Undergraduate Education
International Study Options
International Study Programs
USC’s undergraduate international study programs, many of which are administered by the Dornsife Office of Overseas Studies, enable students to learn in a different educational and cultural context. Some of the programs require a background in the language of the host country; others are conducted entirely in English. Units earned are considered USC units and affect residency in the same manner. However, overseas courses are not offered for general education credit. Students receive regular USC credit and may apply financial aid and scholarships to the semester and year programs described here. The semester and year programs detailed below are offered through the Dornsife Office of Overseas Studies unless they are identified as being offered by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Please visit the Office of Overseas Studies located in the College House (CLH), Room 201, call (213) 740‑3636, email overseas@usc.edu or visit dornsife.usc.edu/overseas-studies for more information. The Office of Overseas Studies can also direct students to various academic units that offer summer or short-term international programs for undergraduates.
Argentina
Fall Semester in Buenos Aires
This semester program offers students the opportunity to study Latin American culture and study at the Universidad de San Andrés, a small liberal arts college in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. Students will live and learn in this vibrant metropolis while taking communication courses that count toward major credit at USC. Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities in Latin America and will give students the chance to explore the world view of Latin America and how it relates to communication, mass media and the world at large.
The program will immerse students in South American culture, with classes being taught exclusively in Spanish. This program requires a high degree of proficiency in Spanish, both written and oral (2.5 years of college-level Spanish or the equivalent required), and no special arrangements will be made for students who cannot meet language requirements. An optional five-week preparatory program is offered by the Universidad de San Andres for students who need to strengthen their Spanish skills. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, call (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Australia
Semester or Year in Brisbane
The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s premier higher education institutions. Brisbane, with more than one million residents, is Australia’s third-largest and fastest-growing city. USC undergraduates enroll in regular university courses in a wide variety of subjects. Courses are available in the humanities, social sciences, science and engineering. Kinesiology majors can take courses for major credit. Students may choose to live on or off campus.
Semester or Year in Canberra
Located in the capital city of Canberra, the Australian National University (ANU) offers USC undergraduates the opportunity to study alongside Australian students for a semester or year. Courses are available in the schools of arts and social sciences, Asian studies, economics and commerce, engineering and computer science, law and science. Fine arts majors may pursue studio arts courses at the ANU School of Art. Students live in university-affiliated residence halls.
Semester in Canberra (Public Sector Internship)
The Australian National Internship Program, administered by the Australian National University, is available to students who wish to combine academics and practical experience in an internship in Australian Parliament, the Australian Public Service or a nongovernmental organization. Students attend academic seminars and complete a research project in addition to the intern duties they perform. Students earn 12 USC units for the internship and may take one 4-unit course at ANU. Students live in university-affiliated residence halls. Students must have at least junior standing by the start of the program.
Semester at the University of New South Wales, Sydney
This spring semester program offers students the chance to live and study in Australia’s most exciting city. Students choose from a wide variety of courses offered at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), one of Australia’s “Group of Eight” premier universities. UNSW is located close to the hub of Sydney’s central business district. The program will give students the chance to explore mass media and communication in a challenging environment with a distinct world view, very different from that of the United States, but is also open to all majors. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, call (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Semester in Yungaburra
Through the School for Field Studies, students spend a semester at a field station in a rain forest in far northern Queensland, home to an amazing variety of exotic birds, plants and wildlife. Students enroll in four courses: Rainforest Ecology, Principles of Forest Management, Economic Policy and Socioeconomic Values, and Directed Research. The courses involve a great deal of hands-on fieldwork, and the directed research projects provide invaluable experience for students interested in graduate studies or in work dealing with the environment. Students share four- to eight-person cabins.
Botswana
Semester or Year in Gaborone
USC students may enroll in the Arts and Sciences or Community Public Health tracks offered at the University of Botswana (UB) through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Arts and Sciences students directly enroll in UB courses, choosing from a wide array of courses within the faculties of engineering and technology, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Students in the Community Public Health track take a combination of specialized CIEE public health courses, a field practicum and direct enrollment courses at UB. All students are required to take Setswana Language and Culture Practicum. As Gaborone is a hub for international development agencies and local NGOs, students are encouraged to commit to regular volunteering assignments, where they engage with the community and gain a greater understanding of contemporary Botswana culture and its role in Southern Africa. Students live in UB residence halls or with a host family in Gaborone.
