This winter, when temperatures are plummeting and the sun is setting around 5 p.m., you’re probably already fantasizing about how you hope to spend your summer. And if you’re a travel enthusiast/savvy adventuress, studying abroad might be at the top of your list for summer possibilities. The summer is a great time to study abroad because you don’t have to take a semester off, miss out on football season, exciting classes or whatever else it is that you look forward to most during the school year. It can also be difficult to go abroad during the school year unless the classes you are taking abroad apply to your major. So whether you’ve been daydreaming about bicycling around le château de Versailles or zip-lining through the rain forests of Costa Rica, Her Campus ™ has put together a guide with the top summer study abroad programs to help you make your decision. The guide is divided by global region, which are then separated by country. Also, while the amount of credit hours for each program is below, each program recommends that you discuss it with a study abroad advisor at your university to understand if the credits will transfer or not.
Africa
Spend a summer exploring the world’s second largest continent and all the wild life and fascinating opportunities it has to offer. There are plenty of programs available, whether you’re looking for an Arabic feel in Morocco or exploring the tropics of Cape Town.
Morocco
City: Rabat
Program: CIEE Rabat, Morocco Summer language and culture
For collegiettes ™ who are looking to…study the Arabic language and be immersed in the Arabic culture.
Program overview: Take Arabic language courses, live with a Moroccan family, and go on field trips to festivals, the Medina and the ancient ruins of Chellah. It’s a small group with an average enrollment of about 15 participants each summer.
Housing: Moroccan home stays
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: April 1
Cost: $6,400
Credit hours available: N/A
Ghana
City: Legon
Program: CIEE Summer Ghanaian Studies
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…learn about Ghana’s culture and the political/economic challenges the country experiences today.
What you’ll learn: Collegiettes™ will take classes in Ghanaian politics, history, music and dance. Students will also have the opportunity to volunteer at local schools and go on CIEE excursions to the Cape Coast, among other destinations.
Housing: Off-campus student hostel or Ghanaian home-stays
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: March 15
Cost: $5,300
Credit hours available: 6
South Africa
City: Cape Town
Program: CIEE Summer South African Studies
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…learn about South Africa and its modern day cultural transformation.
What you’ll learn: Collegiettes™ will have the opportunity to volunteer at local schools, live with a local family for the week and take classes about the current political/economic situations that impact South Africa.
Housing: Off-campus housing with CIEE students
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: March 1
Cost:$4,600
Credit hours available: 3
Asia
Live off sushi and walk the Great Wall of China when studying abroad in Asia for a summer. China is a leading member of the global business community, causing more business majors to study abroad there each year.
China
City: Beijing
Program: CIEE Summer Intensive Chinese Language Program
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…improve their Mandarin Chinese language skills.
Program overview: Take over 20 hours of language classes a week, learn from professors at Peking University and take field trips to the Beijing Opera, Great Wall of China and Ming Tombs.
Housing: On-campus international dorms, off-campus housing with CIEE students, Chinese home-stays
Apply: CIEE
Deadline:March 15
Cost:$6,200
Credit hours available: 10
City: Shanghai
Program: CIEE Summer business, language and culture
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…learn Chinese Mandarin and about the global role China plays in the international business community.
Program overview: Take intensive language courses, attend weekly seminars where you will learn about Shanghai economics and take excursions to Chinese companies and factories.
Housing: On-campus international dorms, off-campus housing with CIEE students, Chinese home-stays
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: March 15
Cost: $6,300
Credit hours available: 9
Japan
City: Tokyo
Program: CIEE Japanese Studies
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…learn about Japanese culture, language, and society.
Program overview: Take classes at Sophia University, participate in traditional tea ceremonies, visit the Meiji Shrine and more.
Housing: Off-campus housing with CIEE students, Japanese home-stays
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: March 15
Cost: $6,700
Credit hours available: 6
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Australia
Australia is a popular destination for adventurous collegiettes™, especially for those who prefer to study in an English-speaking country. However, if you do choose to study abroad in Australia during the winter, we hope it’s not for the warm weather and white-sanded beaches— the average temperature between June and August ranges from 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
City: Melbourne
Program: IES Abroad Melbourne
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…be introduced to the Australian culture and have a summer internship.
Program overview: Students are required to take two courses about Australian culture, have the opportunity to participate in the internship program and go on field trips to national parks and the Great Ocean Road.
Housing: IES student apartments
Apply: IES
Deadline: April 15
Cost:$5,820
Credit hours available: 6
Central/South America
Stretching from the beautiful Mexican beaches down to the mountainous terrain of Chile— Latin America is full of Spanish and Portuguese flare and flavor. This region is full of white-sanded beaches, volcanoes and steamy rainforests.
Argentina
City: Buenos Aires
Program: CIEE Summer Community Public Health
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…sharpen their Spanish language skills and learn about worldwide health care issues.
Program overview: Students will take intensive language courses that will focus on medical terminology, work with local medical practitioners and learn about the Argentine social environment.
Housing: Argentine home-stay
Apply: CIEE
Credit hours available: 9
Deadline: April 1
Cost:$6,650
Costa Rica
City: San José
Program: API Spanish for Development Studies Program
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…hone Spanish language skills and deepen Latin American cultural knowledge.
Program overview: Students will take Spanish conversational, literature, and film classes which will focus on various economic/political/cultural themes. They will also take part in weekend excursions and local volunteer opportunities.
