Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
What is COIL?
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) connects you with students in another country, empowering you to work in international teams through digital communication and collaboration tools. By taking COIL courses, you can gain meaningful global experience without leaving Waco.
Why Take COIL Classes?
Global Engagement Without Extra Costs
COIL is embedded within many classes you already need for your major, giving you access to the world and its diversity without additional cost. Experience global learning right here in Waco.
Enhanced Learning
Deepen your content knowledge while developing intercultural communication and collaboration skills. COIL connects you with peers from different cultures, expanding your understanding of our globally diverse world. A COIL course won't be more work, just teamwork with international peers.
Career Readiness
Earn credit toward the Certificate in Global Business, enhancing your transcript and giving you a competitive edge in the job market by demonstrating international experience and cross-cultural competency.
Workplace Skills for a Global Economy
Not every student will study abroad, but every graduate will work with people from different backgrounds. COIL helps students develop the communication, adaptability, and teamwork skills needed in today's interconnected business environment by collaborating with international peers on real projects and challenges. Students consistently report learning how to communicate across time zones, collaborate in virtual international teams, adapt to different communication styles, and navigate the challenges of global teamwork. These experiences closely mirror the realities of today's workplace.
COIL By the Numbers:
During Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, more than 1,000 Baylor students participated in assessed COIL experiences.
- 59% increased their Cultural Intelligence (CQ), a measure of the ability to work effectively across cultures.
- 82% increased their self-efficacy, or confidence in navigating unfamiliar situations and collaborating with others.
- Students consistently reported growth in communication, collaboration, adaptability, and global awareness.
Students who began with lower levels of cultural intelligence experienced the greatest gains, suggesting that COIL can be particularly impactful for students with limited prior international experience.
What Baylor Students Say
"It helped me understand that no two countries are going to have the same exact ideas, but everyone is a lot more similar than I previously thought."
Lela Hollis, Marketing
"I was able to learn more about different styles of communication, both verbal and non-verbal."
Stephany Mwaura, Human Resource Management
"It helps connect a class with the reality of the business world, and some of the challenges when working with a team in another country or in a different time zone."
Jonas Appel, Finance
Preparing Principled Leaders for a Global Marketplace
COIL is an ideal way to prepare you to become a principled leader ready to serve in the global marketplace. While COIL is not intended to replace study abroad, it provides an accessible international experience that helps students develop communication, collaboration, and global business skills without leaving campus. When you register for classes, look for the COIL designation, or ask your advisor about required courses that integrate COIL projects. Some courses that frequently offer COIL sections include MGT 4320, MGT 4305, and BUS 2315.
If you’re a faculty member looking to integrate a COIL project into your course, please email McBride’s Global Learning Coordinator at christina_iluzada@baylor.edu.
Listen to other comments from Baylor students who have participated in COIL.
View an example of a final COIL project presentation from a partnership between Professor Hampton's Global Business students and students from San Pedro College in the Philippines.
