Extend Your F&M Experience Beyond Borders

Off-campus study is an integral component of an F&M liberal arts education. Whether it be a semester-long program, a summer internship, or a research project, these experiences aren’t simply time away from campus; they’re meaningfully woven into 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 to strategically select the experience that complements your F&M degree and your future goals. You'll work with your advisers for a full year to craft the most challenging and rewarding experience possible. 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 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. 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!

 

iF&M, A One-Of-A-Kind Academic and Cultural Experience

iF&M (the i stands for international) is a program during which a select group of 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.

Learn 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

Parent Guide to Off-Campus Study

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.

Learn more »

#FandMEverywhere

November 11, 2024

Behind the Scenes: Sophomore Sojourn

Forty F&M students recently traveled to Gretna Glen for the Sophomore Sojourn, a recent F&M tradition open to students in their second year on campus.

May 30, 2024

English Grad Writes Next Chapter as Anatolia Fellow

With an F&M English degree in hand, Rohail Spear ’24 is ready to write his next chapter. It starts in Greece, where Spear will spend 10 months as an Anatolia Fellow.

May 10, 2024

International Seniors Reflect on F&M Journeys

F&M will graduate 518 seniors at Saturday’s Commencement ceremony; 85 (over 16%) of those students are international. See how they navigated starting college overseas during the pandemic.

Read more stories