Study Abroad Programs

Study Abroad at SMC: Pre-Approved Programs

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Saint Michael’s College offers over 100 pre-approved programs for students interested in studying abroad during the summer, winter-session, semester, or academic year. Location, language of instruction, course offerings, method of instruction, and fit with career aspirations are elements that should be considered when deciding upon a program of study.

Language Programs help students learn a new language or increase proficiency in a language taught at Saint Michael’s. Students with advanced language skills may choose to take content courses in the target language.

University Programs offer a wide range of liberal studies courses taught at international universities. Courses may be taken to fulfill major, minor, or core requirements, or with proper planning, courses may also be taken to explore new areas of study or to gain a deeper understanding of familiar topics of interest.

Internship Programs allow students to gain real world work experience by being placed in a credit-bearing academic internship. Students enroll in other classroom or field based courses in addition to the internship.

Field Study Programs provide students with hands-on academic experiences. Theme-based programs commonly focus on global issues such as global health, human rights, climate change, human resilience, and peace and conflict studies.

Academic Study Trips are short term programs (2-4 weeks in length) created and led by SMC faculty. Program offerings change from year to year as new courses are developed based on student and faculty interest.

Approved Programs

Researching programs and destinations is the first step toward your international adventure! Start with an open mind, stretch your imaginations, and explore the possibilities. Tap the purple boxes below and you’ll find SMC’s pre-approved programs. For more information on a program’s course offerings, housing options, in-country support services, and country highlights, tap on Program Partners (see tab on left). Now explore the world, one click at a time!

Semester Programs

Non-Semester Programs

Academic Study Trips

Faculty-Led Academic Trips provide a remarkable opportunity for an intensive learning experience with a group of Saint Michael’s College students and faculty. The 2023/2024 offerings reflect our commitment to international education and to experiential learning. We recognize that not all students can afford to study abroad for an entire semester, and these courses represent an exciting alternative. Trip destinations have been carefully selected to immerse students in their learning and to integrate their theoretical knowledge with the perspective of place. Most people will agree that this is the best way to learn and to retain knowledge.

If you have questions about any of these trips, please contact the faculty members who are indicated as the instructors for the course as soon as possible. Trip size will be limited, and a minimum number of students must register in order for the course to proceed. Academic Study Trips are not eligible for tuition remission. Half tuition is charged (per credit) during the winter or summer session. A limited number of need based scholarships are available for qualified applicants.



Summer-Session 2024


ENGLAND: SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE
EN 337 Shakespeare in England (2 credits)
Prerequisite: EN 335 Shakespeare (Spring 2024, 4 credits)
Date: May 20 – June 1, 2024

This course on Shakespeare’s plays performed live on stage is an intensive 2 week study trip to England centered around performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Globe Theatre Company in London. Additional field trips may include Oxford University, Blenheim Palace, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral.
EN 335, the 4 credit Shakespeare course offered in the spring semester prior to the summer study trip, is required for the England trip. While the study trip focuses on live stage performance, the spring course will examine filmed versions of plays. The 4 credit Shakespeare course fulfills both the Literature and Art LSC requirement and a 300 level English major requirement.

2024 Shakespeare in Performance Poster
Highlights from Summer 2018 trip (YouTube video)
Meet your Trip Leaders

Professor Kerry Shea, kshea@smcvt.edu
Professor Peter Harrigan, pharrigan@smcvt.edu



IRELAND: COASTAL BIOLOGY OF IRELAND
BI 237 (2 credits)
Prerequisite: one of the following – BI 151; BI 152; ES 105; ES 106; ES 107
Date: July 5 – 20, 2024

This two-week Saint Michael’s College course is based in a fishing village on the southwest coast of Ireland. Students will visit a series of important biological field sites on the Dingle Peninsula to gather data for statistical analysis. A range of sampling techniques will be taught taking advantage of the unique habitats in the locality. Because the Dingle Peninsula is rich in cultural history, field trips will be strategically planned to visit ancient historic sites that are all directly on the routes to the biological field sites.

The course schedule includes regular academic breaks to accommodate planned activities including Irish dancing, a visit to Killarney, cooking lessons, and horseback riding. This course is designed to meet the needs of life science majors interested in exploring the unique habitats of coastal Ireland while connecting with and exploring Irish heritage.

