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Global Opportunities for Arts & Sciences Students

At OHIO, every student has the chance to expand their education through international experiences. Whether you’re interested in a student exchange program, faculty-led study abroad course, or international internship, you’ll find opportunities that fit your goals.

Programs and Opportunities

• Student Exchange Programs – Immerse yourself in another culture while earning OHIO credit.
• Study Abroad Programs – Explore short-term faculty-directed options around the world.
• International Internships – Build your rĂ©sumĂ© with global work experience.
• News & Updates – Learn more about current programs in Arts & Sciences.

Scholarships

Arts & Sciences students may be eligible for funding to support their global experience. For example, the Kohan Family Fund Study Abroad Scholarship provides support for undergraduate students in the College.

Advising and Support

Start planning early! Talk with your academic advisor and connect with staff in the Education Abroad Office and the Office of Undergraduate Advising & Student Affairs in Arts & Sciences.

For details about programs, financial aid, and next steps, visit the Office of Global Opportunities at the Walter International Education Center, 15 Park Place, or explore their website.

Note: All programs are subject to change.

Student Exchange Programs

Arts & Sciences students seeking cultural and language immersion may wish to consider OHIO’s long-standing tuition-free exchange opportunities:

• Chubu University (Japan): OHIO’s most prominent and long-standing international partnership, Chubu University offers students intensive Japanese language study at all proficiency levels in Nagoya, supported by CIS through the Asian Studies program and faculty collaborations.
• Musashi University (Japan): Through the Musashi exchange in Tokyo, students take East Asian Studies and Japanese language courses in small, supportive classes alongside peers from partner institutions worldwide, with strong integration into Japanese student life and culture.
• Hong Kong Baptist University (China): The HKBU exchange provides access to a wide range of courses taught in English across disciplines such as business, communications, cinema and television, humanities, and social sciences, while also offering Mandarin language instruction and cultural courses.
• Leipzig University (Germany): Building on a university-wide partnership since 1992, the Leipzig exchange allows OHIO students to study in German across a full curriculum, with English-language coursework available in English and American Studies for students without advanced German proficiency.
• University of Southern Denmark (Denmark): Based in Odense, this exchange immerses OHIO students in courses alongside Danish and international peers, with English-language options in humanities, American Studies, and related disciplines, complemented by rich opportunities for cultural engagement.

Faculty-Directed Study Abroad Programs

Arts & Sciences faculty offer a wide range of faculty-directed study abroad programs that integrate classroom learning with experiential engagement in the field. These shorter-term programs are thematically linked to Arts & Sciences majors and allow students to explore key issues in global history, politics, law, culture, and the environment.

Asia

• Animation and Culture in Tokyo (Japan) – Beth Novak, two weeks in summer break. Explores the history and development of Japanese animation alongside cultural traditions and popular culture in Tokyo.
• Chubu Summer Study Abroad (Japan) – Chris Thompson, nine weeks in summer break. Provides language intensive training with enrollment in either Elementary Japanese (for beginners) or Intermediate/Advanced Japanese (for those with at least one year of prior study) and participation in structured cultural activities at Chubu University in Nagoya.
• Culture and Communication in Thailand – Pittaya Paladroi-Shane and Pam Kaylor, ten days in winter break. Examines Thai culture and communication through visits to temples, markets, theaters, and community service activities.
• Wildlife and Conservation in Thailand – Kelly Williams and Kelly Johnson, two weeks in winter break. Focuses on biodiversity and conservation challenges through fieldwork in Thailand’s national parks, coral reefs, and protected habitats.

Europe

• Rhetorics of Remembrance (Eastern Europe) – Talinn Phillips, nine days in summer break. Examines how societies remember the past through monuments, museums, and memorial sites in Berlin, Prague, Munich, and Nuremberg.
• Literature of London: Imperial City (UK: Great Britain) – Nicole Reynolds, nine days in spring break. Explores British imperial history, immigration, and literature through site visits and cultural analysis in London.
• Eternal Rome: Piety and Power (Italy) – Jackie Maxwell, nine days in spring break. Studies the transformation of Rome across ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and modern eras through its monuments and museums.
• Food in Sicily (Italy) – David Bell, three weeks in summer break. Investigates foodways, sustainability, and cultural identity in Sicily, linking culinary traditions with social and economic development.
• Beautiful World: A Writers’ Journey in Ireland (Ireland)– Thomas Scanlan and Patrick O’Keefe, two weeks in summer break. Examines Ireland’s recent social and cultural transformations through literature, history, and place-based study.
• Human Rights, Law and Justice in Northern Ireland (Ireland and UK: Northern Ireland) – Haley Duschinski and Larry Hayman, nine days in spring break. Engages with the legacy of the Troubles through interactions with human rights practitioners, victims’ groups, and restorative justice organizations.
• Scotland: Edinburgh – City and Environment (UK: Scotland) – Geoff Buckley and Nicole Finnicum, one month in summer break. Focuses on urban sustainability, environmental justice, and planning in Edinburgh, a leader in “greening” global cities.
• From Appalachia to Wales: Coal, Culture, and Community (UK: Wales) – Rachel Terman and Tiffany Arnold, ten days in summer break. Compares post-coal transitions in Appalachian and Welsh communities through field visits and cultural study.

Africa

• Diasporic Studies: Pop Culture, Public History, and Beyond (Ghana) – Uzoma Miller, 12 days in winter break. Explores diasporic identity, history, and culture through visits to historical sites, museums, and cultural institutions in Ghana.
• Law, Justice, and Transitions to Democracy (South Africa) – Haley Duschinski and Larry Hayman, two weeks in summer break. Examines South Africa’s legal system, history of apartheid, and transitional justice through site visits and a capstone moot court.
• Climate Change, Conservation, and Environmental Justice (Kenya or South Africa) – Tom Smucker, one month in summer break. Uses an environmental justice framing to examine climate change and conservation challenges in rural communities, with immersive cultural experiences and collaboration with local NGOs in community-based research.

International Internships

Arts & Sciences students also have opportunities to pursue hands-on internships that provide real-world experience in business, health care, education, diplomacy, engineering, international development, and related fields. These programs combine academic learning with practical training and cultural immersion. Some examples include:

• OHIO Conservation Internship at Sabah National Park (Malaysia) – Over six weeks, students work alongside Sabah Parks conservation staff in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, participating in fieldwork, data collection, and species monitoring while gaining firsthand experience in biodiversity research and sustainable environmental management.
• Iwate Prefectural University Tsunami Volunteer Project (Japan) – Students engage in tsunami-related recovery projects along Iwate’s Pacific coast, including river clean-ups, goodwill visits to temporary housing villages, water delivery, and participation in local cultural festivals, while benefiting from an immersive language and cultural experience.
• OHIO–Gawande College Partnership Support Program (India) – Provides opportunities for collaborative research, teaching, and service projects at Gawande College, fostering mutual learning, academic exchange, and community engagement while addressing critical regional challenges in education and sustainable development.