Brazil
Semester or Year in Salvador da Bahia
Students may spend a semester or year in Salvador da Bahia in northeastern Brazil through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Salvador da Bahia, a city of 2.1 million, was once the capital of Brazil and is now considered the center of Afro-Brazilian culture. The semester and year programs begin with several weeks of intensive Portuguese language training before the start of regular university courses. During the semester, students take one Portuguese language class, one CIEE course and two to three courses alongside Brazilian students at the Universidade Católica do Salvador. All courses are taught in Portuguese. Courses are available in such areas as anthropology, Afro-Brazilian studies, economics, history, literature, religion, sociology and theatre. Students live with Brazilian host families. Students who have completed four semesters of college-level Spanish or two semesters of Portuguese are eligible to apply.
Semester or Year in São Paulo
Students may spend a semester or year in São Paulo, Brazil, a city of approximately 16 million inhabitants, through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). The semester and year programs begin with several weeks of intensive Portuguese language training prior to the start of regular university courses. During the semester students take one Portuguese class, one CIEE course and two to three courses alongside Brazilian students at the Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. All courses are taught in Portuguese. Courses are available in such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, communications, economics, history, geography, international relations, linguistics, literature, philosophy, political science and sociology. Students live with Brazilian host families. Students who have completed four semesters of Spanish or two semesters of Portuguese are eligible to apply.
Chile
Semester or Year in Santiago
In conjunction with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), USC provides the opportunity for study at the Universidad de Chile, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and/or the Universidad Diego Portales, all located in Santiago, the capital of Chile. All courses are taught in Spanish. Courses are available in such disciplines as art, anthropology, economics, geography, history, international relations, literature, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, Spanish, and theology. Students live with Chilean host families. Students who have completed six semesters of Spanish, or the equivalent, are eligible to apply.
China
Semester or Year in Beijing
The program at Peking University in Beijing, offered through the CIEE, provides students with the opportunity to study at China’s most prestigious liberal arts institution and to improve their Mandarin Chinese in a city where the standard dialect is used. The focus of the program is intensive language learning, with instruction available at many levels of ability. Students may take one English-taught area studies course. Students who have a very advanced level of Chinese and attend the program in the spring semester may take regular Peking University courses alongside Chinese students in Chinese language and literature and international relations. As a supplement to classroom language instruction, each program participant is paired with a Peking University student for weekly one-on-one Chinese language tutorials. Students live with other American students in dormitories on the Peking University campus or in a homestay with a Chinese family. Students must have completed three semesters of Mandarin or the equivalent in order to be eligible for the program.
Fall or Spring Semester in Hong Kong
This semester program offers students the opportunity to study Chinese culture and interact with Chinese people in a multi-cultural context at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a bilingual institution. Students gain the invaluable experience of witnessing China’s “one country, two systems” experiment first hand. Courses in English are offered in fine arts, literature, history, Japanese studies, intercultural studies, music, philosophy, computer science, anthropology, economics, international relations, as well as journalism and communication. For students interested in Chinese language, courses are offered in Putonghua (Mandarin) or Cantonese. Students take five classes worth 3 units each, for a maximum of 15 USC units. Extracurricular activities include the opportunity to teach English in rural China, monthly dinner talks with Asian studies specialists and excursions to local areas of interest. Students reside in dormitories with Chinese roommates. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, call (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Semester or Year in Nanjing
Students may spend a semester or year through CIEE in Nanjing, China, a city of more than three million people set along the banks of the Yangtze River. Nanjing University is well-regarded for its liberal arts and social sciences education. Students take 12 units of Mandarin and a 3‑unit Chinese studies course. Advanced language students may take courses in Chinese at Nanjing University’s Institute for International Students. In the fall semester there is an extended field trip to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in southwest China, and in the spring semester the extended field trip is to Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces in northwest China. Each student shares a double room with a Chinese student. Students may also choose to live with a host family.
Costa Rica
Semester in Atenas
In conjunction with the School for Field Studies (SFS), students spend a semester abroad in Atenas, Costa Rica. The SFS Center for Sustainable Development Studies focuses students on issues of tropical ecology and sustainable development through a case study approach and fieldwork, as well as a directed research project. The program also includes a 10-day field study in neighboring Nicaragua. Students live in cabins in walking distance to Atenas and get involved in projects with the local community.
Czech Republic
Semester or Year in Prague
USC provides the opportunity to pursue course work in central European studies and/or film studies in Prague in conjunction with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), which is housed at Charles University, the premier institution of higher learning in the Czech Republic. Students with an interest in cinema studies may take up to 6 units at the Film & Television Academy of the Performing Arts (FAMU), the oldest film school in Central Europe. Students spend the first two weeks of the semester in an orientation session devoted to intensive language study. Although there is no language prerequisite, all students are required to enroll in conversational Czech. The remainder of the courses may be chosen from such fields as Czech and Central European history, art history, political science, sociology, international relations, Jewish studies and film. Students can opt to live in a dormitory, an apartment or with a Czech host family.
