Off-Campus Study
Extend Your F&M Experience Beyond Borders
Off-campus study is an integral component of an F&M liberal arts education. Historically, 45-50% of F&M students engage in an off-campus experience, whether it be a semester-long program or summer internship or research project. These experiences aren’t simply time away from campus; they’re seamlessly connected with your entire academic journey.
Is your student planning on participating in off-campus study? Learn more about what to expect and how your family can prepare for the experience.
Where in the World Will Your F&M Journey Lead You?
You play an important role in ensuring your off-campus study experiences are meaningful
and challenging — and this starts with choosing your off-campus study program. You,
your academic adviser, and your off-campus study adviser will work together closely
to help you strategically select the experience that complements your F&M degree and
your future goals. This individualized, hands-on support before, during, and after
your off-campus study experience ensures you have the best opportunities for growth
and success.
Find the Right Program
While some other colleges offer direct exchange programs, we partner exclusively with trusted programs across the globe. There are more than 200 programs in 60 countries pre-approved by F&M. These programs include high-ranking, prestigious universities that offer on-site support for academics, housing, student life, health and wellness, emergency services, and more. Programs popular with F&M students are located in:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- China
- Costa Rica
- Denmark
- England
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Ireland
- Japan
- Kenya
- Mexico
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Scotland
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Tanzania
If you are interested in participating in a program that has not been pre-approved by F&M, you may seek approval to pursue that off-campus study program.
Off-Campus Study Funds
If you’re considering an experience off campus — whether it be for research, an internship, a study program, or even a postgraduate opportunity overseas — there are funds available to help you. Your off-campus study adviser can guide you to the right funding source for your goals and assist you during the application process.
Enjoy Truly Transformative Experiences
Keep in mind that by extending your F&M experience off campus, you can:
- Immerse yourself in a new culture
- Learn another language
- Engage in academically challenging coursework
- Explore family roots
- Learn more about your major in another cultural, academic, or geographic context
- Gain hands-on experience through research or internships
- Engage with the local community through volunteer work
- Enrich your understanding of a different political system
- Expand your knowledge and understanding of another part of the world by interacting with people who hold different interests, values, or perspectives
- Learn more about global social justice
- Explore sustainability challenges and solutions
- Develop your independence, resourcefulness, adaptability, cultural humility, and problem-solving
- And we’re just getting started!
A Semester in Paris: ‘Night at the Museum’ Could Never Compare
Ruth Axford ’25 never imagined that she would walk to the Arc de Triomphe to take
the metro, intern in the same building complex as the Louvre, or go to the Bastille
area for class. But she did all of that and more when she spent a semester studying
abroad in Paris. Axford interned at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, a museum dedicated
to the exhibition and preservation of the decorative arts. The French and history
double major worked on an exhibit for Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen. “Going
through the finished product on opening night with my colleagues, seeing it all come
to life without Tyvek commercial wrap on the floor was crazy,” Axford said. “When
we came out, the credits on the wall said all our names, including ‘avec la collaboration
de Ruth Axford.’ I may have happily cried walking home along the Champs Elysées, amazed
at everything I accomplished in only four months.”
Read More »Exploring Sustainable Food Systems in Italy
Jonathan Izzo ’24, an environmental studies major and Italian minor, combined his
twin passions for his family’s Italian heritage and for sustainable food systems by
spending a semester studying in Perugia, Italy. “I was volunteering at a local urban
garden, but for the most part, it was an educational program looking around Italy
at sustainable food systems that exist there,” Izzo said. Izzo compiled his research
into a 20-page thesis written in Italian. “My thesis is about the slow-food movement,
looking into sustainable, traditional practices like preserving traditional culture
of food practices,” he said.
Read More »
F&M Diplomats Around the Globe
Is your student planning on participating in off-campus study? Learn more about what
to expect and how your family can prepare for the experience.Parent Guide to Off-Campus Study
May 7, 2024 Franklin & Marshall College senior Jonathan Izzo combined his twin passions for his family’s Italian heritage and for sustainable food systems to cap his academic career. April 17, 2024 As a double major in French and history, people ask Ruth Axford, "What are you going to do with that?" How about spending a study abroad working in a Paris museum. March 14, 2024 Emily Kapner ’21 never imagined an F&M education would lead to castle-hopping in Slovakia. But like many Diplomats, she discovered that a liberal arts degree can open many unexpected paths. #FandMEverywhere
Student Explores Food in Italian Slow-Food Culture
My Student Experience: 'Night at the Museum' Could Never Compare
Teaching Fellowship Opens Door to Castles, Culture