Updated: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
College is about learning and growing, and there’s no better way to gain a new perspective of the world than to study abroad! Many colleges offer varying study abroad opportunities, either for an entire academic year, a semester, or just a few weeks. By studying abroad, students gain a global perspective, hone foreign language skills, discover a different side of their academic study, and benefit from international networking experience. These are all benefits that can translate into real job skills after graduation.
Everyone is familiar with the typical European study abroad experience, but that’s not the only study abroad opportunity available to students. Many colleges are stepping outside of the box and offering students a rare overseas experience. Here are Dr. Kat’s five colleges with unique study abroad programs.
Interested in studying in a region few people in the world will ever see? Look no further than Virginia Tech’s Hokies Abroad Antarctica: Humans and the Environment program.
Virginia Tech students have the unique opportunity to explore Antarctica and adjacent regions including Tierra del Fuego and the Southern Ocean — corners of the world that few have visited. Students will learn about the area’s history, climate, geology, geography, and the effects of human activity in the region.
Prior to this winter break excursion in Antarctica, students will attend weekly online lectures during fall semester and complete assignments to help them prepare. Students spend approximately 11 days on an expedition cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Antarctic Peninsula, where they will participate in field research and observe the local wildlife.
This is a great program for students studying environmental conservation, geography, natural resources, and other environment-related fields; however, the program is open to any major. All you need is a sense of adventure (and some warm clothes!)
While study abroad programs are great for gaining a global education, few offer students the opportunity to acquire real-world work experience. Trinity College is one exception. For those looking to attain internship experience and make a difference in a local community, the Trinity in Cape Town: Human Rights in Urban South Africa program is great fit.
Students in this program are required to complete an internship for college credit, usually with a local NGO. This allows students interested in social justice the opportunity to work with organizations that make a difference in the community, whether it’s promoting women’s rights, education, local history and culture, youth development, and more.
When they’re not working, students are studying various courses at the University of the Western Cape. Students complete two required courses and two electives. In addition to their internship work, students will also explore the area through university-led excursions and have the option to volunteer in the town of Touws for a day.
Many colleges have international campuses and facilities, but few are as unique as the Biocultural Reserve in Yucatán at Millsaps College. Students in the Living in Yucatán program can study anthropology, archaeology, ecology, education, business, and more. The 4,500-acre reserve includes a research and learning center, laboratory and living/learning research facility, and a dorm and classroom facility in Yucatán’s capital city of Merida.
The reserve is home to many different research initiatives. Mayan ruins are located onsite, where students can learn and do actual archaeological fieldwork as undergraduates, which is very rare!
In addition to the Yucatán program, Millsaps also offers faculty-led study abroad programs in Taiwan, Italy, Germany, England, Tanzania, Kenya, and more.
If you’ve ever dreamed of living in a castle, the study abroad program at Emerson College is a dream come true. Emerson’s European campus is located at Kasteel Well, a moated 14th century castle in Well, Netherlands. This popular program selects 90 students each fall, spring, and summer to live and study at the castle. The campus also includes a dining hall, student center and pub, offices, and a performance area.
Students have an extensive list of liberal arts courses to choose from while studying at Kasteel Well, including Cultural Economics, Law and Ethics for Journalists, Travel Writing, Elementary French, History of Photography, and more. During the program, students, faculty, and staff explore Amsterdam and another major European city, but students also have opportunities to travel independently.
Emerson offers other study abroad opportunities in Australia, Austria, Chile, Greece, New Zealand, Ghana, and more. Students can also participate in Emerson’s partner program with the Berklee School of Music at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain.
Living and learning communities are a great way to get individualized attention and work with other students with the same interests. At Wake Forest University’s Venice campus, 20 students study each semester with a resident professor who lives with them while teaching Italian, art history, history, and more.
Students and their professor live and work in Casa Artom, the former home of the American Consulate located next door to the Peggy Guggenheim Art Museum. This 19th century home faces Venice’s famous Grand Canal. During their semester at the Venice campus, Wake Forest students explore as much as they learn as they experience the cultural and historical highlights of one of the world’s most unique cities.
Casa Artom isn’t the only option for students wanting to study at one of Wake Forest’s international houses. Students can opt to spend a semester at Worrell House in London or Flow House in Vienna.
Other unique study abroad programs offered by U.S. universities include the University of Arkansas’ Rome Center, the University of San Diego’s Madrid Center, and the University of California’s Education Abroad program in France.
Interested in receiving a global education and learning the benefits of studying abroad? At IvyWise, we can help you identify colleges that meet your interests and goals, including study abroad and global education experiences. For more information on how we can help you find the colleges that are the best fit for you, contact us today for more information on our counseling programs.
Do you dream of writing a book or spend hours crafting poetic verses? Even if you have a natural talent for the written word, it never hurts to expand your knowledge and skills through a creative writing program in college. Here’s a look at some programs that will help aspiring writers improve their craft.
Though it may seem hard to believe, the topic of women’s history is a relatively recent addition to higher education, having been largely absent prior to the 1970s. To address this issue, the Education Task Force of California established Women’s History Week. Strong support eventually led to Congress declaring March as Women’s History Month in 1987. Today, numerous colleges and universities across the U.S. have added women’s studies and similar programs to their curriculum.
For students interested in women’s history and gender studies, IvyWise has identified a list of colleges and programs that would make Susan B. Anthony proud. One or more of these schools may be just right for your college list.
Spring ushers in new beginnings and high school senior rites-of-passage, such as prom and graduation. Fortunately, many colleges and universities also have deeply rooted traditions celebrating the end of winter, the new life of spring, and the campus community.
One of the fun aspects of researching colleges is to learn about their unique traditions, such as the fun ways these five schools celebrate spring.
The value of a college degree is a topic of constant debate and often something families consider when preparing for the college admissions process. There is no denying that a college education is one of the most important investments families will ever make.
Students and parents often look beyond the prestige of name-brand schools and give more consideration to institutions with reputations for the best return on investment. If you’re looking for schools with great value and post-grad success, here is our list of schools with a great ROI!
