International Study Options

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International Study Programs

USC’s undergraduate international study programs, many of which are administered by the Office of Overseas Studies in USC Dornsife, enable students to learn in a different educational and cultural context for a semester or academic year. 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 semester 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. Please visit the Dornsife Office of Overseas Studies located in Taper Hall (THH), Room 341, call (213) 740-3636, email overseas@dornsife.usc.edu or visit dornsife.usc.edu/overseas-studies for more information. USC Dornsife also offers short-term, off-campus study programs. For more information, please visit dornsife.usc.edu/off-campus-programs. For information on undergraduate international study programs offered by undergraduate schools other than USC Dornsife, please refer to those schools’ sections in this catalogue as well as their Websites. 

Argentina

Semester or Year in Buenos Aires

Students are directly enrolled at the Universidad de San Andrés. The host university’s Program in Latin American Studies (PLAS) provides students with the opportunity to take courses with local students in subject areas such as economics, history, international relations, literature and political science specifically related to Latin America. All courses are taught in Spanish. Study abroad students are required to take a Spanish language course in addition to their courses in Latin American studies. Students live in homestays arranged by the program or in self-arranged apartments. A minimum of six semesters of college-level Spanish with a B average or better is required to be eligible for this program.

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. 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 and design majors may pursue studio arts and design courses at the ANU School of Art. The Australian National Internship Program offers a 4-credit internship in Australian Parliament, the Australian Public Service or a nongovernmental organization. Interns attend academic seminars and complete a research project in addition to the intern duties they perform. Students live in university-affiliated residence halls.

Semester or Year in Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is Australia’s oldest university and is consistently ranked within the top 30 universities in the world. USC students enroll in regular university courses and study alongside local students in an array of academic disciplines. Courses are available in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, film, engineering and urban planning. Students live in residential colleges or apartments surrounding the main campus.

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 near 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. The program is open to all majors, with priority given to communication, journalism and public relations majors. A minimum USC cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for this program. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC 140, call (213) 821-1276, 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 in São Paulo

The CET Brazil program in São Paulo has a special focus on social justice and inequality. In addition to a core course on social movements within Brazil, students take a Portuguese language class and thematic English-taught electives in the social sciences. Students with a higher level of Portuguese can take a CET elective in Portuguese or directly enroll in one or two classes at the Universidade Pontificia de São Paulo. To better engage with the community, students live in apartments with Brazilian roommates who provide an access point into local life, and even travel to Salvador da Bahia to take on learning by experiencing. Students must have completed two semesters of college-level Portuguese, or the equivalent, to be eligible for this program.

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 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. Students live in an off-campus international student dorm or in a homestay with a Chinese family. Students must have completed three semesters of Mandarin or the equivalent to be eligible for the program.

Fall or Spring Semester in Hong Kong

The semester program offers students the opportunity to learn about Chinese culture at the Chinese University in Hong Kong, a bilingual institution. The program also gives students the experience of living in Hong Kong, where they can witness the “one country, two systems” experiment. 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. (Please note that these language courses will not count toward the EALC major/minor.) Students take five classes worth 3 units each, for a maximum of 15 USC units. This program allows communication majors to earn up to 12 upper-division units of major credit and journalism and public relations majors to earn up to 9 upper-division units of major credit. Students reside in dormitories with Chinese or international roommates. A minimum USC cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for this program. The program is open to all majors, with priority given to communication, journalism and public relations majors. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC 140, call (213) 821-1276, email ascintl@usc.edu or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.

Semester or Year in Hong Kong (Dornsife Majors Only)

Dornsife majors may spend a semester at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) taking courses in the faculties of arts, sciences or social sciences. The language of instruction for most CUHK courses is English. Students are encouraged to also take Cantonese, Mandarin or a course directly related to Hong Kong. Students live on campus in student dorms. 

Semester or Year in Shanghai

Students may spend a semester or year in Shanghai participating in the CIEE-run China in a Global Context program or Accelerated Chinese Language program. The CIEE Shanghai Study Center is located on the campus of East China Normal University. Students in a Global Context program take 6 units of Mandarin and three 3-unit Chinese studies courses taught in English. The courses offered are in fields such as international relations, political science, political economy, economics, gender studies, global studies, history, cinema and sociology. Students interested in a more intensive language program may join the Accelerated Chinese Language program, in which they take 12 units of Chinese and a 3-unit elective. Students live either with a Chinese host family within easy walking distance of the university or in an on-campus international student residence hall with a Chinese roommate. To be eligible for this program, students must have completed at least two semesters of college-level Mandarin.

