Off-Campus Study & Exchanges

There are a great number of off-campus study opportunities coordinated by the Office of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges (OCSE), including Skidmore’s study abroad programs, approved non-Skidmore study abroad programs, faculty-led travel seminars, and domestic study and exchange programs, including Skidmore’s exchange program with Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia;

Skidmore’s own study abroad programs include:

  • Skidmore in Spain in Madrid;
  • Skidmore in France in Montpellier;
  • Skidmore in New Zealand;
  • Skidmore's First-Year Experience in London

In addition, each year Skidmore sponsors faculty-led travel seminars during the winter, spring, and summer breaks. These travel seminars offer students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a given discipline, using the off-campus program location as a classroom to complement coursework taken in Saratoga Springs. At the same time, students and faculty develop a deeper understanding of distinct cultures and societies that will help to enhance their on-campus experience.

All students wishing to study off campus must have a GPA of 2.750 or higher, be in good social and academic standing, and have strong faculty references.

The total cost of all semester-long off-campus programs is equal to Skidmore’s comprehensive fee and covers tuition, room, and board (if included in the program’s fee), and international health insurance. Students are responsible for airfare and personal expenses. Skidmore students on financial aid may apply their aid to semester-long programs. Fees and aid for travel seminars vary, based on on-site expenses.

For additional information about international and domestic off-campus study opportunities or any specific program, contact the Office of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges.

Skidmore in France

The Skidmore in France program, available in the fall, spring, or for the entire academic year, is designed for students at all levels of French-language skills (beginner to advanced) to study in Montpellier, taking courses taught in French or English. The program strives to integrate them as fully as possible into the academic, cultural, and social life of Montpellier. Students select from one of three tracks:

  • Language & Culture
  • Business
  • Psychology

Students will take courses at the program center and partner institutions such as University of Montpellier and University Paul Valery. Students can choose from courses in the humanities, studio art, social sciences, psychology, business and economics. Internships or Community Engagement opportunities are available to all students regardless of language skills. The resident staff provides on-site support, including organizing housing, an intensive orientation session, and cultural activities and excursions throughout the semester.

Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.750. Students planning to do the Language & Culture track should, at a minimum, be enrolled in or have completed WLF 208 Communicating in French II prior to the start of the program.

Skidmore in Spain

The Skidmore in Spain program, offered for fall, spring or for the entire academic year, is designed for students with advanced-level Spanish and emphasizes integration into the academic and cultural life of Spain. Students take a combination of courses at the Program Center in Madrid or a local Spanish university. Academic areas include humanities, social sciences, business, economics, film, history, literature, language, music, politics, sociology, theater, and fine arts, including courses in art and art history. Customized internships are also available for fall, spring, or full-year participants. The resident director and staff in Madrid provide on-site support, including organizing housing and an intensive orientation session. A cultural reimbursement program allows students to fully engage in the amazing variety of activities offered in Madrid. Courses are taught entirely in Spanish.

Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.750 and have completed at least four semesters of college-level Spanish (FS 206 ) or the equivalent before participating.

Skidmore in New Zealand

Skidmore in New Zealand, offered for fall, spring or full year, is a semester-long program that allows students to direct enroll at the University of Canterbury.

In addition to taking classes at the university, students can choose to focus their semester with one of two field and research tracks. All field and research tracks will begin with a five-week field camp experience leading up to the university semester where students will take a research methods course and produce a research project base on their fieldwork. Current academic tracks include New Zealand Earth Systems and Geology of New Zealand.

Skidmore in New Zealand is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors who have a GPA of 2.750 or above.

Skidmore's First-Year Experience in London

Skidmore’s First-Year Experience in London, offered in the fall semester, gives 36 students the opportunity to spend their first semester of college in London, one of the world’s great cities. In addition to allowing students to enjoy the historical and cultural riches of England’s capital, the First-Year Experience in London

  • serves as a foundation for students’ four years at Skidmore;
  • enables students to earn credit toward their Skidmore degrees;
  • introduces students to Skidmore’s academic rigor and excellence; and
  • builds strong connections and friendships among the participants.

Students study in London under the guidance of two Skidmore Faculty Coordinators who oversee the academic program, serve as advisors and mentors for the students, and organize a variety of group cultural excursions and activities. The faculty coordinators also each teach one of the required Scribner Seminars, which are specifically designed for the program and take full advantage of the resources available in London. Students take additional classes at the CEA CAPA London Center. Students live in an international student housing with a designated Skidmore Program Assistant who provides guidance, support, and a calendar of social activities. Participants will join their classmates in Saratoga Springs in January for the second semester of the First-Year Experience.

Students interested in this program should contact Skidmore’s Office of Admissions.

Travel Seminars

Each year Skidmore sponsors a number of international and domestic faculty-led travel seminars to locations around the world during the winter, spring, and/or summer breaks. These travel seminars allow students to accompany one or two faculty members as they explore a focused topic that uses the destination as a classroom. Recently offered programs include Music, Culture, and Performance: Bali in Indonesia, Writing in Rome in Italy and Social Work in a Global Context in Finland. Travel seminars are sometimes accompanied by an on-campus course during the preceding semester. Participants must have a GPA of 2.750 or above and must meet prerequisites set by the sponsoring faculty member(s). The total cost of the program will depend on the duration and location of the program. Skidmore students on financial aid may receive partial aid for programs that include an on-campus course in either the fall or spring semester. Summer-only programs are not eligible for financial aid.

Approved Programs

In addition to the Skidmore international programs, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of international and domestic approved programs. These approved programs include programs around the world that meet Skidmore’s high academic expectations and offer quality administrative support to our students. Approved programs are linked to Skidmore’s curriculum and are chosen to support various majors and minors, thereby allowing Skidmore to more closely integrate its students’ experiences abroad with their studies on campus. Approved programs include over 120 options in Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, and Latin America. Domestic options include opportunities with Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia; the Washington Semester Program at American University in Washington, D.C.; the Williams-Mystic program in Mystic, Connecticut; the Semester Cinema program in Nantucket, Massachusetts, the Semester in Environmental Science in Woods Hole, Massachusetts; and Semester in the City in Boston, Massachusetts.

All off-campus study programs hold to competitive academic standards. Skidmore approval for off-campus study-approval that must precede acceptance into any program-requires a GPA of 2.750 or higher, good social standing, and faculty support. Off-campus study on approved programs is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Students on approved programs will be charged Skidmore tuition and possibly room and/or board, depending on the agreement with the host institution. Students may use all financial aid on all approved programs. For additional information, contact Off-Campus Study & Exchanges.

Skidmore-Spellman College Exchange

The Skidmore-Spelman College Exchange Program is a one-to-one exchange that allows female Skidmore students to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, for a semester or academic year. This program offers students a unique opportunity to study at a historically Black college with an excellent national reputation. Students have full access to courses at Spelman or one of their partners in Atlanta, including Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College; they live in the residence halls on the Spelman campus. In return, Spelman students study at Skidmore for a semester or academic year either on the Saratoga campus or through one of our Skidmore study abroad programs.

Applicants must have a GPA of 3.000 or better and strong faculty support.