Study Abroad

Opportunities

The world is your classroom. Acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills to be prepared for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Since 1925, Smith College has been a pioneer in the field of study abroad, demonstrating that active engagement in the world enhances a liberal arts education. 

Where Will You Go?

Spend a semester or academic year on one of Smith’s own programs in Florence, Geneva, Hamburg or Paris, or choose from Smith’s consortium and approved programs in places such as Spain, Japan, India, Mexico and the Middle East. Travel to locations around the globe with faculty-led programs during January interterm or work at an internship for the summer.

Find the Program for You Applying & Funding

Important Updates

This is a curated list of important and timely updates. Please refer to the full listing of news and events for study abroad for a comprehensive listing of announcements.

  • Gilman Scholarships are open now through March 7 for applicants whose education abroad programs start between May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025. U.S. citizens who receive the Pell Grant may be considered for up to $9,000 in funding. This cycle encompasses programs during the following terms, so email your essays to studyabroad@lcsem.com for review by the Study Abroad Coordinator:
    • Summer 2024
    • Fall 2024
    • Academic Year 2024–25
    • Interterm 2025
    • Spring 2025

Smith’s Unique Programs

Identity & Study Abroad

A number of factors may influence your experience abroad, including your nationality; religious, racial or ethnic heritage; gender; sexual orientation; mobility; accessibility and disability; and personality. Attitudes toward women and minority groups vary greatly across cultures, as do experiences in gender identity and sexual orientation. In some cultures you may experience being in the minority (that is, a foreigner) or in the majority for the first time. How the “majority culture” defines itself also differs around the world. No place is monocultural, and learning about difference by living and studying outside the United States can bring new insights upon return. Ask questions, explore resources and remember that all cultures have complexities, and finding opportunities to successfully live in another culture is extraordinary.

Helpful Reading

To learn more about how your identity may be impacted during your experience abroad, we recommend reviewing the Diversity Abroad’s Guide to Study Abroad and IFSA’s Unpacked: A Study Abroad Guide for Students Like Me.

Volunteer International provides information about best practices for selecting a high-quality volunteer abroad program. See especially the “Why Standards” and “Volunteer Stories” tabs on their website.

Brown University compiled a collection of student quotes addressing diversity issues including ethnicity, heritage, sexual orientation, religion, minority/majority issues, physical appearance and language.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of study abroad is the opportunity to discover another culture and, thanks to that process, to understand oneself better. It is important to be aware of the cultural differences about disability and accommodations in order to have a successful and safe experience abroad.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

Begin now by doing the following:

  • Disclose your disability needs to program staff early so appropriate arrangements can be made in advance.
  • Remember that other cultures may provide disability access in a different way—learn about what types of accommodation are typically provided in your host country and be flexible and open to different ways of accommodating your disability.
  • Find out as much as you can about your host culture and how they view disability by reading, talking to other students and attending predeparture orientation sessions. The more you know, the better prepared you will be for the interaction between your disability and the new environment.
  • Think about how you will answer questions about your disability in the language of your host country—look up key vocabulary words ahead of time.

As a Smith student you may already be accustomed to addressing gender issues with an open mind. Our challenge to you is to now examine the differing patterns of gender roles and expectations in the spirit of intercultural learning.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. For example, how is sexual harassment defined and responded to in the host culture? What added safety precautions must you follow while abroad? We strongly encourage you to discuss these and similar topics with your education abroad adviser prior to departure.

As a nontraditional student you are faced with unique challenges when it comes to study abroad. You may not be able to leave for a semester-long program, you may need to make arrangements for other family members, etc. The resources listed here will inspire you to consider study abroad and help you to prepare once you've decided to apply.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

Begin researching now by looking at the resources below; exploring Smith College program offerings; talking with the staff in the Office for International Study and program alumnae; and continuing to learn while you are abroad by talking with your new friends.

It is important to recognize how cultural differences impact perceptions of race and ethnicity.

Many students of color report that in the U.S. they self-identify with their race, but abroad they are recognized as simply American. Some students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds also report a real range of experiences in treatment as a "foreigner." Some students report feeling exhilarated by the freedom from the American context of race relations, while others report experiencing new types of prejudice and having to learn new coping strategies.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living.

Though there may be commitment to religious diversity and freedom in the United States, this may not be the case in the country where you'll be living and studying. While abroad, you will likely have encounters that challenge your notions of spirituality.

Take the opportunity to understand the social and historical views of religious acceptance and tolerance within your host country. In doing so, you may also question your own values and beliefs and arrive at a better understanding of yourself.

Being familiar with the world's religions and how religious diversity is defined and understood across cultures will help you have a rewarding and safe international experience.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

Begin researching now by looking at the resources below, talking with international students and program alumni on campus. While abroad, talk with your new friends, host family, conversation partner, teachers and others who are interested in discussing religion, faith, spirituality and the ways these issues are understood.