England

Semester or Year at the University of Sussex in Brighton

USC students are directly enrolled in University of Sussex courses with British students. Situated near the seaside resort town of Brighton, the university is only an hour 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. The University of Sussex is especially strong in American studies, cognitive science, computer science, English, international development studies, international relations, neuroscience, biological sciences, psychology and sociology. Students live in university housing either on or off campus.

Semester or Year at the University of Bristol

The University of Bristol offers a wide range of academically rigorous direct enrollment courses, in which study-abroad students study alongside full-time Bristol students. Bristol is routinely ranked within the top 10 universities in the United Kingdom. In undergraduate studies, the university is particularly strong in health sciences, biological sciences, engineering, sociology, politics and international relations, geography, English, history, film, theater and social policy. Bristol is unique in that it allows study-abroad students to create their own program of study, and select courses from any of the available departments, even if they are not majors in those fields. In southwest England, Bristol is just 90 minutes from London and is a thriving urban center with an active arts scene and its own international airport. Students live in university housing either on or off campus.

Semester or Year at Queen Mary, University of London (Cinematic Arts; Engineering; Comparative Literature; English/Creative Writing/Narrative Studies; Gender Studies; History/Law, History and Culture; International Relations/IRGB/IRGE; Political Science and Theatre Majors Only)

Students in the majors listed above 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, political science and sociology. LSE also offers mathematics. Students spend an academic year at LSE on the general course, where they take four year-long 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, Human Biology, 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 two courses for major credit to be eligible for this program. 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 (Annenberg Majors Only)

Undergraduate communication, journalism and public relations students may spend a fall or spring semester at a dedicated study center, where they enroll in 12-16 units of upper-division Annenberg major course work. In addition to their studies, students tour publishing and broadcasting companies, meet communication executives and government policy-makers and gain exposure to British media, culture and civilization. A minimum USC cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for this program. For further information and program requirements (which vary by Annenberg major), contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC 140, (213) 821-1276, 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 at the British American Drama Academy (Theatre/Acting)

In conjunction with Sarah Lawrence College and the British American Drama Academy (BADA), USC theatre acting majors and minors spend a semester 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 that 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 at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London

This intensive semester program is designed for those who are interested both in art history and the business practices of the art world. Through lectures, seminars and visits to specialist museums and collections, and many key commercial galleries, students are introduced to the history of art and design and the ways in which art has been made, sold and collected. In the fall semester students focus on modern and contemporary art and in the spring semester students can choose between modern and contemporary art or art from 1600 to 1900. In the business component of the program, students examine established art markets in the developed world and emerging art markets in the developing world, together with legal and management issues related to global art business practice, with a particular emphasis on the international auction house system. Students arrange their own 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. Internship opportunities are available in the second semester. To apply, students must have completed at least 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, economics and international relations. Students at an advanced level of French may take one or two courses alongside French university students at the Institut Catholique, where courses are available in the following areas: art history, economics, history, international relations and sociology. In the fall semester students with a high level of French may participate in an internship. The program also offers weekend trips to regions such as Normandy and Provence, and day trips to sites of cultural importance near Paris. Students live with French host families. Students must have completed at least two semesters of college-level French.

Spring Semester or Year in Paris (Economics, International Relations/IRGB/IRGE and Political Science Majors Only)

Juniors and seniors in the majors listed above 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 only) 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 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 Boston University’s Dresden German Studies Program 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 typically 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 typically take regular TUD courses alongside local students. 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 areas of study are art and archaeology, environmental studies, ethnography, history, languages (ancient Greek, Latin and modern Greek), literature, philosophy, political science and international relations, religion, and urban planning and sustainability. Students live in simply furnished apartments with other American students or in homestays with a Greek family.

India

Fall semester in Bodh Gaya

In the Buddhist Studies in Bodh Gaya program offered by Carleton College, students explore Buddhism in India through interdisciplinary courses and Buddhist meditation traditions and have a unique opportunity to conduct rigorous independent research in the field. Through comparative study, the program examines each of the three major Buddhist traditions and their historical development: Therevada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. The program is based at the Burmese Vihar, or monastery, where students live and learn. For two-and-a-half millennia, Bodh Gaya has been a magnet for pilgrims from all Buddhist cultures who come to venerate this sacred site, each in a fashion unique to his or her own tradition. There is no language requirement, and students may choose to take either Hindi or Tibetan language as an elective. All majors are welcome.