Egypt
Semester or Year in Cairo
Students may study for a semester or year at the American University in Cairo (AUC). About 5,200 students attend AUC, and about 87 percent of the student body is Egyptian. Visiting students may take courses in any of AUC’s departments. With the exception of Arabic language and literature courses, the language of instruction at AUC is English. Fields of particular interest to USC students include Arabic language, history, Middle Eastern studies (including international relations and politics) and Egyptology. USC students must have completed at least two semesters of college-level Arabic or the equivalent in order to study at AUC, and they must take at least one Arabic language course at AUC. AUC’s campus is located in New Cairo, at the far edge of the Cairo metropolitan area. Visiting students may live in AUC housing on campus or in the Zamalek residence hall in central Cairo. Students who live in central Cairo can expect to commute an hour or more each way to the AUC campus.
England
Spring Semester or Year at the University of Sussex in Brighton
The University of Sussex is especially strong in American studies, computer science, English, international relations, neuroscience, biological sciences, psychology and sociology. USC students are directly enrolled in courses with British students. Situated near the seaside resort town of Brighton, the university is only an hour away by train from London and just a half hour from Gatwick Airport. Brighton has a very active arts scene and a lively nightlife, and 10 percent of the residents are university students. Students live in university housing either on or off campus.
Semester or Year at Queen Mary, University of London (Cinematic Arts, Engineering, English, History, International Relations, Narrative Studies, Political Science and Theater Majors Only)
Students in the majors listed directly enroll at Queen Mary in four courses, at least two of which must be for major credit. They may take the remainder of their courses in any department except law and medicine. Students live in on-campus housing at Queen Mary, located in the East End of London.
Year at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Juniors and seniors can spend a year at LSE, which has an outstanding international reputation in all of the social sciences, including anthropology, economics, international history, international relations, philosophy and sociology. Students spend an academic year at LSE on the general course, where they take four yearlong courses alongside British and other international students. More than half of the 6,000 full-time students come from outside the United Kingdom, lending to a very international atmosphere. University housing is located throughout central London. Students must have at least junior standing and a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher to be eligible for this program; students in quantitative majors such as economics and mathematics need a 3.5 GPA in major courses.
Semester or Year at King’s College, London (Biological Sciences, English, International Relations and Neuroscience Majors Only)
Juniors and seniors in the majors listed above can directly enroll at King’s College, one of the top universities in the United Kingdom. King’s is strong in biological sciences and offers a special class for pre-med students, which combines classroom study with clinical attachments focusing on different aspects of medical practice. Students interested in security or peace and conflict studies can enroll in the War Studies Department, one of the few university departments in the world devoted to the study of war as a phenomenon. USC students must plan to take at least three courses for major credit to be eligible for this program. As the fields of study available to USC students may change, please check the Office of Overseas Studies Website for updated information. University housing is located throughout central London, and students can expect to commute to campus. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher to be eligible for this program.
Fall or Spring Semester in London (Communication)
Undergraduate communication students may spend a spring or fall semester at the USC London Center in the Bloomsbury area of London. Students enroll in 16 units of upper division communication course work taught by USC and British faculty. Students tour publishing and broadcasting companies, meet communication executives and government policy-makers and gain exposure to British media, culture and civilization. The program also includes group excursions to such places as Bath, Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Hastings and Paris. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu, or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Spring Semester in London (Journalism)
USC journalism students spend a spring semester at City University in London, where they have a privileged vantage of British culture and media. Through social science course work and an intensive and integrated journalism project, they have the opportunity for personal and direct comparison between the relatively structured and governmentally controlled media of the United Kingdom and the comparatively laissez-faire approach to media regulation in the United States. Students earn a total of 8 USC journalism elective units and 8 social science electives units. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu, or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Spring Semester in London (Public Relations)
In the spring of their junior year, USC Annenberg public relations students spend a spring semester at the University of Westminster in London, one of the leading British institutions for the academic and professional study of public relations and media, culture and society. Students will be integrated into the University of Westminster and will take courses across the four Westminster campus locations around central London. Students will live in the central London district of Bloomsbury, and will be immersed into the public relations and media hub that is London. Students earn a total of 16 units at Westminster; up to 8 USC upper division journalism elective units toward their public relations major and 8 general elective units. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu, or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Semester at University College London (UCL) (Art History, Earth Sciences, Geology, Neuroscience and Psychology Majors Only)
Juniors and seniors in the majors listed above may spend a semester at UCL, one of the top universities in the United Kingdom. Students will have a home department at UCL and must take two of their four courses in their home department. Remaining courses can be taken in any department except English (unless one is also an English major) and fine arts. USC students are directly enrolled in courses with British students. University housing is located throughout central London, and students can expect to commute to campus. A GPA of 3.3 or higher is required to be eligible for this program.