2024 Summer Ireland Coastal Biology Poster
Summer 2022 Trip Leader’s Site Visit
Meet your Trip Leaders

Professor Declan McCabe, dmccabe@smcvt.edu
Professor Paul Constantino, pconstantino@smcvt.edu



SOUTH AFRICA: LIBERATION, LEADERSHIP & REVOLUTION
EQ (TBD) (2 credits)
Prerequisite: EQ (TBD) (Spring 2024; 2 credits)
Date: May 21 – June 7, 2024

How do social systems of hierarchy, oppression, and domination come to exist, and what makes people go along with them? How do leaders convince us to accept such systems? How is media propaganda used to control our thinking and influence our actions? How do we free our minds so that we can become critical thinkers, able to seek transformation of our society toward liberation, equity, and justice? What is the relationship between this kind of inner, personal freedom and outward-facing leadership for positive social change in our societies? What can we learn from leaders of liberation and resistance movements? What forms can leadership take? Music, art, speech, writing, politics, protest, education?

On this study trip, we will explore these questions in the context of the revolutionary fight against Apartheid in South Africa. Students will learn about the powerful liberation movements and leaders like Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and we will consider the potential that we all have for leadership that creates necessary positive social change. Our approach will combine philosophical explorations of power, oppression, resistance, and liberation with examination of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, including transformational, servant, and spiritual leadership. Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast movements for racial liberation and equity in South Africa with the United States.

Meet your Trip Leaders

Professor Alaba Apesin, aapesin@smcvt.edu
Professor Katie Kirby, kkirby@smcvt.edu



Winter-Session 2024-25


COSTA RICA: FIELD TROPICAL ECOLOGY
BI 250 (2 credits)
Prerequisite: BI235 (2 credits) or permission of the instructors
Date: December 2024 – January 2025

This field course travels to three different ecosystems within Costa Rica. These include tropical dry forest at Palo Verde National Park, a mid-elevation cloud forest at Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, and a premontane rain forest at La Selva Biological Station. Activities at the sites will include guided hikes, our own group hikes, early morning bird walks, a boat ride, night hikes, and even some ziplining in the cloud forest. Students will also conduct research projects in small groups at two of the sites we visit. These projects will be determined with faculty guidance during the prerequisite course. Students will collect, analyze, and interpret data, and give oral presentations of their results. Students will also keep a field journal with detailed accounts of the plants and animals we encounter, and record their observations on conservation, ecotourism impacts, and sustainable development. The professors involved in this trip have been to Costa Rica multiple times.

2022-2023 Facebook/Blog Page

Professor Paul Constantino, pconstantino@smcvt.edu

Freeman Foundation International Internship

Saint Michael’s College is pleased to announce the annual Global Citizenship International Internship Program, supported by a grant from the Freeman Foundation. The College is now accepting applications for scholarships to fund an academic internship in Seoul, South Korea and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (May – July, 2023). These scholarships will help offset the cost of internship placement, professional development support, travel, and housing in Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to the time spent at the internship sites, students will have the opportunity to participate in a range of cultural and networking events organized by our local partners in South Korea and Vietnam. This international placement will count for a four-credit academic internship, which will include the completion of academic assignments submitted to the faculty supervisor, and Saint Michael’s will waive the summer tuition for a four-credit course. learn more…

Approved Programs

Researching programs and destinations is the first step toward your international adventure! Start with an open mind, stretch your imaginations, and explore the possibilities. Tap the purple boxes below and you’ll find SMC’s pre-approved programs. For more information on a program’s course offerings, housing options, in-country support services, and country highlights, tap on Program Partners (see tab on left). Now explore the world, one click at a time!

Semester Programs

Non-Semester Programs

Academic Study Trips

Faculty-Led Academic Trips provide a remarkable opportunity for an intensive learning experience with a group of Saint Michael’s College students and faculty. The 2023/2024 offerings reflect our commitment to international education and to experiential learning. We recognize that not all students can afford to study abroad for an entire semester, and these courses represent an exciting alternative. Trip destinations have been carefully selected to immerse students in their learning and to integrate their theoretical knowledge with the perspective of place. Most people will agree that this is the best way to learn and to retain knowledge.

If you have questions about any of these trips, please contact the faculty members who are indicated as the instructors for the course as soon as possible. Trip size will be limited, and a minimum number of students must register in order for the course to proceed. Academic Study Trips are not eligible for tuition remission. Half tuition is charged (per credit) during the winter or summer session. A limited number of need based scholarships are available for qualified applicants.



Summer-Session 2024


ENGLAND: SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE
EN 337 Shakespeare in England (2 credits)
Prerequisite: EN 335 Shakespeare (Spring 2024, 4 credits)
Date: May 20 – June 1, 2024

This course on Shakespeare’s plays performed live on stage is an intensive 2 week study trip to England centered around performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Globe Theatre Company in London. Additional field trips may include Oxford University, Blenheim Palace, Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral.
EN 335, the 4 credit Shakespeare course offered in the spring semester prior to the summer study trip, is required for the England trip. While the study trip focuses on live stage performance, the spring course will examine filmed versions of plays. The 4 credit Shakespeare course fulfills both the Literature and Art LSC requirement and a 300 level English major requirement.

