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Practical Information: Places & Programs
Welcome to International Studies at Goucher! We are excited that you have begun to research Goucher's many international opportunities. As a first step, we invite you to explore the information below about Goucher study abroad programs. Please also feel free to explore our information regarding finances, non-Goucher options, and frequently asked questions.
Places & Programs
Choose a type of program:
- Intensive Course Abroad Programs (January or Summer)
- Semester or Year Programs
- Summer Programs
Intensive Course Abroad Programs
Note: Most ICA programs do not take place every year. Please visit this page for updates or contact the Office of International Studies to receive an updated list of program offerings.
January ICA Programs
Acá y Allá: Identity Transformations in Contemporary Puerto Rican Families
This course will explore issues and experiences of contemporary Puerto Rican families. Through primary data collection and the study of literary works, students will explore how issues of time and place have impacted and challenged gender relations, machismo, and family interactions. This program will not run in 2008-2009.
Culture and Arts in West Africa
Accra, Ghana
Ghana’s rich and deep cultural traditions have persisted through centuries of colonization, strife, governmental corruption, and other, often extreme hardships. This three-week course is your opportunity to experience firsthand the enduring and changing West African culture through intensive interdisciplinary study of the country’s customs, social institutions, and arts. In the capital city and artistic center of Accra, you will attend lectures at the National Theatre of Ghana and other institutions. You’ll go on field excursions to meet artists, see theatrical and dance performances, and take classes in West African drumming, dance, and more. As a complement to your experiences in the city, you will also live for part of the time with a family in the rural village of Ho.
Culture and Arts in West Africa includes a seven-week preliminary course during the fall semester prior to the Ghana trip and a seven-week follow-up course during the following spring. This program will be offered in January 2009.
Dance and Theatre as Cultural Metaphors
London, England
All artistic expression bears the influence of the culture from which it arises. In this three-week course, you will explore the ways in which dance, theatre, and the other arts represent both components and reflections of personal and national identity—both in London and in your own life.
You will visit and attend lectures at London’s Theatre Museum, Drury Lane Theatre, Royal Opera House, Banqueting Hall, White Hall, and Globe Theatre. You’ll see plays, concerts, and dance performances, and you’ll have the opportunity to take additional performance classes. Through formal events, informal discussions with your fellow students and Goucher theatre and dance professors, and day-to-day life in the city, you will immerse yourself in the cultural life of London—and consider how your own creative expression has been shaped by the culture in which you live. This program will not run in January 2009.
India: Solving the Puzzle
Bombay, Delhi, Amritsar, Agar, and Dharamsala, India
Modern India is a study in social, economic, and cultural contrasts. Tradition and modernization, wealth and poverty, and different religions exist side by side, in harmony and also in tension. During this three-week intensive course, you will experience and examine these contrasts firsthand.
All students of the course will be required to take a preliminary course at Goucher during the fall semester prior to departure. Once in India, you will visit centers of religious worship in different cities. You will attend musical, dance, and arts events and workshops and meet with local experts for discussions on contemporary social and cultural themes. You’ll visit contrasting social environments, such as middle class homes and slums. And through short written assignments during the trip and a longer research paper upon your return, you will assimilate your experiences and explore your own perspectives on what you have done and seen. This program will not run in 2008-2009.
Inequality and Social Policy in South Africa
Grahmstown, Cape Town, and Durban, South Africa
After more than a decade of independence, the scars that apartheid left on South Africa are still very visible in the racial and economic divides the country has yet to narrow.
In this three-week intensive course, you will explore the rich and complex social and political history of South Africa through lectures, field excursions, and field research in the areas of health care, education policy, domestic violence, housing, and urban development. Through tours and discussions in Grahmstown, Cape Town, and Durban, and a five-day home stay in the rural area of Kwazulu-Natal, you will see firsthand the results of South Africa’s social policies—and consider your own conceptions of equality, justice, and privilege. This program will not run in 2008-2009.
Multicultural Education in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
This course will introduce students to basic concepts and skills of multiculturalism as they may be applied in the field of education. The first seven weeks of the course will be conducted predominantly in English during the fall of 2006. Coursework will focus on diversity issues in the United States. Students will then travel to Costa Rica for Spanish language immersion during the January intersession. While in Costa Rica, students will participate in classroom studies and service learning and will have the opportunity to apply the skills that they have learned in the fall. The final seven weeks of the class will be taught on campus mostly in Spanish and will focus on the comparative analysis of the educational experiences in the United States and Costa Rica. One of the objectives of this ICA program is to increase awareness on the importance of attaining proficiency in a second language for application in any field of expertise. This program will not run in 2008-2009.
Spanish 120/130 in Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca, Mexico
Spanish 120/130 in Cuernavaca” is an unusual opportunity to learn by immersing yourself in a Spanish-speaking culture very early in your language studies.
