Study Abroad

Programs abroad are open to all students with a solid academic record and appropriate preparation (prerequisites).  Many students use a semester off-campus to develop an academic interest outside of or in addition to their major, and virtually any off-campus program would provide a sociology major with great opportunities for comparing how different societies work.

Some programs have courses and internships you may not be aware of.  We provide this list of suggestions by way of helping you begin to consider your options.  We encourage you to meet with your sociology advisor and/or come to our office in Carnegie to discuss your options.

China
Language of instruction: English
The Shanghai, China program runs both fall and spring semesters. Its focus is on the rapid modernization and new economic developments in the most populous nation in the world. The curriculum is limited to required courses in Chinese language, history, government, and economics. However, the program as a whole introduces students to many sociological aspects of contemporary Chinese society. Students come from a wide range of U.S. colleges. The pre-requisite is a course dealing with some aspect of the Asian world.

Denmark:
Language of instruction: English
The Denmark program runs fall and spring semesters and offers many elective courses of potential interest to sociology majors. Sociology majors can earn credit towards the major in 12 different courses (please see CIIS for more info.) A week-long study tour is another feature of this program. A 3.0 gpa is required and students take 5 courses on this program, including Danish. Junior or senior standing is strongly recommended.

England:
Language of instruction: English
The program in London is offered fall and spring semesters, and includes Soc/Hist 245: Britain in the 20th Century. This course may be elected at the 300 level (with department chair approval) with the student having an additional tutorial meeting and doing an independent research paper on a topic of interest. ND 250 (the core, required course) begins with field trips which take students to different parts of London and into different sub-cultures of London; this concludes in a 4-week long internship in the last month of the program. These internships are tailored to student interests and have included placements with political parties and social service agencies, with humanitarian NGO’s such as Oxfam, health and mental health clinics, and the like.

India:
Language of instruction: English
The India program runs in the fall only. Students must take all four classes offered: these include a course on the history of India and an anthropology course on society, politics and economy of contemporary India. Each student designs an independent project in consultation with the India program coordinator and his or her major advisor during the preceding spring semester.

Kenya:
Language of instruction: English
The Kenya program (both fall and spring) offers opportunities for insight into the processes of modernization in a developing country. The core course, AFS 337: Culture, Environment, and Development in Kenya, takes students into four or five different kinds of societies within Kenya. The final 4 weeks of the program involve an independent project which can be tailored to a sociology major. Previous students have worked with a wide range of NGO’s on environmental and development issues, in refugee camps, in centers for homeless children, in AIDS children’s organizations, and with grass roots political organizations.

France:
Language of instruction: French (fall) English (spring)
The fall or year program is for students who have completed the equivalent of 4 college semesters of French. While no sociology course is offered in the fall, year-long students may direct enroll in sociology courses at the University of Rouen during the spring term. They also do a January internship which may be related to the student’s interests.
The spring program (in English) is on comparative French cultures, and students study in Quebec and Senegal as well as in Rouen, France. Students need only 1 semester of French as a pre-requisite.

Japan:
Language of instruction: English and Japanese
SLU has exchange programs with two Japanese universities, one in Tokyo and one in Nagoya. ICU in Tokyo is only full-year, while Nanzan offers a semester program. Both universities are noted for their language study programs and all SLU students take intermediate or advanced Japanese. Students make elect sociology courses which are taught in English. Japanese 102 or its equivalent is required.

Spain:
Language of instruction: Spanish
The Spain program may be elected for fall, spring, or the full year. The pre-requisite is Spanish 201 and 202. No sociology courses per se are offered although the program provides ample opportunities to learn about another society. The Spain program begins with a course on “the Spanish Village” with students living in small communities outside of the capital and studying these closely. Students staying for the year do a January internship which can be in a sociology-related area.

Washington D.C.:
Language of instruction: English
This program at American University is organized around specific tracks. Students take a seminar in their chosen track and work in a related internship. Tracks likely to be of special interest to sociology majors include: American Politics, Justice, Transforming Communities, Public Law and Journalism.
Direct enroll programs in universities with a full curriculum in sociology

Australia:
Language of instruction: English
Students enroll at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. The sociology department
department is large.

Canada:
Language of instruction: English
Direct enrollment at Trent University

Costa Rica:
Language of instruction: Spanish
If you have completed Span 201 or the equivalent, you are free to enroll directly in the sociology courses offered at the Universidad de Costa Rica.

Trinidad:
Language of instruction: English
The program’s core required course is “Caribbean Culture and Society,” with a particular emphasis on the role of Carnival. Students direct-enroll in two elective courses at the University of the West Indies, which offers a variety of sociology courses. Program includes a service learning component. (Spring only)

Fisk:
Language of instruction: English
As an exchange student at Fisk, all of the sociology courses offered are available to you. (Spring only)

ISEP:
Language of instruction: Varies
Minimum 3.0 GPA and exceptional responsibility required. Junior or senior standing recommended.
The ISEP program offers 26 universities with a full sociology curriculum in English. Programs include the U.K., Italy, Fiji, Korea, Ghana, and Botswana.

New Zealand:
Language of Instruction: English
Students may take courses in the sociology department at University of Otago, Dunnedin.