Semester or Year in London (Theatre)
In conjunction with Sarah Lawrence College and the British American Drama Academy (BADA), USC theatre majors and minors spend a semester or year in London. The London Theatre program is designed to expose American undergraduates to the rigor of professional British training in acting by helping them improve their ability to perform plays from the classical repertoire and develop techniques and approaches to acting that will stand them in good stead in any role. The program is taught by a faculty that includes some of Britain’s most distinguished actors and directors. Students will take courses which include scene study workshops in Shakespeare, high comedy, modern drama, acting in performance, voice, movement, stage fighting, theatre history and dramatic criticism. Students attending a one-year program will add classical acting for stage and screen to their academic program for the second semester. Students live in flats with other program participants. Students must audition for the program, and admission is competitive.
Semester or Year in Norwich
Students may spend a semester or year studying at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, England. UEA is a top-ranked British university and offers courses in almost all disciplines; its creative writing, environmental science and American studies departments are of particular note. UEA boasts a sprawling campus with excellent sports facilities and plenty of on-campus housing. The city of Norwich has been voted one of Britain’s top cities for quality of life; London is about two hours away by train. Students live on campus in university housing.
France
Year in Paris
USC is a member of the Sweet Briar Junior Year in France Consortium, which enables USC undergraduates to spend an academic year in Paris, taking courses at the University of Paris and other institutions in the Parisian system of higher education. Courses are offered in most areas of the social sciences, the humanities and the arts. The year is preceded by a two-week intensive language orientation in the city of Tours, and internship opportunities are available in the second semester. To apply, students must have completed four semesters of college French or the equivalent.
Semester or Year in Paris
USC students can study for a semester or year on the USC Paris program. In addition to French language courses at the Sorbonne, the program offers USC upper-division French courses and English-taught USC courses in art history and international relations. Students at an advanced level of French may take one or two courses alongside French university students at the Institut Catholique. Courses are available in the following areas: history, sociology and art history. Program costs include weekend and day excursions to sites of cultural importance, as well as visits connected with individual classes and social activities. Students live with French host families. Students must have completed two semesters of college-level French.
Spring Semester or Year in Paris (Economics, International Relations and Political Science Majors Only)
USC international relations, political science and economics majors may spend the spring semester or academic year studying at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), one of the top-ranked universities in France. Students choose the English track, English/French track or French track for their courses in international relations, political science and economics. All students take a French language course or elective course taught in French each semester regardless of which track they are in. Students live in private accommodation throughout Paris. To be eligible for this program, students need a 3.3 USC GPA, junior standing, and three to five semesters of French (depending on the track selected). Students must make their own housing arrangements.
Germany
Semester or Year in Berlin
In conjunction with the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), USC offers a program of study at the IES Center and Humboldt University, perfectly situated for exploring the city. Students receive intensive German language instruction during the first three weeks of the program, then enroll for the remainder of the semester at Humboldt University (in the spring semester) and/or courses offered at the IES Center (in the fall or spring semester). All courses are taught in German and are available in such disciplines as German economics, history, politics, art history, business, classics, international relations, political science, psychology, religion and sociology. Students are housed in private German homes and apartments. Students must have completed four semesters of college-level German to be eligible for this program.
Spring Semester or Year in Dresden
Students may spend the spring semester or full year with the Boston University-Dresden University Studies Program (DRUSP) at Technische Universität Dresden (TUD). Students spend six weeks in an intensive German course prior to the start of the TUD semester. Students who have completed two or three semesters of college-level German are placed in the Level 1 program. Level 1 students take courses in the TUD Department of German as Foreign Language, where courses include German for the Humanities and Social Sciences, German for the Technical and Natural Sciences, Business German, Speaking Practice and intensive multi-skills German courses. Students who have completed four or more semesters of college-level German are placed into the Level 2 program, where they take regular TUD courses. Areas of study available include art history, economics, German literature, history, international relations, philosophy, political science and sociology. Students live in university housing.
Greece
Semester or Year in Athens
Students may spend a semester or year in Athens, Greece, where the ancient world comes alive. A vibrant capital city, Athens is a center of international business and the hub of an efficient and extensive transportation system that makes the beauty of Greece readily accessible. This program is administered by College Year in Athens, and students take courses with other American students. All students are required to enroll in Modern Greek as one of their five courses. The program is organized into three tracks: Ancient Greek Civilization, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, and European and East Mediterranean Studies. Students may choose courses from any of the tracks. Students may choose courses from any of the tracks. Students live in simply furnished apartments with other American students.