You will take the first half of the course at Goucher over the first seven weeks of the fall semester, followed by the required primer course “Gateway to Mexico” during the second seven weeks. In January, you will complete the course in Cuernavaca, a university town filled with cafés, shops, and cultural attractions ranging from ancient Aztec temples to contemporary museums of art.
You will live with a host family for the duration, reinforcing what you’ve learned in your daily classes on Spanish language, conversation, and culture in conversations over dinner and around the house. You will also join your Goucher classmates on excursions to cultural and historic sites around Cuernavaca, Mexico City, and the surrounding countryside, and you’ll have plenty of time for additional exploring on your own. Throughout the experience, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for the kind of casual and formal conversation that will noticeably accelerate your Spanish skills. This program will be offered in January 2009.
Tropical Marine Biology in Honduras
Institution: Roatan Institute for Marine Studies
Roatan, Honduras
The coral reef of the Caribbean continental shelf is the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the area off the northwest coast of Roatan, Honduras, features more than 30 miles of fringing and barrier reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and an extraordinary variety of marine life.
In this three-week course at the Roatan Institute for Marine Studies, you will explore the endangered coral reefs of Honduras through dives, field experiments, and lectures emphasizing the analysis of the reef’s structure and function. The course also includes an excursion to lowland rainforests on the Honduras mainland. This program will be offered in January 2009.
United Kingdom: Shakespeare--Stage & Page
Shakespeare: Stage & Page examines the relationship between Shakespeare as literature and Shakespeare as theatre: we examine Shakespeare’s works from both a historical/critical perspective and from a performance perspective. Professor Jeff Myers of the English Department and Professor Michael Curry of the Department of Theatre will add a new component to Shakespeare: Stage & Page by offering the course for the first time as an intensive study abroad.
Appropriately, the topic for the course will be the significance of place in Shakespeare’s plays. We will travel to locations across the United Kingdom that are important settings in some of Shakespeare’s plays.
We will examine six plays during the 16-day trip (under consideration are
Cymbeline, Macbeth, Richard III, King Lear, Henry V, and The Merry Wives of Windsor) and possible site visits include Inverness (the Macbeth castle), Dinsinane and Fife in Scotland, Milford Haven in Wales, and York, Dover, Pomfret Castle, Salisbury, Windsor, Southampton and London in England. We will also include travel to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the place of Shakespeare’s birth, and the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. This program will be offered in January 2009.
Vietnam: A City in Transition
Cities: Ho Chi Minh, Pleiku, Hanoi, Etc.
The Intensive Course Abroad in Vietnam will focus on the social, political, and economic changes taking place in this incredibly dynamic society. A seven week pre-course before leaving for Vietnam is required. The pre-course will use film, fiction, and social science materials to focus on Vietnam since 1945, with special attention paid to the wars with the French and Americans, the achievement of independence and unification in 1975, the process of reform and collectivization from 1975 to 1985, the process of economic reform ("doi moi") introduced in 1986, and the entry of Vietnam into the process of globalization in the 1990's culminating in the Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States and its recent entry into the World Trade Organization. The study tour will begin in Ho Chi Minh City and will later pass through the Mekong Delta, Pleiku, Hue, Hoi An, Danang and Hanoi. Students will engage in a variety of excursions and activities to include the following: basic Vietnamese instruction, lectures on Buddhism and Confucianism, visits to principal historical sites and museums, a home stay at a farm on the river, a visit to a major university, an opportunity to work with a social service agency, a cooking class, a cyclo tour of Hanoi, and more. This program will not run in 2008-2009.
May/June/July ICA Programs
China: Past, Present, and Future
Shanghai, Guilin, and Beijing, China
Finding its roots in Asian philosophy and encompassing many other disciplines, China: Past, Present, and Future is a sweeping exploration of China’s history and current social and political situation.
The journey begins in the classroom during the spring semester prior to departure with “Asian Thought,” a required course designed to acquaint you with the foundational texts of China’s intellectual traditions and familiarize you with the dramatic social and political changes that have shaped China over its long history. In May, you’ll depart for China. You’ll start in Shanghai, China’s most vibrant commercial center, and take a 50-mile boat trip down the Li River to Guilin, passing the towering limestone formations that have provided a dramatic landscape for poets and painters for centuries. You’ll discuss Buddhism while hiking the lush trails of Emei Mountain in Chengdu, see the famous tomb and terracotta warriors of China’s first emperor in Xian, and learn about Confucianism in Qufu, where Confucius was born. The trip will conclude with a visit to the Great Wall and to Beijing, the political heart of China and site of the Forbidden City, the Great Hall of the People, Mao’s Tomb, and Tiananmen Square.
French Theatre in Paris: Languages of Performance
Paris and Marseilles, France
This course builds French language skills and knowledge of French theatre through a three week intensive winter (January) immersion experience in Paris and Marseilles. Through study of selected plays, productions, and performers, the course examines theatre as it both reflects and influences French social change. A key focus will be the innovations in theatre that reflect an increasingly transnational and multicultural France. At the heart of the course is an individualized project centered on one French play that all students will study. This program is projected to run in May 2009.