Ireland

Semester or Year in Dublin

USC Dornsife majors may spend the semester or academic year studying at Trinity College Dublin, one of the top-ranked universities in Europe and the premier research university in Ireland. A wide range of courses is offered in the major fields, and students may take a complementary elective course. USC students will live with and study alongside Irish students. To be eligible for this program, students need a 3.3 USC GPA, junior standing, and a minimum of three major courses completed at the time of application.

Spring Semester in Dublin

USC undergraduates may spend a spring semester studying conflict and reconciliation at Trinity College Dublin’s Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE) in central Dublin. Students take three courses — Engaging Religious Fundamentalism; Gender, War and Peace; and Religion and International Relations — for a total of 15 USC units. The program includes several field trips and conflict resolution workshops in Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as a trip to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This program is well-suited for students interested in negotiation and mediation, and students with majors or minors in political science, international relations, sociology, history, religion and gender studies, as well as students with an interest in Ireland. Students live in apartments with Irish and American flatmates, and are encouraged to join in campus clubs and societies. The program requires a 3.3 GPA and junior standing.

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. The program requires a 3.0 GPA and junior standing.

Israel

Semester or Year in Jerusalem

USC undergraduates may spend a semester or year 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 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. 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 encouraged to take at least one regular HUJ course taught in English. Students live in campus dormitories. Students must have completed one semester of college-level Hebrew or the equivalent to participate in this program.

Italy

Semester or Year in Florence

USC undergraduates have the opportunity to spend a semester or year in Florence studying Italian language and literature, art history, economics, gender studies, history, international relations, political science and studio arts. Classes are taught mostly in English at Syracuse University’s 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.

Spring Semester in Rome (Annenberg Majors Only)

Undergraduate communication, journalism and public relations majors may study in Rome for a semester at a dedicated study center where they will enroll in 16 units of ASCJ credit. Students study Italian media, communication style and basic Italian language. In addition to their studies, students tour publishing and broadcasting companies, meet communication executives and government policy-makers and gain exposure to Italian media, culture and civilization. A minimum USC cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for this program. For further information and program requirements, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC 140, (213) 821-1276, email ascintl@usc.edu, or visit annenberg.usc.edu/international.

Semester in Florence at SACI (Animation and Digital Arts; Media Arts and Practice; and Roski School of Art and Design Majors Only)

Undergraduate majors in Animation and Digital Arts, Media Arts and Practice, and the Roski School of Art and Design may spend a semester abroad 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.

Semester or Year in Milan

Through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES), 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. USC students may participate in the Italy Today track. Beginning/intermediate students of Italian 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, environmental studies, theatre, history, literature, music, psychology, political science and sociology. Students with advanced Italian 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 American and Italian roommates, homestays, or at an international honors dorm. 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 and archaeology 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 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, 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 (Arabic and Area Studies Program)

Students may study for a semester or year at the AMIDEAST Study Center in Amman. As Jordan is deeply enmeshed in the international relations of the region, students may find no better place to study pressing Middle Eastern issues and Levantine Arabic. This program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study Arabic semi-intensively and take courses on the Middle East in a variety of academic disciplines such as anthropology, art history, gender studies, history, international relations, political science and religion, all while immersed in Jordanian culture. Students take Blended Modern Standard Arabic & Colloquial Jordanian Arabic (8 units) and area studies courses taught in English. 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 (Advanced Arabic Language Program)

This is an intensive Arabic program offered by CIEE in Amman. 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 involves the use of colloquial Jordanian Arabic. Students also take Arabic Writing and Research for 3 units and one 3-unit elective taught entirely in Arabic. Electives include business communication, contemporary Arab media, readings in Arabic literature, Arabic poetry and introduction to Islam. Students participate in a mid-semester Arabic-language rural retreat. Students live with a Jordanian host family.

Mexico

Semester in Oaxaca

USC students may participate in the Migration, Borders, and Transnational Communities program run by the School for International Training. The aim of the program is to discover the contemporary realities of international undocumented migration and border enforcement and their immense human impact and political and social tension in the context of Mexico, Central America and the United States. Students will study the effects of large-scale migration on communities and get an understanding of the factors that contribute to undocumented migration. During the seven weeks of the program when students are based in the city of Oaxaca, students live with a host family. Students will also live with host families during extended excursions into rural communities. Students also visit border communities on the U.S. side of the northern border and on the Mexican side of the southern border with Guatemala. Students are introduced to field study methods and spend the last several weeks of the semester completing an independent study project. Four semesters of college-level Spanish, or the equivalent, are required to participate in this program. 

