Studying abroad during the Summer semester can provide you with a range of academic experiences focused on foreign language acquisition and culture immersion opportunities. By studying in an international location for a span of weeks — rather than a semester — you can discover new ideas and expand your understanding of the world.
Engage with topics that excite you and collaborate with Columbia faculty on Columbia-Led programs or explore new interests on a wide variety of Columbia-Approved programs.
In order to participate on Columbia-Approved programs, you must complete a petition application by clicking the "Start Your Application" button above. You are strongly encouraged to consult with the listed UGE Adviser due to the Academic Credit Guidelines and Financial Considerations during the Summer semester.
To ensure you are adequately prepared, please review our Summer Study Abroad and Petitioning a Program pages for more information.
Eligibility
- You must be in good academic and disciplinary standing to study abroad
- You must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA to study abroad. You must maintain a 3.0 GPA during the semester before going abroad
- You must meet the prerequisites of your chosen program. Please be aware of any disciplinary and language requirements
- You can study abroad during the summer following your first year at Columbia. Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students should have completed at least one semester before applying to go abroad
- The School of General Studies students admitted for the spring semester, may go abroad during the following summer only under certain exceptional circumstances. Speak with the General Studies Study Abroad Dean for more information
Summer Considerations
Summer study abroad can be an excellent complement to your time at Columbia. However, there are several considerations to keep in mind:
Academic credit guidelines
Foreign Language Courses
Courses taught in a foreign language can transfer for credit toward your Columbia degree.
- It is not an automatic approval process if students are planning to take the next level of language at Columbia and complete the Language Core requirement abroad. You will likely have to take a placement exam after your summer term abroad. Please connect with the equivalent department to learn more.
- For students on scholarship programs with the Department of Germanic Languages (German or Yiddish), please refer to the department for guidelines on academic credit and the continuation of language study at Columbia.
Courses Taught in English
- Some programs have both a language course component and an English language culture component. In most cases, if you are a Columbia College or School of General Studies student, you will not get credit for courses taught in English.
- If you propose to take courses in English, each course must be approved by the department for major/concentration credit and also must be determined to be "in situ," meaning that the course offers a unique experience where the study abroad site functions as a constituent part of the course.
- For more information, please visit our Academic Credit page > Columbia-Approved > Fall, Spring, Academic Year and Summer Guidelines
- Please consult with the UGE Adviser listed below if you are interested in taking a course taught in English during the summer term.
SEAS Technical and Non-Technical Courses
- For Columbia Engineering students, you are eligible to get both technical and non-technical courses approved.
Financial Considerations
Tuition and Fees
You are responsible for all academic and non-academic fees during the summer term. You will pay most costs (i.e., tuition, room, board) to the program directly. Some costs you will have to pay to a vendor directly (i.e. an airline, housing placement organization).
Students studying abroad on Columbia-Approved programs will be registered for a "Summer Study Abroad" placeholder course in SSOL and charged an administrative fee of $750.
Financial Aid
For Columbia College and SEAS students, contact the CC/SEAS Financial Aid & Educational Planning to understand if any of your federal financial aid may cover enrollment costs for a summer program. Please note the Columbia Grant is not available for summer studies.
For General Studies students, if you receive financial aid at Columbia University, you will often remain eligible for aid as long as you take a minimum of 6 points during the Summer term. Please contact the GS Office of Educational Financing for more information.
Scholarships
There are a wide variety of funding opportunities available to you. If you are applying to a Columbia-Approved Reccomended Program, we recommend contacting the provider about their specific funding opportunities.
Please note that students demonstrating financial need can apply for the Global Learning Scholarship (GLS) to help defray part or all of the "Study Abroad Fee" of $750.
The GLS cannot be used to cover tuition or other expenses for programs not offered by Columbia.
Please visit our Financial Considerations page and review our Fellowships and Scholarships for Studying Abroad section to learn more.
Finding a Program
The first step in finding a program that fits your academic, personal, and social goals is to ask yourself what you want from your study abroad experience. We encourage you to explore our Choosing a Study Abroad Program page to let us now help you decide which semester, program and experience is right for you.
If you have specific questions, please contact the UGE Adviser listed below.
Columbia-Approved Recommended Programs
- American Councils offers comprehensive summer study abroad opportunities for Russian, Korean, or Mandarin language learners.
- CET equips students with summer language immersion opportunities in China, Taiwan, Japan, Jordan, and more.
- CIEE provides summer study abroad opportunities in Argentina, China, Chile, Morroco, Spain, Taiwan, Jordan, and more.
- Freie Universität Berlin International Summer School (FUBiS) offers German language classes and a wide variety of subject classes in the fields of history, sociology, sustainability, philosophy, art history, business, political science/ European studies.
- IFSA hosts summer study abroad opportunities in Argentina, Spain, Mexico, and more.
- Spanish Studies Abroad maintains unique language learning experiences in Argentina, Cuba, Spain, and Puerto Rico.
- Yonsei International Summer School offers a wide variety of courses focused on Korean Studies, Korean Language, and East Asian Studies.
Columbia-Affiliated Programs
- Naomi Prawer Kadar Fellowship is an excellent opportunity to enhance your Yiddish studies at Columbia through a Yiddish Study Abroad Program. Please contact the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies for more information.
- Summer Scholarship at FUBiS: Freie Universitaet Berlin International Summer is open to CC, BC, SEAS, and GS undergraduates who want to expand their German language skills. Please contact the Department of Germanic Language at Columbia University for more information.
Columbia-Led Programs
Attend a Columbia-Led summer program, and receive Columbia Univeristy credit. Learn more about our wide variety of opportunities in Paris, Venice, Kyoto, and more!
Columbia Global Collaboratory
Take part in the Global Columbia Collaboratory to learn more about global issues from international experts and peers around the world. Learn more about the Collaboratory's growing summer opportunities by contacting globalcollab@columbia.edu.
How to Apply
You are strongly encouraged to consult with the listed UGE Adviser. To apply, you must complete the two steps below. Deadlines vary, and some applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, you should complete the steps below simultaneously:
- To apply for UGE Clearance to Study Abroad (approval), click on "Start Your Application" on this webpage.
- To apply for program admission, complete an external application directly on the program webpage. Note that this deadline may be in advance of the Columbia clearance deadline.
You should consult the Petitioning a Program page for general guidance on the process.