Education in a Multicultural Israeli Society
Negev Desert, Israel
Goucher College, with the cooperation of Ben Gurion University of the Negev, is offering a three-week course to study education in a multicultural Israeli society. Because Southern Israel contains a sizeable population of diverse inhabitants—including native Israelis, Bedouins, Arabs, Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia, and the former Soviet Union—the Negev is the ideal location to undertake this study. Teams of three or four Goucher students and one Ben Gurion graduate will work with the populations of their choices as tutors or discussion leaders. Other options may include teams investigating environmental education or international education. Lectures will be provided by the faculty of Ben Gurion University, and field trips will be arranged to schools and institutions that have designed specific programs to meet the needs of this diverse population. We will be housed in the University dorms and will join the Israeli students in social and educational events including two potential overnight trips to enjoy the unique geological and cultural features of the Negev.
French 130 in AvignonAvignon, France
One of the best ways to accelerate your understanding of a language is to put yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to speak it—but many study abroad programs are designed primarily for advanced language students. Goucher’s intensive French course in Avignon offers an unusual opportunity to immerse yourself in the language and culture of France very early in your French studies.
You will take the first half of French 130 at Goucher during the first seven weeks of the fall semester and complete the course in Avignon over three weeks during winter break. You’ll stay with host families for the duration, reinforcing what you learn in your daily classes on French language, history, and culture by talking about them over dinner each evening. You’ll learn even more through guided tours of Roman ruins, Renaissance chateaux, and other historical and cultural sites, and you’ll complete an independent study project on a topic of your choice, relating your experiences and observations in Avignon to your academic field of interest.
German 130 in Berlin
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is one of the most fascinating and dynamic cities in Europe. It’s the heart of Germany and the focal point of its reunification. Shaped by internal and global turmoil alike, it’s where the infamous wall stood and fell, and where Western and Eastern Europe now most visibly meet. Where better to deepen your understanding of the German language—and the culture behind it?
German 130 is an unusual opportunity to immerse yourself in German language and culture very early in your German studies. You will take the first half at Goucher during the first seven weeks of the spring semester and complete the course in Berlin over three weeks during the May/June summer term. You’ll live with a host family for the duration, reinforcing what you’ve learned in your daily classes in conversations over dinner. In addition to courses on German language and culture, you’ll go on excursions to cultural and historic sites, and you will have time on your own to explore the parts of the city you’re most interested in. Throughout the experience, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for the kind of casual and formal conversation that will noticeably accelerate your German skills.
History and Performance of Dance in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The vibrant dance of Brazil has roots in both the traditions of its earliest inhabitants of the country and in the styles of the European countries that colonized it. Contemporary choreographers have created innovative ways of fusing these influences, connecting them also to the rhythms and styles of the street and using dance to reflect and comment on the history, culture, and politics of Brazil.
This three-week course is a remarkable opportunity to explore contemporary Brazilian dance in the places where it is created and developed—while examining the historical, aesthetic, theoretical, philosophical, and critical issues that shape both the country and its art. You will take daily classes in the traditional dances of different regions of Brazil and participate in discussions on the role of dance in both Brazilian culture and the world dance community. You’ll explore Rio de Janeiro through excursions to cultural and historic sites. You will develop your own dance technique, deepen your understanding of dance history, and return to Goucher with new perspectives on your art form.
“History and Performance of Dance in Brazil” also includes a 1.5-credit prerequisite course during the second seven weeks of the preceding spring semester and another 1.5-credit follow-up course during the first seven weeks of the following fall.
Multicultural London
London, United Kingdom
Immigration has contributed enormously to London's economic and cultural dynamism and wealth, but each immigrant group has faced problems of reception and adaptation, and the English host community, whilst sometimes embracing the changes immigration has wrought, has also reacted with suspicion and intolerance. This interdisciplinary course introduces you to the diversity of London by an analysis of the history of its successive migrant groups and through an examination of the issues--past & present--that mass migration has created. The course will focus on the East End of London, a working-class area, home to successive waves of French Protestant refugees, Eastern European Jews, Bangladeshi and Somali people to name only the largest of its migrant communities. Students will hear from academic experts in the field, visit and experience the many sites associated with the East End's minorities, meet community leaders and representatives, and undertake research projects.
Odessa Old & New: Russians, Ukrainians, & Jews in Baltimore's Sister Cities
Odessa, Ukraine
Odessa, Ukraine, founded at the end of the 18th century on the shores of the Black Sea, housed a rich mixture of cultures and occupations. One of the most Jewish cities in Eastern Europe, Odessa was also the site of numerous, periodic pogroms that prompted waves of Jews to depart for Ottoman Palestine and the New World. The unique cultural heritage of Odessa gave rise to many of Russia's most well-known literary figures, humorists, and musicians. Gleaming modern malls coexist with old-style street bazaars; Internet cafes nestle beneath classical architecture as well as stark Soviet edifices; and foreign tourists (many of them seeking brides) help keep the hotels full. Students will visit sites of both historical and current interest in order to better understand the cultural influences that have shaped Odessa. The program also includes visits to Kiev (Ukraine's capital) and Crimea (home of the Tatar khans).
