Study Abroad Programs

In collaboration with the Office of International Programs, the College offers summer Study Abroad Programs. Studying abroad may be a defining moment in your educational career and life. Study abroad allows you to explore other cultures, languages, cuisines, and potentially inspire you towards a new career path, while making new friends and experiencing the world.  


EcuadorCoastal Ecuador

The FAU field school attracts a diverse student body from universities and colleges in the U.S., Europe and South America. The academic purpose of FAU’s field school is to train undergraduate and graduate students in archaeological and ethnographic methods. Students gain hands-on experience in anthropology through faculty-supervised research projects that are part of a research program that aims to understand the connections between the prehistoric past and present in terms of South American adaptations to coastal environments. The area of interest is the Pacific coast of Southern Manabí Province, Ecuador. The region is characterized by deep and shallow bays, alluvial valleys, and coastal mountains. Investigations focus on the systematic survey of alluvial valleys and on the excavation of coastal and inland sites. For more than 15 years, FAU has participated in creating a research infrastructure that few other American universities have in the international arena. Over 200 students have been educated in this program, many of whom use this field program as their entry into the profession of anthropology. For more information contact, Valentina Martinez at 561-297-0991 and vmartine@fau.edu or Madison McShane at 561-297-1080 and mmcshane@fau.edu. 

 


GermanyBerlin, Germany

This course explores the culture of past and present Berlin through its literature, urban sites and relevant cultural events and is recommended for students interested in German literature, culture and society. With Berlin as the classroom, students will have a first-hand experience of the city’s present day cultural life and simultaneously be able to explore the cultural commemoration of its past. For more information, contact Evelyn Trotter at 561-297-1294 and etrotter@fau.edu or Madison McShane at 561-297-1080 and mmcshane@fau.edu.

 

GermanyDessau, Germany

Study architecture in Dessau, Germany, a birthplace of modernism. In cooperation with FAU, the Anhalt University of Applied Science in Dessau, Germany offers students of FAU School of Architecture the opportunity to study German architecture, culture, and art. The Dessau Summer School of Architecture conducts courses in the Walter Gropius-designed Bauhaus building, where from 1925 to 1932, Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Josef Albers, and Mies van der Rohe, among others, pioneered new design concepts and teaching methods, indelibly influencing modern architecture and allied arts and crafts. The Dessau summer program, led by Professor Stephan Pinkau, develops a framework, reinterpreting Bauhaus themes like the relationship between architecture and art, with a new design investigation offered each summer.

Contact Wanda Liebermann, Assistant Professor in the School of Architecture (wliebermann@fau.edu) with questions and for details.

 

ItalySicily, Italy

FAU runs a five-week study abroad program in Sicily from mid-May through mid-June under the auspices of a long-term agreement with the Sicilian regional program for research and educational activity at the archaeological site of Rocchicella di Mineo (ancient Palikè).  The site was once the most important sanctuary of Sicily's ancient Sikel peoples, and years of excavation have brought to light a sequence that runs from the Mesolithic period through the Middle Ages with monumental architecture of the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods.  There is much still to be discovered and interpreted in terms of the centrality of Sicily to the history of the Mediterranean.  Students stay in apartments in the city of Catania, a bustling university, commercial, and industrial center along the eastern shore of the island flanking Mount Etna, Europe's largest volcano, and travel as a group to the site.  The program includes visits to important museums and archaeological sites on the island, as well as attendance of an Ancient Greek play in the theater at Syracuse.  There is plenty of time for individual travel, as well, and Catania is well connected with the rest of Italy and Europe.  Contact the Education Abroad office for further information or Prof. Brian E. McConnell (mcconnel@fau.edu) in the Department of Visual Arts & Art History. 

 


VeniceVenice, Italy (Language)

Venice’s nicknames include "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light." Spend your summer experiencing and living La Dolce Vita in one of Italy’s most famous cities. Tour some of the world’s most treasured sites outside of the tourist’s routes. Planned excursions include the Venetian Villas along the Brenta Canal by boat, the Dolomiti Mountains with a nature walk, and a boat tour of the Venetian lagoon. This program provides students with the opportunity to learn Italian language and culture through full immersion while discovering the monuments and artwork the city offers. Studying in Venice gives students a sensation of living in a place out of this world - no streets, no cars, no noise, only footsteps and water reflections in every corner. For more information, contact Madison McShane, at 561-297-1080 and mmcshane@fau.edu or Ilaria Serra at 561-297-3623 and iserra1@fau.edu.

 

VVeniceenice, Italy (Architecture)

Study architecture in the historic “floating city” of Venice. Built across 118 small islands, connected by bridges and canals, Venice’s rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty offers students a unique opportunity to study architecture, art, infrastructure, and the challenges facing a sinking city in the age of sea level rise. The FAU Venice Study Abroad program takes place during the first six weeks of the summer session (May-June). 

Courses offered include Architecture and Urbanism, taught by Associate Professor John Sandell, Venice and Its Reflections, about Venice’s cultural history, and Advanced and Beginning Italian Conversation taught by Dr. Emanuele Pettener and Dr. Ilaria Serra. Students must enroll in two three-credit courses. All courses are scheduled Monday through Thursday, leaving students ample time to study, visit the city’s museums and historical sites, and take advantage of many cultural events, such as concerts, films, operas, and major art and architecture exhibitions happening during the summer. Scholarships and travel awards are available. Contact John Sandell, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture (jsandel1@fau.edu) or Tania Tucker, in the FAU Education Abroad, Center for Global Engagement (trtucker@fau.edu).

 

Arrangements for study abroad take time; the ideal time to study abroad is sophomore or junior year. Please plan to speak with an advisor within your program ahead of time to determine if the opportunity can apply to your academic program.

For more information about Study Abroad Programs at FAU, please visit the Education Abroad Office.