India
Semester or Year in Delhi
Through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), USC undergraduates have the opportunity to spend a semester or year studying in Delhi, India’s capital city. At the IES Delhi Center, students take a Hindi language course and courses related to India (taught in English) in the humanities and social sciences. They also have the option of taking some of their courses at Delhi University’s Kamala Nehru College or Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). As JNU is a graduate-level institution, students wishing to take courses there should have completed several upper-division undergraduate courses in their major at USC. Both Kamala Nehru College and JNU offer a wide range of courses in the humanities and social sciences. The program includes some daylong and multi-day excursions. The program staff also helps interested students find volunteer opportunities in Delhi. Students live with an Indian host family. Students can expect to commute to classes daily. The fall term runs from mid-July to the beginning of December. The spring term runs from the first week of January to the second week of May.
Ireland
Semester or Year in Galway
Students may spend a semester or year studying at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Located in western Ireland, Galway is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland and plays a dynamic and pioneering role in theatre, arts and culture. Students may take courses in a wide variety of fields including arts and letters, sciences and engineering. Students are directly enrolled in the university and take courses alongside Irish students.
Israel
Spring Semester or Year in Jerusalem
USC undergraduates may spend a year or spring semester at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ). The program begins with a three-week pre-semester period of intensive Hebrew language study. Study abroad students are based at HUJ’s Rothberg International School (RIS), where the medium of instruction is English. USC students take a semester-long Hebrew language course and English-taught courses at RIS in fields such as archaeology, art history, environmental studies, history, international relations, Jewish and religious studies, Middle East and Islamic studies, literature, political science, neuroscience and psychology. Students may also take Arabic or Yiddish at RIS. Although most regular HUJ courses are taught in Hebrew, there are well over a dozen regular HUJ courses offered in English. All USC students are required to take at least one regular HUJ course taught in English (or in Hebrew for students with advanced language ability). Students live in campus dormitories and may participate in a variety of social and cultural activities at the university. Students must have completed two semesters of college-level Hebrew or the equivalent to participate in this program.
Italy
Semester in Cortona (Fine Arts Majors Only)
USC fine arts majors (B.A. or BFA) may participate in a semester-length intensive studio arts program in the Tuscan hill town of Cortona, Italy with the University of Georgia’s Studies Abroad Program. Cortona is located on top of Mont S. Egidio and offers students a rich artistic and historical environment, which includes Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance art and architecture. Students must have completed one semester of college-level Italian or the equivalent and several foundation courses in art before attending this program. In Cortona, students study painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking and sculpture. Mandatory weekend excursions to places of historical and artistic interest in the surrounding area complement the studio classes. Accommodation is provided in a renovated 15th century monastery in Cortona.
Semester or Year in Florence
Through Syracuse University, USC undergraduates have the opportunity to spend a semester or year in Florence studying Italian language and literature, art history, history, international relations, political science and studio arts. Classes are taught mostly in English at Syracuse’s own study center in Florence. Students with advanced proficiency in Italian may take courses at the University of Florence. Courses are complemented by field trips to cities such as Assisi, Rome and Venice. Students live in homestays with Italian hosts. Studio arts students may also choose to stay in an apartment with other program students. Students must have completed at least two semesters of college-level Italian to be eligible for this program.
Semester in Florence (Animation and Digital Arts Students Only)
John C. Hench Animation and Digital Arts undergraduate majors may participate in a fall semester animation and digital arts program at Studio Arts Centers International (SACI) in Florence, Italy. Students must have completed a minimum of one semester of college-level Italian (two semesters strongly recommended) as well as the required preparatory foundation classes before attending this program. SACI houses students in apartments near the school in the historic center of Florence. While in Florence students participate in weekly open drawing sessions and field trips to sites throughout Italy, including day trips to Pisa, Siena and Lucca, and weekend trips to Rome, Venice and Naples. The program offers the finest and most challenging training to the next generation of digital artists, animators, art historians and art conservators. For more information see SACI’s Website at saci-florence.org.
Semester or Year in Milan
Through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), USC undergraduates have the opportunity to spend a semester or year studying in Milan, the commercial and financial center of contemporary Italy. The IES Milan Center is located near the Università Cattolica, IES’ main partner institution in Milan. IES Milan offers two tracks: beginning/intermediate Italian and advanced Italian. Students in the beginning/intermediate Italian track enroll in IES area studies taught in English in addition to Italian language courses. IES area studies courses are available in such disciplines as art history, cinema, theatre, history, literature, music, psychology and political science. Students in the advanced Italian track select from IES area studies courses taught in Italian and are encouraged to choose one or two courses from among a wide variety of offerings at several universities in Milan. Students are housed in apartments with Italian roommates, some of whom are enrolled in local universities and others who are young professionals. Students must have completed two semesters of college-level Italian to be eligible for this program.