When offered: June
Rome & Prato: Art, Memory, and the Poetics of Place in Early Modern Italy
Rome and Prato, Italy
For this study trip, based in Rome and Prato, Italy, students will embark on a journey through Renaissance and Baroque Italy. Students visit the painting, sculpture, architecture, and urban environs of early modern Italy, and consider the decoration and the poetics or ‘making’ of these spaces, with particular emphasis on how painters, sculptors, and architects embellished the environs around them to communicate a variety of messages and meanings. The course will be comprised of an art history and a studio art component. For the art history course, students will study civic, domestic, and sacred sites that shaped the history and culture of several major cities in 15th, 16th, and 17th century Italy. For the studio component, students will closely study the making and meaning of images through the Renaissance tradition of sketching and drawing on site. Participants will discuss how visual images work as a language, and the relationship between images, memory, and the poetic imagination on the part of artist and viewer. Through a close consideration of images in context, students will develop a knowledge of visual culture in early modern Italy, a sharper eye for looking and thinking about visual images, and a more nuanced understanding of the language of images in today’s world.
The program will begin and end in Rome, with a two-week sojourn in Prato, a medieval walled town in the heart of Tuscany. From Prato, the program will travel to nearby towns such as Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and Pistoia, where we will study the rich artistic production of early modern Italy, while living in the vibrant culture of modern-day Tuscany. This program will not run in 2008-2009.
Township and Rural Education in South Africa
Grahamstown, S. Africa
This course will introduce students to primary and secondary education in the township and rural schools of Grahamstown, South Africa. Participants will design and implement lesson plans focusing on basic math and science concepts for South African learners in grades 5 through 8. While basic math and science concepts are the focus of instruction, participants will design and implement lessons that encourage the development of South African learners' reading, thinking, composing, and content area skills. The first seven weeks of the course will be conducted during the spring semester. The final four weeks will take place in South Africa at the end of the spring semester where participants will complete a four week intensive field placement in a township and rural school. In addition to teaching 20 hours per week in the schools, participants will attend a weekly lecture on Xhosa culture and languages specific to the Eastern Cape region at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. One of the primary objectives of this ICA is to analyze personal cross-cultural competence and understanding in order to effectively teach learners from diverse backgrounds. A secondary objective of this ICA is to help participants move out of their comforts zones in order to better understand themselves, others, and the world around them. This program will be directed by Professor LaJerne Cornish.
Twentieth Century Prague: History, Politics, and Literature
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is a city that uniquely embodies the principal currents of the 20th-century political experience: nationalism, fascism, communism, and liberal capitalism. It’s a city whose writers and thinkers have been especially prominent in seeking both to understand and to shape the culture in which they live. It is also one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
In this interdisciplinary course, you will approach Prague through a wide range of readings—academic, political, philosophical and literary—each in its own way reflecting something of life in Prague over the last century. Texts will include works by Franz Kafka, Milan Kundera, Ivan Klima, and Vaclav Havel, as well as historical analyses and contemporary political writings. And over three weeks in Prague, you will visit many of the city’s historic sites, experience its rich contemporary cultural life, and participate in seminars led by local academics.
Semester or Year Programs
Argentina: Spanish Language Studies
Students will study in the University of Palermo (UP) in Buenos Aires, the third largest city in South America. Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires, located to the east of the Río de la Plata and easily accessible by public transportation. Participants take one Spanish language course (the level of which is determined by a placement test) and three regular content courses (taught in Spanish). Options for the regular content courses include Latin America in the 20th Century (History Department), Latin American Culture and Society (Sociology and Anthropology Department), and Evolution of the Argentinean Society (Latin American Studies Department). Additionally, students participate in a required service learning component of the program for 5-10 hours/week. Students will live with Argentinean families arranged by UP. Breakfast and dinner will be provided by the families creating the opportunity to truly experience everyday life and culture.
When Offered: Fall or Spring
Brazilian Ecosystems
Various, Brazil
Offered in cooperation with Antioch College, this ambitious semester-long program combines lectures, field work, language study, and a four-week internship in one intensive exploration of the ecosystems of Brazil.
Throughout the semester, you’ll travel to coastal forests, wetlands, rainforests, and other locations throughout Brazil to see firsthand the characteristics of a variety of biomes. In courses on ecology and biodiversity, you’ll meet with Brazilian ecologists, botanists, and zoologists and work on field problems designed to illustrate the relationship between biodiversity and the functioning of the ecosystem. In “Natural Resource Management,” you’ll explore issues of sustainability in agriculture, forestry, and park management, meeting with park managers, environmental groups, and others and participating in group discussions on the scientific integrity and viability of Brazil’s current environmental policies.