Being knowledgeable about sexual identity and how the cultural, legal and social issues regarding sexual identity vary from place to place will better enable you to have a safe and rewarding international experience. Learning as much as you can about how these issues are addressed in the host country will better enable you to have a safe and rewarding international experience.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

Begin researching now by looking at the resources below, talking with a study abroad adviser and program alumnae, and continue while you are abroad by talking with your new friends.

If you have special eating habits, are committed to a particular way of eating (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, kosher, macrobiotic) or have health issues or food allergies that result in a special diet, you will need to research your study abroad destination carefully before assuming that the food you need will be available.

In many areas of the world certain special diets, such as vegetarian, are not common and in some cases, not eating food that has been prepared for you, even if for dietary reasons, is considered rude.

If, for cultural, religious or personal reasons you do not eat certain types of food you should contact your study abroad program administrator to see whether or not your dietary needs can be accommodated.

Making friends with those who have grown up in a different culture is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad. You can alleviate potential misunderstandings by learning in advance as much as you can about the culture where you'll be living. Please feel at ease to discuss your questions and concerns about this or any other issue with any of the Office for International Study staff members.

How to Prepare

Learn what is and isn't available that so you can experience the food of the culture you're living in while at the same time having your dietary needs met. Being flexible, whenever possible, about what you eat will make your study abroad experience easier and more enriching.

If you're looking to discuss any of these factors and how they might impact your experience abroad, please get in touch with one of us. You can even contact us as you're navigating issues while on your program.

Safety & Security

We advise all students studying abroad to consult the U.S. State Department website on a regular basis. This site includes valuable information about countries throughout the world.

Students Abroad U.S. Embassies Around the World Travel Advisories Emergencies Abroad Country-Specific Information Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP) Traveler’s Checklist

About Us

Lisa Johnson

Associate Dean for International Study

Dean Johnson oversees the Office for International Study, including management of the Smith Programs Abroad (Florence, Geneva, Hamburg, Paris, and the Global FLEX programs). She advises and prepares students for their experiences abroad. Schedule an appointment.

Angelo Pisano

Study Abroad Coordinator

Angelo is ready for your questions and wants to hear your story. He is responsible for programming events, student advising, tuition and stipend payments, and can help answer questions about funding study abroad programs. Schedule an appointment.

Drop-in advising hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:30–4 p.m. Students may book appointments online or by phone at 413-585-7598. Questions can also be addressed to peer advisers via email.

Spring 2024 Peer Advisers

Denielle Amparado

she/her

Denielle is a senior double major in government and quantitative economics. She’s just returned to Smith after two years away—the first completing her JYA with the Smith in Geneva program, and the second spending her gap year at home in the Philippines and in Peru. In Geneva, Denielle took classes at Unige and the Graduate Institute of Geneva, focusing on international law, development economics, migration studies, and French and Swiss literature. She was also able to complete internships in migrant- and indigenous-rights centered organizations, volunteer as an English teacher with the Migration Initiative, and travel around France, Italy, and Spain. Denielle loved her time away, and now she's happy to be back and eager to help any and all Smithies work through their worries and design their own study abroad experiences.

Send Denielle an email

Denielle Amparado

Lucie Brock

they/them

Lucie is a senior double majoring in computer science and philosophy. They are back at Smith after spending last spring in England at Lady Margaret Hall, a college in Oxford University. While abroad, Lucie took tutorials about artificial intelligence, logic, epistemology and metaphysics, and AI ethics. Lucie had an incredible experience with the tutorial system and would love to tell you all about it. During their spring break, Lucie travelled across Europe to Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Vienna.

Lucie is thrilled to be working with the LGSC this semester, and looks forward to seeing you at their peer advising hours!

Send Lucie an email

Lucie Brock

Eugenia Rogers

she/her

Eugenia is a junior in environmental science and policy major from Sierra Leone. She spent a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark studying sustainable development, integrated climate change planning, environmental policy in practice and Danish language and culture. She also supported agricultural research in biological pest control. She volunteered briefly with a climate activist group working on deep sea mining. Eugenia was able to travel to more than 10 cities in Europe during her time abroad including Paris, Prague, Budapest, and Berlin. Going abroad was a life-changing experience for her and she’d love to work with you to curate your own! 

Send Eugenia an email

Our Goals

  • To promote study abroad opportunities that are in keeping with the educational aims of the college.
  • To provide program options that offer outstanding academic content, instruction, language learning and cultural immersion opportunities in the host countries.
  • To ensure first-rate study abroad opportunities that accommodate a range of disciplines and include diverse regions of the world.
  • To integrate study abroad into a student's four-year plan of study to the fullest extent possible.

We are a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Institute for International Education (IIE), the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) and the Forum on Education Abroad.

Standards and Ethics in Study Abroad

 

Smith College adheres to the Forum on Education Abroad’s Standards of Good Practice and Code of Ethics (PDF) for Education Abroad in providing study abroad opportunities to Smith students.

Contact Office for International Study

Lewis Global Studies Center
Wright Hall
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

Phone: 413-585-7598 Email: studyabroad@lcsem.com

For emergencies, call Campus Safety at 413-585-5555 and ask to have a study abroad staff member contacted.

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