Semester in Rome (Classics and Archaeology Majors Only)
USC classics majors may study in Rome for a semester at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS), a program administered by Duke University. Students study ancient history and archaeology, intermediate and advanced Greek and Latin, basic Italian language, and Renaissance and Baroque art history. Field trips and extended study tours are essential components of the program. Students live and study at the ICCS Center, a three-story building located a few minutes by bus from the center of Rome.
Japan
Semester or Year in Nagoya
A program of study is available at the Center for Japanese Studies at Nanzan University in Nagoya. The program for international students is well known for its strength in Japanese language training. Nagoya is two hours from Tokyo by bullet train and one hour from the ancient capital city of Kyoto. Courses are available in such disciplines as Japanese arts, business, culture, economics, history, international relations, linguistics, literature, religion and political science. Intensive language training is offered at all levels of proficiency. Students live in Japanese homes or dormitories.
Year at Waseda University in Tokyo
Students may study for an academic year at Waseda University, one of Japan’s foremost private institutions of higher learning. The university is located in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. The academic program at Waseda’s School of International Liberal Studies combines Japanese language courses and English-taught lecture courses on the history, culture, literature, arts, politics and economics of Japan and East Asia. The intensive Japanese language courses, offered at eight levels of proficiency, assist students in the development of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students live with Japanese families or in the university’s international dormitory.
Spring Semester or Year at Sophia University in Tokyo
Students may spend the spring semester or full year at Sophia University in Tokyo through the Council on International Educational Exchange. Students can experience life in Tokyo and take courses alongside Japanese students and other international students. Sophia University is a top-ranked Japanese university and is conveniently located in west-central Tokyo. Students are enrolled in Sophia’s Faculty of Liberal Arts on the main Yotsuya campus, where they take Japanese language courses as well as English-taught courses in Asian Studies (anthropology, art history, comparative literature, economics, history, international relations, linguistics, literature, religion, philosophy, political science and sociology). Students highly proficient in Japanese can take courses in Japanese linguistics. Students live in Japanese homes or privately owned dormitories throughout the Tokyo area.
Semester or Year at Tokyo International University near Tokyo
Founded in 1965, Tokyo International University is located in the city of Kawagoe, about 25 miles from central Tokyo. The university offers a program for international students through the Japanese Studies Program in the International Center. Students enroll in an 8-unit Japanese language course and select the remainder of their courses, taught in English, from anthropology, cinema, culture, economics, history, literature, philosophy and political science. In the spring semester, students with a very advanced level of Japanese may take some courses in Japanese alongside Japanese students. Students live in Japanese homes.
Jordan
Semester or Year in Amman (Language and Culture Program)
Students may study for a semester or year at the CIEE Study Center at the University of Jordan. This program provides a challenging academic course combined with in-country cultural experience and intensive Arabic study. Students gain a better understanding of the Middle East, with specific emphasis on the Jordanian perspective and experience. All participants take language courses in modern standard and colloquial Jordanian Arabic. In addition, students take two area studies courses taught in English. Fields of study include archaeology, economics, history, international relations, literature, religion, and sociology. Students choose to live with a Jordanian host family or in an apartment with other students. Two semesters of college-level Arabic or the equivalent are required to participate in this program.
Semester or Year in Amman (Arabic Language Program)
This is an intensive Arabic program offered by CIEE at the University of Jordan. Students must have completed at least five semesters of Arabic with a 3.3 GPA or better to be eligible for this program. Students take 6 units of advanced Modern Standard Arabic and a 4-unit course called Advanced Topics in Arabic Conversation, which includes the use of colloquial Jordanian Arabic. Students take two 3-unit electives taught entirely in Arabic. Electives include Business Communication, Contemporary Arab Media, Readings in Arabic Literature, Arabic Poetry, and Introduction to Islam. In addition, students take a 1-unit course, taught in English, on intercultural communication. Students participate in a mid-semester Arabic language rural retreat. Students live with a Jordanian host family.
Kenya
Semester in Mombasa
USC students may participate in the School of International Training’s Islam and Swahili Cultural Identity program in Mombasa. As the heart of Kenya’s commercial and cultural connections with other Indian Ocean ports, Mombasa is an ideal base from which to study Kenya’s coastal cultures. The program’s curriculum encompasses Kenyan history, politics and economics; the Swahili language; coastal cultures; rural development; and field study methods. Toward the end of the semester, each student completes an independent study project of his or her choice. Students travel throughout Kenya on field trips and excursions.