An intensive course in Portuguese, focusing on the vocabulary and terminology of ecology and environmental science, will prepare you for your interactions with the Brazilian scientists and others you will meet along the way. During the final four weeks, the course will culminate in an internship working on team research, assisting in an educational program, or volunteering with an environmental agency.
When offered: Fall semester only
Costa Rica
Monteverde, Costa Rica
"Global-Local Challenges to Sustainability: The Costa Rican Experience" is a 15-week program open to all majors. A cooperative program between Mount Holyoke College and Goucher, the program takes place at the Monteverde Institute and focuses on the meanings and implications of "sustainability," blending international study and applied research. Goucher requires participants to take a Spanish Language & Culture course while there; OIS strongly recommends participants have at least one semester of Spanish language before attending thr program. The Costa Rican Experience program includes experiential site visits to San Jose, the Arenal volcano region, and Nicaragua. Goucher students selected to participate in the program will receive a $3,500 tuition discount.
When offered: Spring semester
Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS)
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) Program draws on the combined educational resources and research facilities of Denmark’s finest institutions of higher learning to provide high-quality semester and year-long programs for upper-level students.
Offered in cooperation with the University of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Business School, and Roskilde University, DIS’s many courses of study include programs in political science, international business, medical practice and policy, architecture, education, marine biology and ecology, and more. These are regular university courses, and you will study alongside Danish and other international students alike. Many courses focus on European issues, and DIS offers study trips to such locations as Western Denmark, China, Italy, and Russia. Although all courses are taught in English, all Goucher students are required to take Danish.
DIS is located in central Copenhagen, a city that combines the old-world charm of its medieval origins more than 800 years ago with the vibrant life of a contemporary European metropolis. You can live with a Danish host family, in a Kollegium, at a Folkhojskoke, or with a Danish roommate throughout the program. For details, please visit www.dis.dk/Housing.
When offered: Either semester or full yearEberhard Karls Universität
Institution: Eberhard Karls Universität
Tübingen, Germany
You’re not going to be able to immerse yourself much more completely in the study of German than you can in this semester or yearlong program at Eberhard Karls Universität in Tübingen, offered in cooperation with Antioch College.
The program begins with intensive language study at a Goethe Language Institute in Germany (in August for fall semester or full-year students, January for spring semester students), followed by five weeks of language and cultural orientation in Tübingen, a stately town on the Neckar River that retains its medieval character in its narrow, winding streets, its colorful central marketplace, and a 15th-century castle.
After that, you’re free to choose from courses in the many disciplines Eberhard Karls has to offer, including education, Romance languages, mathematics, biology, business, and law. All courses are taught in German, and you will live in student houses where the language is spoken day in and day out.
More than simply a study-abroad program in Germany, the Eberhard Karls program will introduce you to learning—and life—as Germans themselves experience it.
When offered: Either semester or full yearGlasgow School of Art
Institution: Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow, Scotland
From the eminent architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh to contemporary designers at Armani, Apple, Nokia, and other prominent global businesses, students of the Glasgow School of Art have a reputation for making an impression on the global art and design scene.
Goucher offers a fall semester or full academic year at the Glasgow School of Art, an institution of about 1,500 mostly undergraduate students in 10 specialist fine art and design departments. You can choose from courses in the Mackintosh School of Architecture, the School of Design (including visual communication, product design, interior design, silversmithing and jewelry, textiles, and ceramics), and the School of Fine Art (including painting, printmaking, photography, environmental art, and sculpture).
You will live in dorms within walking distance of the campus, and the tremendous cultural resources of Glasgow will be right outside your door. With its outstanding art galleries and museums, theatres, operas, ballets, and concert halls, Glasgow is an ideal place to immerse yourself in your art education.
When offered: Fall or academic yearHansard Scholars Programme
London, England
The Hansard Scholars Programme is highly competitive, but for outstanding students with a keen interest in politics and public policy, it is an extraordinary window into the inner workings of the British government.
As a Hansard Scholar, you’ll take two lecture courses and complete an independent research dissertation at the London School of Economics and Political Science, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Complementing your course work, you’ll also take an internship position at the heart of the British political system. Hansard Scholars do research and write speeches for members of Parliament and the House of Lords, work behind the scenes at the BBC, assist political parties and campaigns, and work at other governmental and political organizations directly involved in shaping British public policy.
You’ll live with other Hansard Scholars in a flat in central London—a city rich with cultural, political, and educational resources and opportunities in and of itself. The Hansard Scholars Programme arranges study visits to Scotland, Belgium, and Wales; day trips to Oxford, Bath, Brighton, and Greenwich; and outings to theatrical performances at London’s famed West End. And you’ll have plenty of freedom to explore the city on your own.
When offered: Fall or summerInternships in Francophone Europe (IFE)
Paris, France
Including intensive course work, seminars on European issues, a 12-week internship, and an independent research project, the Internships in Francophone Europe program in Paris is a comprehensive immersion in the day-to-day life of contemporary France.
