Photo: Lacey-Ann Wisdom '17
Your choice of study abroad program type will depend largely on your reasons for going abroad. As a rule of thumb, it is best to study in an environment that will give you maximum exposure to the culture and language of the host country. As you look through the available options for study abroad, you may find the information below helpful. Also, you will find it helpful to meet with a study abroad adviser.
Semester and Academic Year Programs
Princeton offers a list of over 100 pre-approved semester/academic year programs where students can take courses abroad for credit. Students may take courses at a foreign institution directly, via a third-party provider, or a combination of both. Princeton also offers a few faculty-led semester-long programs. Depending on the program you choose, there will be varying levels of immersion, independence, and administrative/academic support. Read through the descriptions below to learn more about the main features of each program type, but please keep in mind that each program may have its own unique characteristics. Your choice of program will depend largely on your own personal and academic goals for study abroad, which we encourage every student to discuss with a study abroad adviser.
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Direct Enrollment
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- Fellow Classmates: Students from the host university
- Location of Courses: Local university
- Academic Culture: Usually a more independent-learning environment; less contact with professors, less assignments throughout the semester, and more heavily weighted exams
- Calendar: Students follow the host institution’s academic calendar; could start or end sooner or later than Princeton
- On-site Support: Usually less academic/student life support; students are expected to be more independent and self-motivated
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Field-based
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- Fellow Classmates: Other Princeton students
- Location of Courses: Local university or research facility
- Academic Culture: Heavily focused on field work under the supervision of Princeton faculty/local staff
- Calendar: Aligns with Princeton calendar
- On-site Support: Princeton faculty/staff and local staff support students
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Princeton Exchange Program
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- Fellow Classmates: Students from the host university
- Location of Courses: Local university
- Academic Culture: Usually a more independent-learning environment; less contact with professors, less assignments throughout the semester, and more heavily weighted exams
- Calendar: Students follow the host institution’s academic calendar; could start or end sooner or later than Princeton
- On-site Support: Usually less academic/student life support; students are expected to be more independent and self-motivated
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Princeton Faculty-Led
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- Fellow Classmates: Could be only Princeton students, or both Princeton students and local students
- Location of Courses: Local university or research facility
- Academic Culture: Varies
- Calendar: Varies
- On-site Support: Princeton faculty/staff and local staff support students
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Third-Party Provider
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- Fellow Classmates: Could be a mix of U.S. students and local and international students or only students from other U.S. institutions
- Location of Courses: Normally a hybrid of courses offered at a study center (which contains offices, classrooms, computers, etc.), and/or courses directly enrolled at local university
- Academic Culture: Students have the chance to experience both courses at the program study center, and host-country academic culture
- Calendar: Provider programs typically follow the U.S. academic calendar, while students taking local university courses would also need to abide by their calendar.
- On-site Support: Usually a high-level of support provided through the provider staff
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SPIA Task Force Seminar
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- Fellow Classmates: Students from the host university (for regular classes) and SPIA students for the task force seminar
- Location of Courses: Local university
- Academic Culture: SPIA seminar focused on public policy research combined with local university courses
- Calendar: Varies
- On-site Support: Varies
Summer Study Abroad Programs
If your particular academic, athletic, or other co-curricular commitments do not allow you the flexibility to study abroad during the academic year, there are many options to study abroad during the summer as well. You may choose from a rich selection of Princeton faculty-led program, as well as non-Princeton summer programs for transfer credit (pending pre-approval). Read below for more information.
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Princeton Summer Study Abroad Programs
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Princeton Summer Study Abroad Programs are programs taught by Princeton faculty where participants earn Princeton course credit. These programs include the Princeton language immersion programs (Princeton in Spain, Princeton in Beijing, etc.), content-based programs (Archaeology in the Field, Plato in Paris, etc.), and the PIIRS Global Seminars. More information can be found within the summer study abroad brochures in GPS.
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Non-Princeton Summer Study Abroad Programs
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These are non-Princeton summer programs where students can take courses for credit transfer. In order for credit to be considered, non-Princeton summer programs must be offered by an accredited four-year institution and be at least four weeks in duration, with 30 contact hours for a content course or 60 contact hours for a language course. More information can be found on the Non-Princeton Summer Study Abroad program brochure.