The Office of International Education advises and facilitates students who wish to study abroad for academic credit. The office also administers the National Student Exchange program. Students can participate in one of St. Mary’s Semesters Abroad, in England, Italy, and Thailand, or they can apply to attend another program (Exchange Semesters Abroad) with the approval of the College and to have academic credits transferred back to SMCM. Students interested in studying abroad must meet all requirements of the international education program, as outlined in the College catalog. TFMS students who plan a course of study abroad should meet with their faculty advisor prior to application to a program. Study abroad satisfies the Experiencing the Liberal Arts in the World (ELAW) requirement of the Core curriculum.
Study Abroad
Akita International University is a small liberal arts university located in Northern Japan which offers a wide variety of courses mostly taught in English. Students have the opportunity to take courses in Asian Studies, Political Science, Economics,and more all while being immersed in the Japanese culture and life as they live and study among other Japanese and international students.
Participants in the Andean Study Tour are able to immerse themselves in the rich culture and history of the Andean people and region,including the ancient cities of the Incas. This exciting program provides a unique experience for international education by providing experiential learning opportunities and cultural immersion via home-stays, weaving workshops, site visits, work with NGO cooperatives, and introductory Quechua classes.
The Belize Study Tour is the field component to BIOL 316,Tropical Biology, a regularly taught semester-long course. The tropics include most of the world’s biodiversity, yet this is the only course at SMCM that focuses specifically on Tropical Biology. Traveling to Belize provides students with first-hand experiences not available in the classroom. Students travel to several different sites within Belize and learn to take samples in a variety of different environments.
St. Mary’s Greece Summer Study Tour offers participants the opportunity to gain knowledge of the many layers of history in this part of the world of which influence far greater than the islands that encompass it. Students are able to make the sites, sounds,and structures of their readings come alive and learn that Greece has literally lived and died many times over and is now, most certainly, very much alive.
The Passage to India Study Tour introduces student first-hand to the major religious traditions of the Indian subcontinent, and more broadly to the Indian history, culture, and society. Students will engage in yoga, ancient Sanskrit chant, vedic fire sacrifice, Buddhist meditation, mass devotional celebrations at the base of the Ganges River and clamorous late night processions along the guru’s walkway in the Sikh Golden Temple all to gain a great understanding of India.
James Cook University (JCU) is one of SMCM’s most popular study abroad programs because it offers course options to almost all of St.Mary’s majors. JCU’s broad curriculum will allow SMCM students to take courses within their majors while providing opportunities to take courses that are uniquely Australian. The locations of the Townsville and Cairns campuses near both the Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforest make JCU an ideal location for those students interested in biology, environmental studies,and natural science.
Students who wish to take part in our Lingnan University Exchange Program are able to experience a liberal arts education in the heart of Hong Kong. Lingnan has particular strong curriculum in Asian studies, economics, and sociology and is able to offer a unique perspective of combining the liberal arts traditions of the west with the traditions of the east.
On the London Study Tour students will be able to experience London Theatre at its finest. They will take in five different London plays as well as experience the sights and sounds of London itself. This is the perfect program for those interested in Theatre, Film, and Media Studies.
Students can study in the picturesque city of Florence in the Tuscany region of Italy. Accademia Italiana offers courses in art, art history, design, history, studio art, and Italian. Students can combine their love of Italy with their creative and artistic endeavors.
Students can study student in the hilltop city of Perugia,Italy. The Umbria Institute offers a food studies program as well as courses in Italian, anthropology, art history,history, political science, studio art, and marketing. Students also have the opportunity to participate in courses with a service-learning option or an internship all while being centrally located within Italy.
Study abroad on the charming island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Ocean, which is home to the mathematician, Archimedes, and the oldest Greek temple outside of Greece, the Temple of Apollo. The Arcadia Center in Sicily offers courses in environmental studies, sustainability, volcanology, Italian, and archaeology.
Study abroad in Granada, Spain located in the heart of the Andalucía region in Southern Spain. This culturally diverse city combines its Muslim influence with that of the Spanish world. Students are able to take courses in Spanish, history, political science, and literature. Advanced Spanish students also have the opportunity to participate in an internship.
Students are able to study in the cultural rich and populous city of Bangkok, Thailand in Southeast Asia. Students will enroll at Mahidol University where they will take courses in English with international and local students. Mahidol University offers students a unique course offering in subjects such as Biological Sciences,Business, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Film and Television Production,Food Science & Technology, and more.
Students are able to take part in traditional Oxford style education by studying at CMRS , which is affiliated with Keble College, one of the University of Oxford’s many colleges. While there students will complete a research course, a readings seminar and at least two one-on-one tutorials in traditional Oxford style on the humanities that best fits their academic goals. They are also able to take part in additional Keble College activities.
Billy’s Kitchen” is a study tour designed to provide students an up-close-and-personal relationship with the Bard and his work within the literal and metaphoric context of consumption. Students study and attend five or six major dramatic productions of Shakespeare’s time, comparing their observations with those of world-renowned scholars and actors at the Shakespeare Centre and the Royal Shakespeare Company theaters in Stratford-upon-Avon, with an additional field trip to the Globe Theatre in London. In addition, students consider how Shakespeare’s plays as well as his name and image are “consumed,” both in terms of food and food imagery and in terms of British culinary culture.
Students have the opportunity to student in the beautiful city of Montpellier, a city located about 6 miles from the Mediterranean Sea and a 4 hour train ride from both Barcelona and Paris. The Montpellier program offers study at the University of Montpellier III (Faculte de Lettres – Paul Valery). French and non-French majors have the chance to improve their spoken and written French,to take courses in a French university, to be immersed in French culture and further their knowledge of French and European politics, history, culture and literature. In the process, students may take courses towards their major and their minor in several disciplines in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences.
Study abroad in Northern Thailand in vibrant city field with ancient culture. Chiang Mai is ideal for students who are interested in the economics, philosophy, politics, religions,culture, and language of Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, in a city that is manageable, walkable, exotic, and unforgettable. They also have the opportunity participate in volunteer and/or internship programs.
SMCM students have the opportunity to study abroad in Southern or Eastern India at one of three high caliber Indian institutions. They can take courses in environmental science, biology, sociology, cultural anthropology, women and gender studies, religious studies, computer science, and more. Additionally, they can take part in two included excursions including one to the Golden Triangle. This program is a must for those interested in a unique culture, excellent, mostly vegetarian, food, diverse people, and beautiful views.
UCD is one of SMCM’s most popular study abroad because it offers course options in a majority of our majors and minors. Students are able to take classes with both Irish and other international students at one of world’s top institutions. Course offerings include biology, chemistry, music, physics, computer science, English, public policy, neuroscience, and more. Additionally, students can take part in some of UCD’s many sports activities and clubs, as well as the many travel opportunities available in the region.