Study Abroad
SMU’s Study Abroad Program offers a chance to learn about sociology and markets and cultures in different countries with yearlong, semester, or summer programs at locations around the globe. All majors are strongly encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad.
Visit the SMU Abroad webpage for information on programs of study, financial aid options, and how to get started with planning your own adventure abroad!
Here's a look at some of the great Study Abroad experiences our students have had in the past.
|
"Last spring I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark and had a great experience. I lived with a host family and learned about a different way of living. I learned about the word "hygge" which means "cozy" in English. Hygge is the feeling I got being with my host family on a dark night eating dinner with candles lit. I lived in a town called Helsingør which was a little more than an hour commute everyday into Copenhagen. Transportation in Denmark is great, and the commute was fairly easy. I took classes with Danish professors. My classes were engaging and we even had field trips outside of the classroom. I had a lovely time abroad and have great memories." |
|
"My participation in the SMU study abroad program in Durban, South Africa was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I love being reminded that there is a world outside of my own, and that is exactly what this program provided. Just simply getting the chance to live and interact with South African students - with people whose life perspectives and experiences are so different from mine - was both intellectually and emotionally refreshing. The South Africa program combined my love of the arts and my love of people in a more perfect way than I could have expected or imagined. I would recommend study abroad, and especially SMU in South Africa program to any and everyone who has the chance to participate!" |
|
"During the summer after my sophomore year, I studied abroad in Innsbruck, Austria for 6 weeks. Innsbruck is a beautiful, quaint town nestled among high Alpine Mountains. You could walk everywhere and the food was incredible. It is also centrally located, so I was also able to take the train on weekend trips to other wonderful places like Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Prague, and the Island of Capri. My life at SMU is crazy… I’m a Sociology major, double minor in English and Philosophy, a member of the Women’s Lacrosse Team, and an involved member of Pi Beta Phi sorority; so this was the perfect way to get a rich and cultured experience in another country, while still being able to comfortably graduate on time and remain committed to my student organizations. While studying expatriate literature for an English class, and being submerged in Eastern European culture, one thing I studied first hand was the way in which gender norms and expectations discretely vary across cultures. This, among other experiences abroad, complements my Sociology studies, contributing multiple perspectives to the ways in which I study and analyze reality." |
 For me studying abroad was all about absorbing other cultures. Often times living in the US we can be ethnocentric, and consider other countries cultural norms as taboo. So I approached my trip to Southeast Asia and Australia with an open mind and tried to stay clear of preconceived notions. This was very helpful for me when I was in Japan, China, Vietnam and Malaysia because many things that I would be shocked to see here were commonalities there. So how does this tie in to Markets and Culture? In my Market and Culture classes so far we have learned about the expanding "global village" and the cultural norms which drive various business related decisions. By studying abroad I not only gathered an invaluable perspective on the cultural factors influencing global business, but I also redefined the way I think about myself, America and the way we all fit into the global village. -Ryan Taylor Moore (Markets and Culture) |