IFE is a three-part program that offers thorough preparation for the internship experience, careful placements in organizations chosen to closely reflect students’ interests, and personal advising throughout the semester. IFE students work in a wide range of internship placements in France’s parliament and ministries, museums, social and environmental groups, and other organizations. No matter where you complete your internship, you will have the opportunity to do significant work and interact directly with important players in the field. During your IFE semester, you will live either with a host family or in student housing, depending on the location of your internship.
IFE is a strong program in and of itself, but it also makes a great complement to the fall semester program at the Sorbonne. If you’re interested in real immersion, we recommend pairing the two for a rare and far-reaching exploration of the language and culture of France.
When offered: Fall or spring semester
Macquarie University
Sydney, Australia
Macquarie University is located just 17 kilometres or 11 miles from the centre of Sydney. This means that you can share the extraordinary quality of life and the many benefits that come with living so close to a truly cosmopolitan city. Whether you enjoy the hustle and bustle of shopping and restaurant precints; or the sheer beauty and splendor of the harbour; or want to immerse yourself in the rich diversity of so many different cultures and events; you will find it all in Sydney. With over 30,000 students, including 8,000 international students from over 71 countries, Macquarie University is dedicated to constant innovation in the way they prepare students for success in today’s fast changing, highly competitive society. At Macquarie University you will learn from some of the brightest and most talented academics in the world.
Study abroad students can tailor a study program of subjects from across the University. (Please note that Macquarie offers most Goucher majors.) A guide to subject selection is on their website to help you plan your semester. It is very important to select subjects that are offered in the semester you intend to study at Macquarie. Most subjects are either offered in Semester one (Feb-July) or Semester two (July-Nov). Mandatory orientation is included in the cost at a site outside of Sydney. You will be housed at Macquarie Parklands. Macquarie University offers Study Abroad students the opportunity to undertake internships during their semester abroad in Sydney. The Internships@Macquarie Program facilitates work-based internship placements, allowing students to gain international work experience whilst completing their studies. Internships are a combination of work-based learning and academic assessment, with students receiving invaluable work experience and professional development training.
When offered :
Semester One–February to July
Semester Two–July to December
Mahoney and Caplan Scholars
Oxford, England
For outstanding and highly motivated students, Goucher offers two scholarship programs subsidizing a full academic year of study at the University of Oxford. Founded more than 900 years ago, Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world. It comprises 39 colleges, many centered on the humanities but also including schools and research facilities in the natural and applied sciences. Almost a quarter of its more than 17,000 students come from overseas.
The Mahoney and Caplan scholarships are granted through a competition open to students in their sophomore year with a grade point average of 3.6 or higher. All applicants will be required to write an essay addressing how they believe their experience at Oxford will advance their education and academic interests.
Mali Program
Mali, West Africa
Immerse yourself in African art and culture in Mali, West Africa. The Mali program is offered through Antioch Education Abroad and provides students with the opportunity to develop intercultural skills, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of Malian culture. Through field-study, students will use art as a means to understand culture and themselves. Students will become familiar with contemporary Malian life which is influenced by traditions of the 12th century, Islam, the fading presence of colonialism, contemporary neo-colonialism, and the complexity of globalization.
Students will participate in an orientation in Bamako, Mali's capital, Siby, and the interior of Mali where they will immerse themselves in life outside of the capital through visits with artists, artisans, and performers. Students will have a chance to live with families, as well as take part in a three-week apprenticeship where they will work with an artist, artisan, musician, or dancer in accordance with their own goals and interests. After the apprenticeship, students will complete a three-week independent project where they will apply what they have learned to their own work. The group will reunite for the final week of presentations and group reflection.
Visit www.antioch-college.edu/aea/ for more details.
When Offered: fall semester only
Middlesex University
London, England
London—one of the world’s premier cultural centers—is the setting for Goucher’s semester abroad in dance. The dance program at Middlesex University encompasses the disciplines of classical ballet and modern dance in classes taught by highly experienced faculty, including several professional artists, at the Trent Park campus.
The program’s overarching aim is to promote a new understanding of the nature of the art form and the vital role it plays in contemporary British society. Specific interests include gender, choreography, and Asian performing dance—especially the South Asian dance forms that now feature prominently in the British contemporary dance scene.
Middlesex maintains a strong international reputation and is located in north London, convenient to the famous attractions of central London.
Paris Program
Paris, France
Click here to visit the program web site!
Goucher’s semester program in Paris is a rich and comprehensive immersion in the language, art, culture, and life of Paris.
In daily language classes, you’ll get an intensive workout in French grammar and vocabulary. In a series of trips to museums and theatres you’ll explore in great depth and detail the art and history of the Belle Epoque, France’s cultural explosion of the early 20th century. You will live with a Parisian host family or in a French dormitory throughout the semester, exercising the skills you’re learning in conversation around your home and over meals. And, of course, you’ll have plenty of time to explore Paris on your own, dining in its cafés, exploring its neighborhoods, marvelling at its sights and scenery, and settling into the rhythm of one of the world’s greatest cities. Goucher students accepted to the program receive a $3,500 scholarship.
