Social & Behavioral Sciences
Students in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) have a lot to gain through study abroad. Click on a department name to see the list of programs that offer coursework in that field.
Anthropology
Study abroad provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in a new environment, generating a more comprehensive understandings of humanity and prompting the critical self-reflection that is vital to the discipline today. With study abroad you can learn or practice a new language and access specialized training opportunities, both of which can expand future opportunities. Study abroad further builds your professional skills by encouraging resilience, independence, and cross-cultural understanding.
Child Development
When you study abroad you are exposed to new parenting styles, educational systems, and childrearing practices. This experience can provide an important counter to assumptions rooted in Western models and help you to develop a cultural sensitivity with which to engage more effectively and compassionately with children and parents from diverse backgrounds. Many study abroad programs additionally offer opportunities for service in schools, daycare centers, and community programs.
Criminal Justice
Learning how other countries handle law enforcement, judicial processes, corrections, and rehabilitation can help you to better understand and critically engage with US systems. Some nations place greater emphasis on community policing, de-escalation, restorative justice, or militarized force, for example, providing alternative frameworks to consider. Study abroad further provides the opportunity to enhance your cross-cultural communication skills, especially valuable for working as a criminal justice professional.
Economics
Studying abroad provides you with the opportunity to observe diverse economic systems first-hand - from social market economies in Europe to emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, or Africa. You will have the opportunity to see and experience how trade, finance, and labor markets function globally, and how economic policies in one region impact others. Courses designed for international students often incorporate local economic issues, enriching your understanding through real-world examples. Future employers will value candidates who can navigate cross-cultural environments and understand international economic forces.
Ethnic Studies
Studying abroad offers a powerful opportunity to deepen your understanding of race, identity, power, and resistance by engaging these topics in a global context. By comparing the experiences of marginalized communities across countries and continents, and exploring how concepts like indigeneity, diaspora, resistance and nationalism compare to the US, you deepen your capacities for intersectional and comparative analyses. Collaborating with students, scholars, and communities from different backgrounds additionally provides the opportunity to practice active listening, mutual respect, and cultural humility – essential skills for future work in activism, education, and community organizing .
Geography & Environmental Studies
Environmental issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are inherently global. Studying abroad provides firsthand insights into how these issues are experienced and addressed in different regions and ecosystems, broadening your perspective on how to solve problems and develop sustainable practices. Learning a new language is also valuable for international research and communication, and multilingual candidates have a competitive edge in the job market.
History
Study abroad brings textbook knowledge to life and deepens your academic understanding through global awareness and engagement. Many destinations are home to historic landmarks, ruins, museums, and archives, giving you opportunities for firsthand experience with iconic places and collections. Seeing firsthand how history is preserved, interpreted, and taught in another country can also hone your understanding of national narrative and memory politics, while simultaneously challenging dominant historical frameworks in the US.
Political Science
Study different governments, political ideologies, and legal systems in action. You gain insights into international relations, comparative politics, and regional governance through immersion in a new place with distinct approaches to policy topics like immigration, climate, nationalism, and human rights. Through exposure to alternative political narratives and media, you may find that global challenges are perceived and debated in new ways, allowing you to become a more critical and informed thinker. Learning to navigate a new place and unfamiliar cultural norms additionally fosters interpersonal and negotiation skills that are essential for a career in diplomacy, international business, or global non-profit work.
Psychology
Studying abroad exposes you to psychological theories, mental health practices, and therapeutic techniques not prevalent in the US. Such opportunities can be crucial for addressing cultural biases, developing culturally sensitive practices, and improving your ability to work with diverse populations. Many international institutions where you can study abroad offer research opportunities related to cross-cultural psychology, community mental health, and innovative therapies.
Social Work
Social work demands deep empathy and cultural sensitivity – skills best developed through immersion in a new culture. Studying abroad additionally enhances your understanding of global inequalities, and lays bare how culture contributes to shaping human needs. Learning to listen to and trust people from diverse backgrounds is vital for social work in multicultural societies like the United States. Exposure to alternative approaches to case management, counseling, and advocacy additionally help you to become a more critical and informed provider.
Sociology
Study abroad allows you to gain a global perspective on social institutions like family, education, religion, and government. You can observe first-hand how race, class, gender, and power operate differently around the world. These opportunities can prompt you to reflect critically on your identity, privilege, and worldview, which are key to disciplinary thinking and developing the empathy and cultural sensitivity that are vital to analyzing social systems. International experience additionally will enhance your resume for careers in fields like social policy, non-profit work, public health, education, or international development.