Housing: Local host families
Apply: API
Credit hours available: 7
Deadline: April 1
Cost:$5,500
Europe
Watch the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain or eat wine and cheese beneath the Eiffel Tower. Due to Europe’s countries being so close to each other, it’s easy and reasonably priced to travel within the European Union, giving you the opportunity to experience a multitude of cultures in one summer.
France
City: Paris
Program: CIEE Summer Contemporary Studies
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…increase their knowledge in the French language and culture.
Program overview: Take small intimate French language/learning classes (in English or French) and go on field trips to Vaux-le-Vicomte or the Chartres. The program is divided into two separate sessions, participants can choose either session I, II or both.
Housing:Off-campus hotel with CIEE students
Apply: CIEE
Credit hours available: 3
Deadline: April 1
Cost: Session I: $3,375 ; Session II: $3,375 ; Session I & II: $6,550
Spain
City: Barcelona
Program: CIEE Summer language and culture
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…improve their Spanish language skills and study business.
Program overview: Take courses in a multitude of subject areas (art history, management, marketing, social science and more) and take overnight trips to the beaches of Costa Brava and the south of France.
Housing: Off-campus residencias for international students or Spanish home-stays
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: April 1
Cost:$6,500
Credit hours available: 6
City: Barcelona
Program: IES Intensive Internship Program
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…improve their Spanish language skills and do a summer internship.
Program overview: Students are placed at an internship where they will work 16 hours a week. Internship placements are available in the fields of business, media and communication, language teaching and NGOs.
Housing: IES student apartments
Apply: IES
Deadline: April 15
Cost:$6,755
Credit hours available: 4
“The internship I had was related to education, and they set me up in a community center where I taught English. My roommates were business majors and they had fun internships that dealt with marketing companies and promotional businesses. They specialize the internship towards your interests.” –Erin Paulson, University of Iowa senior
City: Granada
Program: API Intensive Language Program
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…improve Spanish language skills and be immersed in the Spanish culture.
Program overview: Students take part in Spanish grammar, oral and cultural courses at the University of Granada. Students will also be taken on field trips to various Spanish cities. The program is divided into two summer sessions: session 1 from May 23 to June 30 and session 2 from June 26 to July 30. Students can participate in one session or both.
Housing: Local host families or student residencias
Apply: API
Deadline: April 1
Cost:Session 1 $4,200 ; Session 2 $4,200 ; Session 1 & 2 $7,800
Credit hours available:5-9 credit hours per summer session
“API did an amazing job through out the entire process, from application to return. The U.S. API affiliate for Spain was extremely patient and helpful when I sent her a million e-mails a week. Over the course of the program I felt so welcomed by the staff, my teachers at University of Granada were amazing, we had a ton of fun cultural activities set up for us, and the excursions they planned all over the country were great.” –Sarah Weinberg, Her Campus Contributing Writer, San Diego State University
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Ireland
City: Dublin
Program: IES Internship Program
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…intern in an English-speaking country outside of the U.S.
Program overview: Interns are placed in the fields of arts administration, business/marketing, journalism, media, politics, social outreach and theater. Internships require 35 hours a week in which you’ll keep a journal of your daily activities and submit a final report that will evaluate your performance, management skills and organizational behavior.
Housing: IES student apartments
Apply: IES
Deadline: April 15
Cost: $6,755; includes tuition, housing and health insurance
Credit hours available:6
Italy
City: Milan
Program: IES Summer Study Abroad in Milan
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…Learn Italian in the fashion capital of the world.
Program overview: Students will take four credits of Italian language courses and three credits of English-taught Italian culture classes. You will also take field trips to Lago Maggiore and Cinque Terre.
Housing: IES neighborhood apartment or honor’s residence hall
Apply: IES
Deadline: April 15
Cost: $6,595 for tuition & housing.
Credit hours available: 7
Middle East
Even in a time of war and poverty, more college students than before are making their way to study in the Middle East. According to the Institute of International Education there was a 9.2 percent increase in students studying abroad in the Middle East from the 2008-2009 school year to 2009-2010.
Jordan
City: Amman
Program: CIEE Arabic Summer Language Program
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…Study the Arabic language.
Program overview: Collegiettes™ will take intensive Arabic language courses (five days a week and four hours a day), work with a tutor and have the opportunity to take part in cross-cultural CIEE clubs. It’s a small group with an average enrollment of about 15 participants each summer.
Housing: Off-campus apartments with CIEE students
Apply: CIEE
Deadline: April 1
Cost:$6,400
Credit hours available: 7
Israel
City: Jerusalem
Program: Betar Zionist Movement- Israel Ba Lev
For collegiettes™ who are looking to…volunteer in Israel and obtain a deeper knowledge about the country.
Program overview: This five-month program, which begins in July and ends in December, provides you with an opportunity to take part in Israeli volunteer work while simultaneously learning about current state of Israel and its diverse population. The program also includes excursions, seminars on Judaism, and the opportunity to take part in the Betar Movement.
Housing: Housing is provided by MASA
Apply: MASA
Deadline: N/A Application is available in January
Cost: Contact program directly
Credit hours available: N/A
Sources
Sarah Weinberg, Her Campus ™ Contributing Writer, San Diego State University
Erin Paulson, University of Iowa Senior
www.ciee.org
www.iesabroad.org
www.apistudyabroad.com
www.masaisrael.org