When offered: Fall semester only
Rhodes University
Grahamstown, South Africa
Rhodes University is located in the heart of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province in Grahamstown, a bifurcated city of about 125,000 people. The challenge of poverty, urbanization, and education in South Africa is found in the community of Grahamstown, and provides additional invaluable material for scholars and humanists alike. Rhodes University was established in 1904, and today has 6,000 students studying in 38 departments spread over eight faculties:
- Arts
- Science
- Law
- Education
- Commerce
- Social Science
- Divinity
- Pharmacy
The University offers an ideal physical environment for studying. Goucher students enroll in regular Rhodes University classes, live with Rhodes students in campus residences, and are welcome to join in all university activities. Students are required to take a 10-week Xhosa language and culture course for pass/no pass grading.
Visit the Rhodes University web site.
When offered: Fall Term (mid-July through mid-December) and Spring Term (mid-February through mid-June)
Siena, Italy
Institution: Buffalo State College
Siena, Italy
While living with Sienese families and participating actively in the life of the community, students will attend classes taught primarily in English. Students will also take tours to Florence, Rome, and other Italian cities as part of their coursework in order to explore art, architecture, and Italian culture. Students will also have the opportunity to attend workshops that will enable them to experience aspects of Sienese life, such as the pressing of olive oil and attending a private organ recital in the Palazzo Comunale. Siena, encircled by centuries-old walls and overlooking the Tuscan countryside, is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Italy. Siena is also the birthplace of the Renaissance and its illustrious sons, including Dante, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Medici. Courses offered include Art and Architecture in Siena, Italian Civilization/History, and Italian language. Except for language courses, classes are conducted in English. Students are required to take Italian. This program is offered in cooperation with Buffalo State College. Visit Buffalo State's website for more information about this program.
When offered: Fall or spring
University of East Anglia
Norwich, England, England
The University of East Anglia’s wide range of programs and first-rate research facilities make it a very appealing option for students in a variety of majors who want to be able to study abroad for a semester or year.
Located in a university town and cultural center about two hours away from London, UEA offers well-regarded programs in most areas of the natural sciences and mathematics, the humanities, the social sciences, and the arts. It is particularly well-known for its research centers, and its connection to the Norwich Research Park provides students with access to an impressive range of resources and facilities.
Norwich—along with the university itself—is a vibrant community of shops, cafés, pubs, and open-air markets that’s also within easy striking distance of seaside towns and the Broads, one of England’s most beautiful national parks. It’s a bustling modern metropolis that retains its medieval feel in is cobblestone streets and magnificent cathedral, and it makes a convenient home base for exploring other parts of the UK and Europe. Students in the UEA program live in flats on campus or near town.
When offered: Fall, spring, or academic yearUniversity of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
Offered in cooperation with SUNY Brockport, this program offers you the opportunity to take classes in a wide range of disciplines at the University of Ghana—and immerse yourself in Ghanaian culture over the course of a full semester or academic year.
You’ll live alongside Ghanaian students in a residence hall on the University of Ghana’s campus in the capital city of Accra, and you’ll receive instruction from UG faculty in small classes, seminars, and tutorials. The program includes a comprehensive on-site orientation to help you get acclimated to the university and its educational system, and you’ll be able to take part in field trips and other special events organized specifically for program participants by a resident director in Ghana.
When offered: Fall, spring, or academic yearUniversity of Salamanca
Institution: University of Salamanca
Salamanca, Spain
If you’re looking for complete immersion in your study of Spanish language and culture, this program, offered in cooperation with SUNY Cortland, is a great way to achieve it.
Salamanca itself is rich with history and heritage, and the university—Spain’s oldest and one of the oldest in Europe—traces its roots back to the 13th century. You’ll advance your Spanish skills rapidly through intensive classes in language, and you’ll choose additional courses in other fields of interest from the university’s extensive catalogue. If you wish, you can further enrich your experience by volunteering up to 5 hours a week teaching English to young Spanish children. And you will live with a host family throughout, participating in the domestic life of Salamanca and exercising your language skills around the house and over meals.
Contemporary Salamanca is a lively university town centered on an expansive plaza surrounded by beautiful yellow sandstone churches, cathedrals, schools, and historic sites. It’s about two hours away from the capital city of Madrid, and a local airport puts destinations around Spain—and beyond—within easy reach.
When offered: Fall, spring, or academic yearUniversity of the Sunshine Coast
Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) provides students with the perfect study and living environment. The USC campus is located in the centre of the Sunshine Coast region. Located on the edge of a national park, the campus is home to kangaroos. The campus is approximately 90 kilometers from Brisbane. Major centers such as Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Caloundra and Noosa are between 15 and 40 minutes drive away.