2024 Shakespeare in Performance Poster
Highlights from Summer 2018 trip (YouTube video)
Meet your Trip Leaders

Professor Kerry Shea, kshea@smcvt.edu
Professor Peter Harrigan, pharrigan@smcvt.edu



IRELAND: COASTAL BIOLOGY OF IRELAND
BI 237 (2 credits)
Prerequisite: one of the following – BI 151; BI 152; ES 105; ES 106; ES 107
Date: July 5 – 20, 2024

This two-week Saint Michael’s College course is based in a fishing village on the southwest coast of Ireland. Students will visit a series of important biological field sites on the Dingle Peninsula to gather data for statistical analysis. A range of sampling techniques will be taught taking advantage of the unique habitats in the locality. Because the Dingle Peninsula is rich in cultural history, field trips will be strategically planned to visit ancient historic sites that are all directly on the routes to the biological field sites.

The course schedule includes regular academic breaks to accommodate planned activities including Irish dancing, a visit to Killarney, cooking lessons, and horseback riding. This course is designed to meet the needs of life science majors interested in exploring the unique habitats of coastal Ireland while connecting with and exploring Irish heritage.

2024 Summer Ireland Coastal Biology Poster
Summer 2022 Trip Leader’s Site Visit
Meet your Trip Leaders

Professor Declan McCabe, dmccabe@smcvt.edu
Professor Paul Constantino, pconstantino@smcvt.edu



SOUTH AFRICA: LIBERATION, LEADERSHIP & REVOLUTION
EQ (TBD) (2 credits)
Prerequisite: EQ (TBD) (Spring 2024; 2 credits)
Date: May 21 – June 7, 2024

How do social systems of hierarchy, oppression, and domination come to exist, and what makes people go along with them? How do leaders convince us to accept such systems? How is media propaganda used to control our thinking and influence our actions? How do we free our minds so that we can become critical thinkers, able to seek transformation of our society toward liberation, equity, and justice? What is the relationship between this kind of inner, personal freedom and outward-facing leadership for positive social change in our societies? What can we learn from leaders of liberation and resistance movements? What forms can leadership take? Music, art, speech, writing, politics, protest, education?

On this study trip, we will explore these questions in the context of the revolutionary fight against Apartheid in South Africa. Students will learn about the powerful liberation movements and leaders like Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and we will consider the potential that we all have for leadership that creates necessary positive social change. Our approach will combine philosophical explorations of power, oppression, resistance, and liberation with examination of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, including transformational, servant, and spiritual leadership. Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast movements for racial liberation and equity in South Africa with the United States.

Meet your Trip Leaders

Professor Alaba Apesin, aapesin@smcvt.edu
Professor Katie Kirby, kkirby@smcvt.edu



Winter-Session 2024-25


COSTA RICA: FIELD TROPICAL ECOLOGY
BI 250 (2 credits)
Prerequisite: BI235 (2 credits) or permission of the instructors
Date: December 2024 – January 2025

This field course travels to three different ecosystems within Costa Rica. These include tropical dry forest at Palo Verde National Park, a mid-elevation cloud forest at Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve, and a premontane rain forest at La Selva Biological Station. Activities at the sites will include guided hikes, our own group hikes, early morning bird walks, a boat ride, night hikes, and even some ziplining in the cloud forest. Students will also conduct research projects in small groups at two of the sites we visit. These projects will be determined with faculty guidance during the prerequisite course. Students will collect, analyze, and interpret data, and give oral presentations of their results. Students will also keep a field journal with detailed accounts of the plants and animals we encounter, and record their observations on conservation, ecotourism impacts, and sustainable development. The professors involved in this trip have been to Costa Rica multiple times.

2022-2023 Facebook/Blog Page

Professor Paul Constantino, pconstantino@smcvt.edu

Freeman Foundation International Internship

Saint Michael’s College is pleased to announce the annual Global Citizenship International Internship Program, supported by a grant from the Freeman Foundation. The College is now accepting applications for scholarships to fund an academic internship in Seoul, South Korea and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (May – July, 2023). These scholarships will help offset the cost of internship placement, professional development support, travel, and housing in Seoul and Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to the time spent at the internship sites, students will have the opportunity to participate in a range of cultural and networking events organized by our local partners in South Korea and Vietnam. This international placement will count for a four-credit academic internship, which will include the completion of academic assignments submitted to the faculty supervisor, and Saint Michael’s will waive the summer tuition for a four-credit course. learn more…