Kenya/Tanzania
Semester at Field Stations in Kenya and Tanzania
Through the School for Field Studies, USC offers undergraduates the opportunity to study for half a semester in Kenya and half a semester in Tanzania. At both sites students live in close proximity to wildlife and local Masai communities on an African savanna. Through conducting research and fieldwork and attending lectures, students explore human-wildlife conflicts from the perspective of local ranchers, communities and park managers. The site in Kenya is the Kilimanjaro Bush Camp near Kimana, and the site in Tanzania is the Haven Nature Camp west of Arusha.
The Netherlands
Semester or Year in Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (UvA), founded in 1632 as the Athenaeum Illustre, is the largest and one of the most prestigious universities in the Netherlands and has a strong commitment to international education. Through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), USC students enroll in one course offered by CIEE and three courses from the extensive English-language course offerings of the University of Amsterdam. Students earn USC units in communication and other disciplines including art history, economics, natural sciences, philosophy, psychology, international relations, political science, gender studies, sociology and others. Dutch language courses are available, and students fluent in Dutch, French, German, Spanish or Italian may elect to take courses at the university offered in those languages. Courses are worth 3 academic units each, for a total of 15-18 units per semester. Students live in single rooms in dormitories or with local families in central Amsterdam. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, (213) 821‑2180, email ascintl@usc.edu, or visit our Website, annenberg.usc.edu/international.
New Zealand
Spring Semester in Auckland
This spring semester program offers students the opportunity to travel to New Zealand and experience its liveliest city as well as its natural wonders. Students will study at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), located centrally in Auckland, the largest and most cosmopolitan city in New Zealand. Students take a variety of courses while taking in the sights and sounds of indigenous Maori culture and modern New Zealand. This program is open to all majors. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Room 140, (213) 821-2180, email ascintl@usc.edu or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Semester or Year in Dunedin
Founded in 1869, the University of Otago is the oldest established university in New Zealand. It has an international reputation for the quality of its teaching and research. Study abroad students are able to take a broad range of subjects across the university’s four academic divisions: commerce, health sciences, humanities and sciences. Students majoring in English, anthropology, psychology, and natural and environmental sciences will find strong programs offering a wide variety of courses. Kinesiology students can take classes in the physical education department at Otago. The university offers a true campus lifestyle and the city of Dunedin, in which the university is located, offers a rich cultural life as well as proximity to outdoor activities. Students live in university-affiliated apartments.
Nicaragua
Semester in Managua
USC students may participate in the Revolution, Transformation, and Civil Society program run by the School for International Training (SIT). Throughout the program, lectures and field visits illustrate how social and political movements, including women’s movements, are responding to both domestic and external influences, including U.S. foreign policy. Students are based in Managua, where they study Spanish intensively and take an interdisciplinary course that includes Nicaragua’s political history, social movements, civil society, economics and development. Students participate in extended educational excursions to a rural agricultural cooperative in northern Nicaragua, the Caribbean coast and El Salvador. They are introduced to field study methods and dedicate several weeks to completing an independent study project toward the end of the semester. All courses are conducted in Spanish. Students must have completed three semesters of college-level Spanish and be able to follow course work in Spanish in order to be eligible for the program.
Northern Ireland
Spring Semester in Belfast
Trinity College Dublin offers USC undergraduates a spring semester peace and conflict studies program in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Trinity College Dublin’s Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE) has a branch campus in Belfast, which is an ideal location for the in-depth study of peace and conflict. Students take three courses — Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Social and Political Reconciliation, and Lessons from the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, for a total of 15 USC units. The program includes several field trips and conflict resolution workshops in Ireland as well as a trip to either the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands or to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This program is well-suited for students interested in peace and conflict studies, political science, international relations, sociology, history and religion, as well as students with a general interest in Ireland. Students must have a 3.3 GPA and must have completed two years of university study prior to participation in the program.
Russia
Semester or Year in St. Petersburg
USC offers undergraduates a semester or yearlong opportunity to study at St. Petersburg State University through CIEE. Students with two or more semesters of Russian can participate in the Russian Area Studies Program, which is ideal for students of history, international relations and political science. The Russian Language Program is for students with four or more semesters of Russian and focuses on language, literature and Russian culture. Students have their own room with a Russian family in a private apartment. The program includes many day trips to important sites and overnight excursions to locations such as Moscow, Novgorod, the Pskov region and Tallinn (Estonia).
Scotland
Semester or Year in Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 and offers excellence in teaching and research over a wide range of disciplines. USC students are directly enrolled in courses with British students. Courses are available in more than 50 disciplines including archaeology, architecture, biological sciences, classics, computer science, ecology, economics, engineering, international relations, linguistics, mathematics, physics, psychology and religious studies. USC students live in university residence halls, student houses or university flats.
