph.D., both from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Bencé Végvári of Széchenyi István University.
“We got to talk with their HR teams as well as get to know what global companies look like when they’re located in Hungary,” Redmond said. “It’s interesting how each one adapted a little bit differently.”
Broadening perspectives
Patricia Rodriguez is working toward a master’s degree in human resources and employment relations. She became interested in the trip as soon as she learned of it. The initial anxieties surrounding traveling so far and being away from her young children for an extended trip lessened when talking with students who had already taken the trip.
She said the richest part of her experience on the trip to Hungary was the daily immersion within a different culture than her own.
“This cultural exposure wasn’t just about seeing new sights,” she said. “It fostered adaptability, empathy, and a deeper understanding of global interconnectedness — skills that have proven invaluable both personally and professionally.”
Rodriguez said the businesses she and her classmates visited demonstrated a genuine curiosity in the students’ perspectives, mirroring the Penn Staters’ interests in their operations.
“We really were able to have an open and honest dialogue about AI usage in the HR workspace with PwC, an open discussion about recruitment and retention struggles with Egis and GE, and a deeper discussion on HR structure and supportive employee programming with Greif,” she said. “This reciprocal dialogue fostered an environment conducive to mutual learning, extending beyond the student cohort.”
Fulfilling course work and a dream
Another participant, Jessica Follett, said traveling to Hungary fulfilled a dream of studying abroad. Follett currently lives in Japan in support of her husband, who is active-duty military, and is pursuing a bachelor’s in labor and human resources and a master’s in human resources and employment relations.
“As a returning adult student with a family, this course offered a realistic and accessible way to make that dream a reality,” she said. “The trip was a meaningful opportunity for me to do something independently and focus on my own personal and professional growth.”
Follett said the trip offered a balance of academic engagement and cultural exploration.
“We had the opportunity to meet with companies from various industries, each offering unique perspectives on human resources practices in a global context,” Follett said.
A sense of connection
For student Dean Pearce, the trip was an opportunity to combine his passion for traveling with learning.
“I wanted to broaden my perspective and think more strategically about my current role and future career,” he said.
Pearce said he was initially a little nervous to travel thousands of miles to meet with peers and faculty he’d never physically met before.
“Thankfully, this group of students — and our instructors — felt like family from the start,” he said. “The cultural events and company visits were fantastic, but it was the people I traveled with who made the experience truly extraordinary.”
A Penn State education online
Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State education online for more than 25 years and has a comprehensive selection of more than 200 degree and certificate programs.
World Campus students can enrich their online learning experience through a wide variety of activities, including internships, service, clubs and organizations, and experiential learning like study abroad through the School of Labor and Employment Relations.
Learn more about the degrees in human resources and labor and employee relations that are offered online through Penn State World Campus.
