LAS short-term study abroad programs
Faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences lead study abroad programs over winter, spring, and summer breaks.
Have questions? Please contact the faculty member leading the trip you're interested in. Or, email the LAS International Programs office.
View trips by term
Scholarship opportunities
Many scholarships are available for short-term study abroad.
Illinois for Illinois (I4I) and Illinois International Programs scholarships
Awards range from $1,000 to $1,500
Application deadline:
Sept. 15 (for winter break or spring break programs)
Feb. 15 (for spring break and summer programs)
LAS Abroad scholarships
Award amounts vary based on cost and length of program
Application deadlines:
- Feb. 15 for spring break, summer, fall, or academic year programs
- Sept. 15 for winter break, spring break, and spring semester programs
Students should also check with their home departments and colleges for information on additional award opportunities. Learn more about scholarships and financial aid for study abroad.
Summer
WITH PROFESSOR KONSTANTINOS KOURTIKAKIS
- May 12-June 9, 2019
- PS 300
3 credits
On-campus class meetings: This is a 3-credit course and is taught during the second eight weeks of the spring semester on campus and from May 13 through June 9 in Vienna.
Estimated program fees: $3,800 to $4,250 (including housing, welcome and farewell dinners, orientation, excursions and international health insurance)
Course description: We will look at governance inside the European Union, and at the role of the EU in the governance of its neighboring areas and in global governance. Vienna, the modern capital of Austria and the former imperial capital of the Hapsburg Empire, is the ideal venue to explore these topics.
- June 22-July 21, 2019
- LAS 199
3 credits (S/U grade)
Estimated program fees: $400
Course description: The Illinois Wanxiang Fellows Program, sponsored by the Wanxiang Group, is a competitive fellowship program open to University of Illinois undergraduate students at the Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield campuses. The program offers a unique opportunity for students to study environmental issues and renewable energy in China while gaining exposure to Chinese language and culture.
Fellows will participate in three orientation sessions (two seminars and one site visit) with faculty advisors in Spring 2019, complete their four-week study in China in Summer 2019, and present individual or group research reports at the Illinois Wanxiang Fellows Symposium in Fall 2019.
- ASRM 499
3-4 credits
On-campus course dates: 4/22 - 5/1
Dates in China: 5/27 - 7/5
Estimated program fees: $2,000
Course description: Learn the fundamentals of the insurance business and market in China! This six-week summer program consists of two weeks of coursework at Nankai University followed by a four-week internship placement with an insurance company in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Tianjin.
Open to BA or MA students in actuarial science, economics, finance, math, or statistics.
WITH CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR JOSE ANDINO
- Tentative program dates: Aug 3 - 24, 2019
- CHEM 492
2 credits
On-campus class meetings: Four sessions of lecture and discussion from 6-7 p.m. Thursdays in room 104, La Casa Cultural Latina
Estimated program fees: $2,200-$2,400 (includes international round-trip airfare, housing, meals, orientation programs, program excursions, and administrative fees.)
Course description: The University of Illinois Department of Chemistry invites you to register for its summer study abroad program, hosted at the Center for Natural Products Research in San Joseacute, Costa Rica. Some of the group's projects focus on elucidating molecular structures of substances present in several known plants traditionally used for their therapeutic properties.
- May 12–June 9, 2019
Estimated program fees: $2,900 (includes housing, most meals, orientation, instruction, excursions, and administrative fees.)
Course description: Earn credit for FREN 103, 104 or a 300 level culture course in just four weeks!
Students on the Arles program have the advantage of taking these courses, which are equivalent to those offered on campus, on an accelerated program in a completely French context. This program will improve their fluency in the French language and will also enrich them culturally. For a month students will live with host families and see how French people live, work, and enjoy their free time. Open to all majors.
WITH KASIA SZREMSKI
- July 22 – August 17, 2019
- LAST 395
3 credits
Estimated program fees: $1,370 (includes housing, most meals, orientation programs, program excursions, international health insurance, and administrative fees.)
Course description: This course is an archaeological field school where students will have the opportunity to engage in innovative original research at the archaeological site of Cerro Blanco, a Chancay Administrative Center located in central Peru. This course is great for students interested in anthropology, economy, political science, social impacts of climate change, environmental sustainability, indigenous ecologies, resource management, or Latin American studies.
