Study Abroad

COURSE APPROVAL: Once you have decided on a study abroad institution and are looking at courses, you will need pre-approval for any classes you hope to fulfill a major requirement. This includes the Global Knowledge & Skills (GKS) section for Political Science majors. 

Students studying abroad Winter 2027 and beyond: The Office of Global Affairs is updating the course approval process. You will be asked to use the new electronic International Course Approval Form (ICAF). 

Students studying abroad in Summer 2026 or Fall 2026: Please use the current PDF process. Email the International Course Approval Form (ICAF) with course descriptions and your plan to @email.

SCHOLARSHIP: You can apply for scholarship to support your study abroad experience. The Political Science Department offers the Robert G. Wilson III Scholarship. The SBS College offers a number of SBS Study Abroad Scholarships as well. 

IT INFORMATION: To stay connected to UMass applications, install the Microsoft authenticator and you should not encounter issues. If you will be using a different phone number, you can add a new phone number to your account as well. We want you to be able to stay connected!  

Talk to your Advisors

Your Political Science Advising Team is always ready to help you. Let us know you are interested in studying abroad. We can help you plan, map out your semesters, think about timing, and discuss which classes need to be taken on campus and those that can be taken away. To meet with an academic advisor, make an appointment in Navigate.