USC has the highest proportion of academic staff with Doctoral or Masters qualifications of any university in Queensland, and the fifth highest in Australia. Graduates consistently give the University top marks, with a five-star satisfaction rating for overall educational experience. USC is the highest ranked university in Australia in relation to graduates’ satisfaction with teaching. USC received five-star ratings for both electronic support and academic services in the 2006 Good Universities Guide. The University library houses more than 23,500 digital resources that supplement the print resources held in the University collection. Students can choose from a wide range of courses in three faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Business, and Science, Health and Education. Many courses offer insights into Australian society from historical, political, environmental, geographical, business, scientific, social and literary perspectives. There is also a wide range of courses with a more global perspective. Courses range from liberal arts to professional to science and from discipline-specific to interdisciplinary. Areas of study include: Creative Writing, Journalism, Public Relations, Computer-Based Design, International Business, Languages, Marketing, Management, Biotechnology, Tourism, Education, Environmental Restoration, Marine Science, Sport and Exercise Science, Human Services, International Relations and Communication Studies. The internship program offers study abroad students high quality, individually designed work placements in an extensive range of professions.
Take a look at one Goucher student's reflections on USC.
When offered: Semester 2: 17 July – 19 November
Semester 1: 19 February – 17 June
University of Sussex
Type of Program: Semester
City: Brighton, England
Goucher students can take classes in physics or math at University of Sussex which is located in Brighton, England (55 miles/90 km from London). Set in the South Downs, Sussex is the only university in the country to be entirely located in a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty. Founded in 1961, Sussex University quickly established an international reputation for the quality of its research and its innovative and effective styles of teaching, attracting scholars from all over the world. With its wealth of innovative and engaging courses, Sussex encourages intellectual exploration and programs at Sussex. Sussex has a well-stocked library and extensive computer network, specialist laboratories, and media facilities to support you. All University accommodation is self-catering. For more information and course descriptions, please view the Sussex website (www.sussex.ac.uk). Students can study at Sussex for the fall or spring semester.
University of Westminster
London, England
The University of Westminster’s study-abroad program offers you the opportunity to spend a semester or full academic year taking undergraduate classes alongside British and other international students at one of London’s oldest educational institutions.
Particularly noted for its outstanding programs and facilities in communication, psychology, and international business, the University of Westminster allows you to combine four courses each semester from a very wide range of subject areas. You’ll live in residence halls or flats with other international students on or near one of Westminster’s four campuses (all either in central London or accessible quickly and easily via the tube). And to help you get acclimated and make the most of your time there, the university’s Study Abroad Unit holds a comprehensive orientation program at the beginning of each semester covering everything from the British system of education to the social and cultural opportunities available in the city of London.
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Summer Programs
DENMARK INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM (DIS)
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Denmark International Study (DIS) Program draws on the combined educational resources and research facilities of Denmark’s finest institutions of higher learning to provide high-quality semester and year-long programs for upper-level students. DIS's various programs are offered in cooperation with the University of Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Business School, and Roskilde University. These are regular university courses, and you will study alongside Danish and other international students alike. Many courses focus on European issues, and DIS offers study trips to such locations as Western Denmark, China, Italy, and Russia. All courses are taught in English. Elementary Danish is optional (for summer programs only).
DIS is located in central Copenhagen, a city that combines the old-world charm of its medieval origins more than 800 years ago with the vibrant life of a contemporary European metropolis. You can live with a Danish host family, in a Kollegium, at a Folkhojskole, or with a Danish roommate throughout the program. For details, please visit www.dis.dk/Housing.
DIS offers a variety of summer programs that run from late May to late June. The five week programs include: European Culture and History * European Politics & Society * International Business & Economics * Medical Practice & Policy * Nursing in Scandinavia * Pre-Architecture * Prostitution & Human Trafficking in Europe * Psychology & Child Development * HIV/Aids in Western Europe
The seven week programs run from early July to mid August and include: Architecture * Scandinavia Furniture Design * Scandinavian Glass Design * Scandinavia Textile Design
HANSARD SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Institution: London School of Economics and Political Science
London, UK
The Hansard Scholars Programme is highly competitive, but for outstanding students with a keen interest in politics and public society. It is an extraordinary window into the inner workings of the British government. The Hansard Scholars Programme offers a twelve week summer program in London that begins in mid-May and ends in early August. It offers students the opportunity to attend courses in British Politics and UK Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science and take intensive internship placement. HANSARD DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1.
You will live with other Hansard Scholars in a flat in central London - a city rich with cultural, political, and educational resources and opportunities in and of itself. http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/programmes/study_programme
INSTEP
Institution: Cambridge Institute of Economic and Political Studies
London, England
Students spend six weeks during the summer in London or Cambridge at the Institute of Economic and Political Studies. Many summer festivities take place in Cambridge during June and July. Cambridge is under an hour by train from London. Friday excursions are available for London participants. Students will study political science, law, contemporary Europe, international relations and/or international business. Internship options are also available in law, politics and social services. Students work three days a week at their internship placement. INSTEP attempts to match qualified students with placements that meet their interests and abilities. Students live in dormitory rooms with other program students, sharing kitchen, bath and common areas. Visit the INSTEP website.
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