WITH ECONOMICS PROFESSOR ELIZABETH POWERS
- March 14-24, 2019
- ECON 199
3 credits (first half spring 2019 course
On-campus class meetings: Weekly class meetings on campus during the first half of spring semester.
Estimated program fees: $2,800 to $3,350 (Includes international round-trip airfare, housing with host families, most meals, orientation programs, program excursions, international health insurance, and administrative fees.)
Course description: Study innovation and entrepreneurship with Professor Elizabeth Powers in one of Latin America's greatest countries, Costa Rica. Learn firsthand about the Latin American market, culture, and economy through visits to start-ups, meetings with business leaders, academics and social entrepreneurs.
Learn more about previous faculty-led economics courses abroad.
WITH POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR GISELA SIN
- March 14-24, 2019
- PS 199
3 credits (first half spring 2019 course)
On-campus class meetings: Weekly class meetings on campus during the first half of spring semester.
Estimated program fees: $3,800-$4,100 (Includes international round-trip airfare, housing in hotels, most meals, orientation programs, excursions, and international health insurance, and administrative fees)
Course description: Join Professor Sin in her native Argentina for an in-depth look at the history and politics of human rights in Argentine society. This course explores current problems and trends in the transition to democracy such as the re-emergence of populism, economic instability, and poverty. The seminar combines class lectures and discussions, cultural immersion, and considerable on-the-ground interaction with scholars, activists, and politicians in and around Buenos Aires.
WITH ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR HELAINE SILVERMAN
- Dates abroad: Dec. 27, 2019 - Jan 7, 2020
ANTH 2243 credits
On-campus class meetings: Wednesdays, 5-6:30 p.m.Oct. 30, Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Dec. 4, Dec. 11
Estimated program fees: $3,200-$3,580 (includes airfare in Peru, local transportation, housing, some meals in Peru, orientation, and program excursions)
Course description: Learn about the politics and policies of tourism and heritage management that promote economic development in this stunning highland region. Sample the delicious cuisine of Peru, which has achieved global acclaim. Stay in unique hotels. Participate in many interactions with local people. Finish the trip with two fascinating days in Peru's capital city, Lima, where we continue our time-travel through the heritage and economic development of the pre-Columbian, colonial and modern city. Enjoy a special tour of the UNESCO-designated historic center of Lima and a full day at a restored hacienda. Your preparation for Peru begins on campus with the preparatory mini-course designed to give you the historical and cultural background knowledge necessary to make the most of your Peru experience. Then the educational adventure continues in Peru.
WITH AGRICULTURAL AND CONSUMER ECONOMICS PROFESSOR PAUL MCNAMARA
- Dates abroad: Dec. 27, 2018 to Jan. 12, 2019
- GLBL 499/ACE 499
3 credits
On-campus class meetings: Weekly class meetings during the second half of the fall semester.
Estimated program fees: $4,500 (includes international airfare, local transportation, housing, meals, excursions, and on-site organization in Sierra Leone)
Course description: Join Professor Paul McNamara and his colleagues for an immersive exploration of international development, sub-Saharan African history, cross-cultural communication, agricultural economics, and post-conflict resolution in Sierra Leone.
Students will begin their tour of Sierra Leone in Freetown, where they will visit with McNamara's colleagues who are working in the international development arena. The students will then travel to Tiwai Island, a community-based conservation area, where they will learn about ecotourism and wildlife ecology. Students then travel to Njala University, to participate in a problem-based project. This will be the fifth year for this program. Each year, students participate in a different service-learning project (for example, farmer-to-farmer video production). Illinois students will partner with Njala students enrolled in Njala's Agribusiness Honors program, working together in teams to meet a simple but real project goal and may present their work to the Njala community. The program concludes with a visit to River No. 2 Community-owned Beach Resort where students will learn about community-based development.
On this program, you will broaden your understandings of history, culture, and development of Sierra Leone and West Africa through participation in a collaborative project with Njala students. You will observe agricultural projects, speak with policy makers and development leaders, visit ecotourism sites like community-managed beaches and jungle reserves, and learn from our local colleagues at Njala University.
