From the alumnae who served as ambulance drivers in post–World War I France through President Neilson's welcoming of intellectual émigrés in the 1930s and the establishment of Junior Year Abroad programs, Smith College has long considered experiencing other cultures to be an essential part of a liberal arts education.
Every year, close to half of Smith's student body spends time abroad before graduation. Smith continues to rank among the top U.S. baccalaureate institutions for the number of students studying abroad for a full year. The college encourages students from all academic disciplines, including the sciences and engineering, to become informed global citizens and to engage with communities beyond Smith.
Study Abroad
Semester and academic year programs
Smith students have the opportunity to spend a semester or a full academic year studying in another country. Students may study abroad on one of Smith's own Junior Year Abroad (JYA) programs in France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland; or Smith's consortial programs in India, Japan, Mexico and Spain; or one of more than 100 other approved programs throughout the world. In Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and several English-speaking countries in both hemispheres, Smith students are out in the world applying what they have learned on campus to new environments and cultures that allow them to take steps toward global leadership.
To learn more about Smith's study abroad programs, visit the Office for International Study.
Special Programs Abroad
Some students travel abroad outside of the academic year, participating in faculty-led programs during interterm, taking advantage of Praxis opportunities for summer internships and engaging in other exciting opportunities.
To learn more about international opportunities that take place outside of the traditional academic year, visit the Global Studies Center's Special Programs.