Morocco

Semester or Year in Rabat

Students may spend a semester or year with the AMIDEAST Area & Arabic Language Studies program. Students’ unique access to Moroccan culture provides them with insights into the country’s varied and complex approach to the pressing social, religious and cultural issues of the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to studying both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and colloquial Moroccan Arabic, students take two or three area studies courses taught in English from a variety of disciplines including Middle East and North Africa studies, political science, religion, sociology, gender studies and history. Classes are conducted at the AMIDEAST Center in the Agdal district of Rabat and instruct students from U.S. universities. Students live with a Moroccan host family. A minimum of two semesters of college-level Arabic is required to be eligible for this program.

The Netherlands

Semester or Year in Maastricht

USC Dornsife majors may spend the semester or academic year studying at Maastricht University, the most international and fully bilingual (Dutch and English) university in the Netherlands. Students directly enroll in courses with local and international students and have access to hundreds of courses taught in English. Students will be enrolled in one of five academic clusters focused on Europe: Economics in Europe; European Politics, Law and International Relations; Public Health and Medicine in Europe; Psychology and Neuroscience in Europe; and European History, Culture and Arts. All students take a course in basic Dutch. This program is restricted to Dornsife majors, Price students majoring in Public Policy or Urban Studies, Keck undergraduates majoring in Global Health, and Gerontology majors.

New Zealand

Semester or Year in Auckland

Undergraduates have the opportunity to study for a semester or year at the University of Auckland. Auckland is a modern cosmopolitan city with a population of 1.5 million people, roughly one-third of New Zealand’s entire population. The University of Auckland is highly ranked in the Asia-Pacific region. USC students enroll in regular university courses at the city center campus and study alongside local students in a wide variety of subjects. Courses are available in the humanities, social sciences, science, engineering and cinematic arts. Students live in university residence halls.

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, with priority given to communication, journalism and public relations majors. A minimum USC cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for this program. For further information, contact the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, ASC 140, (213) 821-1276, 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 anthropology, English, theatre, cognitive science, psychology, and natural and environmental sciences will find strong programs offering a wide variety of courses. 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.

Poland

Semester in Krakow

Undergraduates may spend a semester or year at the Center for European Studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The program is open to Dornsife majors who take at least one course for major credit. The program is designed to provide Central and Eastern European perspectives on the contemporary as well as historical events and transformations occurring in Europe through in-depth study of European political, economic and social realities. Students take four European Studies courses taught in English and a Polish language course. Students live in university dormitories with Polish and international students.

Russia

Semester or Year in St. Petersburg

USC offers undergraduates a semester or year-long 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.

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 (CIEE). 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.

Semester in Durban

USC students may participate in the Community Health and Social Policy program run by the School for International Training (SIT). Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal province, is 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.

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 focus on intensive language study and take additional course work in Spanish, Basque and European studies. Students may choose to live in dormitories or homestays.

Fall Semester in Madrid

USC students who have completed at least SPAN 260  or SPAN 261  may spend the fall semester in the Boston University in Madrid’s Spanish & European Studies Program. In this program, located at the International Institute in central Madrid, students take four upper-division courses, all of which are taught in Spanish. The program offers courses in Spanish language and literature, anthropology, art history, cinema, gender studies and politics. Students with a very high level of Spanish may participate in an internship. Students live in a homestay with Spanish hosts.

Spring Semester in Madrid

USC students can spend the spring semester in the USC Madrid program. The program offers SPAN 260 , SPAN 261 , USC upper-division Spanish courses, and an English-taught art history course at the program base, the International Institute, in central Madrid. Students taking SPAN 260  and SPAN 261  in Madrid take one or more English-taught courses alongside Spanish university students at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid located in the suburb of Getafe. The program offers several excursions to different regions of Spain and day trips to sites near Madrid in addition to outings to cultural events in Madrid. Students live in a homestay with Spanish hosts.

Tanzania

Semester in Rhotia

Through the School for Field Studies, USC offers undergraduates the opportunity to study for a semester in Tanzania. Students live in close proximity to wildlife and local communities on the 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 field station where students are based is near Lake Manyara National Park.

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 Residence in their academic department or school.