Study Abroad & Internship Programs

Everyone should have the chance to study abroad, participate in domestic exchange, or pursue an internship program. As such, Financial Aid is available for all approved programs with costs often being similar to a semester spent at UMass. Moreover, a range of scholarships, grants, and work-study options can make your time abroad more affordable. 

That said, each program has a unique cost, and if you are cost sensitive, you should talk to an advisor in the International Programs Office to help you identify which programs would be the best fit for you. For example, if you go to Thailand, the cost of tuition is actually lower than at UMass, AND they have public policy classes. Learn more here. Be sure to look for scholarships in AcademicWorks. 

There are over 300 programs from which to choose, and we did a cursory look at programs we thought would be particularly interesting to our majors. While you'll find a list of programs that we know have some public policy classes, there assuredly other programs that have policy courses, too. If you find a program of interest that isn't on the list below, work with your academic advisor to get the courses there evaluated by our faculty. The process can take several weeks, so give yourself plenty of time.

• AFSI Abroad Study & Internship Prague
• API Human and Social Sciences Program in English in Barcelona
• API Multidisciplinary Studies for Spanish Speakers in Madrid
• API Multidisciplinary Studies for Spanish Speakers in Seville
• API Semester Spanish Language, Humanities, and Business Studies
• API Semester Business, Arts, Humanities, Italian Language and Culture in Florence
• CAPA Florence for UMass Students
• CAPA London for UMass Students
• CAPA Madrid
• CAPA Sydney for UMass Students
• CIS Abroad Thailand
• CYA - Study Abroad in Greece
• DIS Semester in Copenhagen
• IFSA Study in India
• IFSA Study in London
• IFSA Study in Shanghai
• Semester in Cyprus
• Study in Portugal Network
• University of Auckland Exchange
• University of Hohenheim Exchange
• University of Stirling Exchange
• Université Paris Dauphine Exchange

Keep in mind, that even as a public policy major, you may not need to take public policy courses abroad. Depending upon your particular course plan, you may have time to take electives, general education courses, or classes toward a second major or minor.

The UMass International Programs Office details here the steps for preparing to go abroad. In particular, the steps for making sure the classes you take abroad keep you on track for graduation are outlined here. You will work with your public policy academic advisor in this process as well to identify which of your remaining graduation requirements can be taken abroad.

If you are taking general education classes abroad, those will be evaluated and approved by the International Programs Office using this process. 

If you are taking courses toward your major or minor, these will be evaluated and approved by the corresponding department following the process outlined here. As a brief example, if you want to take a public policy class abroad, bring the syllabus and the ICAF form to your public policy advisor. If you want to take a course for your sociology minor abroad, bring the syllabus and the ICAF form to a sociology advisor. Getting a course evaluated by a department can take a couple weeks, so start this process early.

You don't necessarily have to leave the Pioneer Valley to step outside your comfort zone. Want to practice your Spanish fluency? There are volunteer opportunities at a nearby Spanish immersion elementary school and at the local Jones library, which offers a program for community members who are trying to learn English. Want to grow your ability to work with people with special needs? Check out the Boltwood Project on campus, volunteer with Whole Children in Hadley, join the Special Olympics Club, complete the DDHS certificate, or partner with a faculty member on campus doing research in this area. 

Get started by reviewing your options through the UMass Civic Engagement and Service Learning office. Most of the opportunities they provide are offered for credit. Alternatively, you can set up your own volunteer experience by reaching out to a local nonprofit. Speak to your academic advisor if you would like to earn credit for your service experience.

If you want to apply your skills in an internship while you continue to take classes, you should apply to the SBS in Boston and/or the SBS in D.C. programs. 

SBS in Boston provides an exciting opportunity for SBS majors to spend the semester living and interning in the greater Boston area, while earning credit toward their degree. Internship opportunities span a variety of industries and functions, and are in various locales around the metro area. Some internships are at companies and organizations where alumni work and are available to offer mentoring.  Build your skills, explore your options, make connections, and gain experience in the professional world! Participants will receive a full semester’s worth of credits, and financial aid will apply.  Students in the cohort live in a beautiful dorm on the lovely Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst, take a professional development class on Fridays, and complete their internships over the course of the semester.

SBS in DC is an exciting internship program that is offered in the Fall semester and the Spring semester, and connects UMass Amherst College of Social & Behavioral Science majors with UMass alumni working in Washington DC. The program has proven to be a stepping stone for students interested in careers in fields like policy, nonprofits, international development, strategy, marketing, PR, government, campaign work and more. Program participants live together as a cohort in DC and are matched with host internship sites for a semester-long internship. Students also participate in a class related to their major, have professional development and networking opportunities with UMass Alumni and professional in their fields of interest. Alumni mentor students at internship sites all over DC. Students will earn 12-15 credits for the semester.

Students are not limited to interning in D.C. and Boston. Many students find internships for the summer or winter break, and they have support in identifying these opportunities. 

The International Programs Office offers opportunities to take classes while interning in a number of countries abroad, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, Spain, Czech Republic, Ireland, France, England, Italy, China, Jordan, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Cyprus, Singapore, Vietnam, Senegal, and India. You can use the filters in the UMass Abroad Portal to identify the program that works best for you. 

The National Student Exchange is a network of over 170 universities and colleges in 48 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through National Student Exchange, UMass students can study at another college or university, allowing them to live in another geographic area, access courses and facilities not offered at their home campus, and broaden their undergraduate experience. To research all participating institutions please refer to the NSE website.

Learn more about applying here. The first step will be to attend an information session. 

Up to 12 public policy credits may be taken to fulfill major requirements abroad.

It's also important to note that students may take up to 20 credits with a maximum of 12 upper division credits outside of the School of Public Policy. These 20 credits done outside of the School of Public Policy, when relevant, are inclusive of transfer credits, study abroad credits, and non-SPP courses taken at UMass Amherst. Courses that are cross-listed with SPP count as SPP courses.

Example 1: A student takes ECON 103 (4 credits) and RES-ECON 212 (4 credits) to fulfill the economics and statistics requirements for the public policy major. These count as 8 of the maximum of 20 credits the student can complete outside the School of Public Policy. Hence, this student may take up to 12 upper division public policy credits abroad.

Example 2: A student takes RES-ECON 102 (4 credits) and STATISTC240 (4 credits) to fulfill the economics and statistics requirements for the public policy major. The student gets permission to count an economic policy class (3 credits) taught in the Economics Department toward their upper-level electives and SOCBEHAV 250 (1 credit) in lieu of SPP 302 Public Policy Practicum . These count as 12 of the maximum of 20 credits the student can complete outside the School of Public Policy. Hence, this student may take up to 8 upper division public policy credits abroad.