Semester in Edinburgh (Political Internship)
The University of Edinburgh offers qualified undergraduates the opportunity to serve as interns to Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). During the first five weeks of the program, students enroll in courses that provide a background in British and Scottish politics and government. Following completion of the course work, students will be assigned to an MSP, under whose direction they complete a 10-week internship and research project. This program is highly competitive; strong candidates should have taken at least two political science or international relations courses and have internship experience, preferably in politics. Students can earn 13.5 USC units on this program.
South Africa
Semester or Year in Cape Town
Students may spend a semester or year studying at the University of Cape Town (UCT) through the Council on International Educational Exchange. Situated on the southern tip of Africa, Cape Town is a vibrant multicultural city and is also a microcosm of the challenges facing the country: how to successfully operate within a global economy while at the same time grappling with the vast socioeconomic inequalities that are the legacy of the colonial and apartheid past. All program participants are required to take at least one course with specific African content. Courses may be taken in all UCT faculties except health sciences and law. Students live with South African or other international students in residence halls, with other American students in apartments close to campus, or with a South African host family. Students must have at least junior standing at the start of the program.
Fall or Spring Semester in Durban
USC students may participate in the Community Health and Social Policy program run by the School for International Training (SIT). The program is based in the city of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province, a hub for health teaching, research and practice in both Western and traditional healing systems. Through extensive field visits, lectures and an independent research project, students examine the historical, political, economic, cultural and geographic forces that shape the history of public health interventions in South Africa. Students are introduced to field study methods and spend the last several weeks of the semester completing an independent study project. Students also enroll in intensive Zulu language study, which emphasizes speaking and comprehension skills through classroom and field instruction. Applicants’ course work should be related to the health and science fields.
South Korea
Semester or Year in Seoul
Students who have completed two semesters of college-level Korean have the opportunity to spend a semester or year at Yonsei University in Seoul. Students enroll in a Korean language course and two or three English-taught Asian studies courses available from the following areas: anthropology, art history, business, economics, history, international relations, literature, philosophy, politics, religion, and sociology. Students live in the international student dormitory on campus.
Spain
Semester or Year in Bilbao
USC offers undergraduates the opportunity to study for either a semester or year at the University of Deusto, which was founded by Jesuits in 1886 and is among Spain’s top universities. Bilbao is considered the financial and cultural center of the Basque country in northern Spain. Students with two to four semesters of Spanish focus on intensive language study and take additional course work in Spanish, Basque and European studies. Students with five or more semesters of Spanish may take some courses alongside degree-seeking Deusto students. Students may choose to live in dormitories or homestays.
Semester or Year in Madrid
USC offers its own fall and spring semester program in Madrid. Based at a study center in central Madrid, students may take regular USC courses in art history, history, international relations, political science and Spanish. These courses are taught mostly by local faculty and some are taught in English. The program offers a strong cultural component including several excursions to different regions of Spain and day trips to sites near Madrid in addition to outings to cultural events in Madrid. For enhanced cultural insight, students live in a homestay with Spanish hosts. To be eligible for the program, students need to have completed, be enrolled in or test out of at least second-semester Spanish within one year before the start of the program.
Taiwan
Semester or Year in Taipei
USC students may spend a semester or year studying at National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, through the Council on International Educational Exchange. Students study Mandarin intensively and take one English-taught interdisciplinary core course about Taiwan or an additional Chinese course. Students live in dormitories with Chengchi University students or in a homestay. The program offers one of the best opportunities to understand the contemporary economic, political and cultural issues facing this dynamic Pacific Rim island.
Turks and Caicos
Semester on South Caicos Island
In conjunction with the School for Field Studies (SFS), students spend a semester abroad on South Caicos Island, located between the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. The SFS Center for Marine Resource Studies focuses students on issues of tropical marine ecology, principles of resource management, and environmental policy and socioeconomic values through a case study approach and fieldwork, as well as a directed research project. Students live three or four to a room in a rustic former hotel.
Other Programs
Units other than Dornsife that offer semester and year international study programs for undergraduates include the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (see here and here), the School of Architecture (see here), the Marshall School of Business (see here) and the Viterbi School of Engineering (see here).
Non-USC Programs
Students who wish to participate in a non-USC approved semester or year overseas study program and receive credit transferable to USC must initiate a Request for Exception to Residency in their academic department or school. Students who wish to earn credit in transfer from a non-USC overseas summer program must request pre-approval of transfer course work on the form available at usc.edu/transfercredit.