Study Abroad

Studying abroad can be a life-changing personal and academic experience, which may compliment your ES Major or Minor.

There are a number of strong, environmentally-focused programs for study abroad, which are highlighted below. We have also compiled a comprehensive list of study abroad programs with an environmental focus which are organized by location.

We require careful consultation with your major advisor or the ES Program Director, and with the Office of International Study, to ensure that the program you choose is the right fit, and that the courses taken can be used to fulfill ES requirements (note: no more than three courses taken away from Wellesley can count towards the ES major.)

ES Recommended Study Abroad Programs

The School for Field Studies offers high-quality, truly interdisciplinary Environmental Studies programs in Panama, Bhutan, Kenya & Tanzania, Australia & New Zealand, Turks and Caicos, and Costa Rica, each with a slightly different focus that takes advantage of the opportunities in the area of study. 

The Organization for Tropical Studies provides an intensive, science-based study of tropical biology in Costa Rica and a semester focusing on Ecology and Conservation in South Africa

School for International Training has some program locations that focus on Natural and Cultural Ecology.  Be sure to check whether a specific program is approved for Wellesley students.

The Center for Food & Sustainability Studies at The Umbra Institute (a Wellesley partner in central Italy) offers courses and curricular concentrations in Food Studies and Sustainability & Environmental Studies. Write znowak@umbra.org for information about Wellesley-specific scholarships. 

SEA Semester is the leading off-campus Environmental Studies program focused on the ocean. While the academic focus varies, each program offers an interconnected suite of courses designed to explore a specific ocean-related theme using a cross-disciplinary approach.  

In addition, direct enrollment at foreign universities can provide access to Environmental Studies courses.  Consultation with the Office of International Study is essential, to identify relevant programs and procedures.

For a semester off-campus but in the United States, consider the Semester in Environmental Science at the Ecosystems Center of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole Massachusetts.