Anthropology
Study abroad provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in a new environment, generating a more comprehensive understandings of humanity and prompting the critical self-reflection that is vital to the discipline today. With study abroad you can learn or practice a new language and access specialized training opportunities, both of which can expand future opportunities. Study abroad further builds your professional skills by encouraging resilience, independence, and cross-cultural understanding.
Child Development
When you study abroad you are exposed to new parenting styles, educational systems, and childrearing practices. This experience can provide an important counter to assumptions rooted in Western models and help you to develop a cultural sensitivity with which to engage more effectively and compassionately with children and parents from diverse backgrounds. Many study abroad programs additionally offer opportunities for service in schools, daycare centers, and community programs.
Criminal Justice
Learning how other countries handle law enforcement, judicial processes, corrections, and rehabilitation can help you to better understand and critically engage with US systems. Some nations place greater emphasis on community policing, de-escalation, restorative justice, or militarized force, for example, providing alternative frameworks to consider. Study abroad further provides the opportunity to enhance your cross-cultural communication skills, especially valuable for working as a criminal justice professional.
Economics
Studying abroad provides you with the opportunity to observe diverse economic systems first-hand - from social market economies in Europe to emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, or Africa. You will have the opportunity to see and experience how trade, finance, and labor markets function globally, and how economic policies in one region impact others. Courses designed for international students often incorporate local economic issues, enriching your understanding through real-world examples. Future employers will value candidates who can navigate cross-cultural environments and understand international economic forces.
Ethnic Studies
Studying abroad offers a powerful opportunity to deepen your understanding of race, identity, power, and resistance by engaging these topics in a global context. By comparing the experiences of marginalized communities across countries and continents, and exploring how concepts like indigeneity, diaspora, resistance and nationalism compare to the US, you deepen your capacities for intersectional and comparative analyses. Collaborating with students, scholars, and communities from different backgrounds additionally provides the opportunity to practice active listening, mutual respect, and cultural humility – essential skills for future work in activism, education, and community organizing .
Geography & Environmental Studies
Environmental issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are inherently global. Studying abroad provides firsthand insights into how these issues are experienced and addressed in different regions and ecosystems, broadening your perspective on how to solve problems and develop sustainable practices. Learning a new language is also valuable for international research and communication, and multilingual candidates have a competitive edge in the job market.
History
Study abroad brings textbook knowledge to life and deepens your academic understanding through global awareness and engagement. Many destinations are home to historic landmarks, ruins, museums, and archives, giving you opportunities for firsthand experience with iconic places and collections. Seeing firsthand how history is preserved, interpreted, and taught in another country can also hone your understanding of national narrative and memory politics, while simultaneously challenging dominant historical frameworks in the US.
Political Science
Study different governments, political ideologies, and legal systems in action. You gain insights into international relations, comparative politics, and regional governance through immersion in a new place with distinct approaches to policy topics like immigration, climate, nationalism, and human rights. Through exposure to alternative political narratives and media, you may find that global challenges are perceived and debated in new ways, allowing you to become a more critical and informed thinker. Learning to navigate a new place and unfamiliar cultural norms additionally fosters interpersonal and negotiation skills that are essential for a career in diplomacy, international business, or global non-profit work.
Psychology
Studying abroad exposes you to psychological theories, mental health practices, and therapeutic techniques not prevalent in the US. Such opportunities can be crucial for addressing cultural biases, developing culturally sensitive practices, and improving your ability to work with diverse populations. Many international institutions where you can study abroad offer research opportunities related to cross-cultural psychology, community mental health, and innovative therapies.
Social Work
Social work demands deep empathy and cultural sensitivity – skills best developed through immersion in a new culture. Studying abroad additionally enhances your understanding of global inequalities, and lays bare how culture contributes to shaping human needs. Learning to listen to and trust people from diverse backgrounds is vital for social work in multicultural societies like the United States. Exposure to alternative approaches to case management, counseling, and advocacy additionally help you to become a more critical and informed provider.
Sociology
Study abroad allows you to gain a global perspective on social institutions like family, education, religion, and government. You can observe first-hand how race, class, gender, and power operate differently around the world. These opportunities can prompt you to reflect critically on your identity, privilege, and worldview, which are key to disciplinary thinking and developing the empathy and cultural sensitivity that are vital to analyzing social systems. International experience additionally will enhance your resume for careers in fields like social policy, non-profit work, public health, education, or international development.