Off-Campus Study
A Diplomat's Influence Reaches Everywhere
Off-campus study experiences aren’t simply time away from campus; they’re meaningfully woven into your entire academic journey at F&M. 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 will work with your academic adviser and your off-campus study adviser for a full year to craft an experience that complements your F&M degree and goals — whether it be a semester-long program, a summer internship, or a research project. This individualized, hands-on support before, during, and after your off-campus study experience will ensure you have the best opportunities for growth and success.
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.
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 170 programs in 45 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.
170
programs
45
countries
Popular Destinations
- 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
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 or become more proficient in 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!
iF&M (the i stands for international) is a program during which a select group of
up to 12 first-years spend the fall semester living and learning in England under
the guidance of an F&M faculty member. Outside the classroom, you’ll have the chance
to explore London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, and other awe-inspiring locations
steeped in culture and history.iF&M, A One-Of-A-Kind Academic and Cultural Experience
Chasing Art Around the World
Senior Mary Wade’s interest in art history can be traced back to her first class in
the subject in high school. “I’ve always loved art and I’ve always loved history,
so I was excited to pursue a blend of the two things I’m most interested in academically,”
she said. Wade followed this passion to F&M — and around the world. With the support
of an F&M art history summer research grant, Wade traveled to Amsterdam and England
to study different methods of displaying Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s art. She
also spent a summer with the The Art Institute in Chicago and enjoyed a semester abroad
in Rome gaining more exposure to art handling.
Read More »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
July 8, 2025 F&M’s signature blue Adirondack chairs are never empty for long. Meet several students spending their summer break on campus, as well as outside of Lancaster. June 27, 2025 Completing the Camino de Santiago is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But Johansen Vargas '26 and David Nieves '27 have accomplished this feat twice. The two were selected as student leaders for F&M on the Camino. June 25, 2025 An immersive summer program brought 13 students to Washington, D.C., for two weeks to connect with thought leaders in government, nonprofits and community organizations.#FandMEverywhere
How F&M Students Spend Summer Break
The (Diplomat) Way of St. James
D.C. Summer Session ‘Opened My Eyes to a World I Had Never Known’