View All SUNY Cortland Study Abroad Programs
Study Abroad Program Types
Study Abroad Programs Come in All Different Shapes and Sizes!
Whether you are looking to spend 10 days or 10 months abroad, live with a host family, or in an on-campus residence hall, travel around a country with a SUNY Cortland faculty member and other students, or take classroom-based courses at a foreign institution, we have a program for you! Check out the chart below to better understand study abroad program types and which might best fit your academic, personal, and professional interests. Make sure to follow up with a study abroad advisor at studyabroad@cortland.edu if you have questions!
| Program Type | Features | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty-Led Program | These programs feature one or more SUNY Cortland faculty members teaching one or more courses while students are immersed in a location abroad. The location typically relates to the content of the course in some way. Students and faculty travel in a group and often stay in hotels, hostels, or other short-term accommodations. | Faculty-led programs are typically short-term in duration, lasting anywhere from 1 week to 6 weeks. They are typically offered during the Winter or Summer terms. Sometimes, a Spring semester on-campus course will incorporate a study abroad component during spring break: we call these embedded programs. |
| Partner University Program | These are programs which allow students to immerse themselves at one of our partner universities abroad. Students typically take courses with local and other international students. Most of our partner university programs offer courses taught in English, even if the primary language of that country is not English. Housing options vary from off-campus apartments, to on-campus residence halls, and in some cases, with host families. |
Partner University Programs typically run during the Fall and Spring semesters and are 12 to 16 weeks in duration. Be aware that partner universities sometimes operate on different academic calendars, which may not align with SUNY Cortland’s term dates. Select partner universities also offer courses for international students during their Winter and Summer terms. |
| Internship, Fieldwork, Student Teaching or Practicum | These programs enable students to earn academic credit while gaining professional experience by working for a local organization abroad. Each of our partners and partner agencies place you within a local organization (or school) and provide support for you while abroad – typically by providing an on-site orientation, monitoring your placement, and selecting your accommodation, which can be a host family. | Internships, Fieldwork, and Practicum opportunities arranged through our partner agencies are available year-round and can be taken during any term. Keep in mind that students can receive 1 academic credit per 40 hours of work, and create a learning contract as part of this process. |
How to Search for a Cortland Study Abroad Program
- Go to: cortland.edu/studyabroad
- Click on Study Abroad
- Choose Search Study Abroad Programs on the page or on the menu
- You can now refine your search by selecting any of the following options:
- Field of Study/Major
- Term of Study
- Language of Instruction
- Destination
- Features
- Click on the program name to view program page for more information
What to look for in a program (page)
- Semesters available/Duration—is this program a fall or spring program? Is it a 2 week faculty-led program?
- Courses offered—found in the Program Course Information section. Be sure to make sure the program offers the courses you need/want to take. Check out your DegreeWorks for course ideas before you start searching for program.
- Budget—found in the Program Cost section. Even if the budget is not for the current year, this will give you an idea of the overall cost of the program. Pay careful attention to the estimated expenses section, which you won’t pay directly to a SUNY institution, but should plan to pay over the course your experience.
- Language of Instruction/Language Requirement—While many of our programs are taught in language and don’t require knowledge of a foreign language, some of our programs do. This can be a good way to eliminate programs if you definitely want to learn a language while abroad or definitely do not.
- Housing—Check out the accommodations section to see if for the program, you’ll be living in apartment, a residence hall, or living with a host family. SUNY Cortland arranges housing for all of our programs.
- Application Requirements:
- Does the program require a specific GPA to participate?
- Is there a residency requirement, meaning do you have to a second-semester sophomore or junior to participate?
- Do you need to show proof of a background in a specific language?
For more details, check out our recorded presentation on How to Search and Apply for Programs
Searching for a Study Abroad Program through an Other-SUNY
You’ve looked through the SUNY Cortland study abroad programs and you haven’t found the perfect fit for you. Maybe you want a different country or city that Cortland doesn’t offer, or maybe you just want to see what else is out there before making a final decision. The good news is that as a SUNY Cortland student, you are eligible to study abroad through over 1,000 different study abroad programs on all seven continents offered through the SUNY system. Follow the process below to research what study abroad programs Other SUNYs offer.
- suny.edu/studyabroad is the best place to get started! This website compiles all of the study abroad programs offered by members of the SUNY system into one searchable location.
- Select Program Search
- Next, enter parameters for your search. Look for programs in specific countries or by term, major, or program type.
- Select save filters to run your search.
- Select the show results button to review your options.
- You can select a specific program to view some additional details on the program. Please note that this website is a great starting place, but not good for extensive details. Once you find a program or programs that sound interesting, go to the sending SUNY’s study abroad website and search for that program. Every SUNY institution has a study abroad website, with detailed program pages for each of their programs, like SUNY Cortland.
What to look for in a program (page)
- Semesters available/Duration—is this program a fall or spring program? Is it a 2 week faculty-led program?
- Courses offered—found in the Program Course Information section. Be sure to make sure the program offers the courses you need/want to take. Check out your DegreeWorks for course ideas before you start searching for program.
- Budget—found in the Program Cost section. Even if the budget is not for the current year, this will give you an idea of the overall cost of the program. Pay careful attention to the estimated expenses section, which you won’t pay directly to a SUNY institution, but should plan to pay over the course your experience. **Be sure to look for hidden expenses: some SUNYs do not budget in the cost of housing into their overall cost, but put that cost into the additional expenses section. This can add thousands of dollars to an overall program cost!
- Language of Instruction/Language Requirement—While many of our programs are taught in language and don’t require knowledge of a foreign language, some of our programs do. This can be a good way to eliminate programs if you definitely want to learn a language while abroad or definitely do not.
- Housing—Check out the accommodations section to see if for the program, you’ll be living in apartment, a residence hall, or living with a host family. **Not all SUNYs arrange housing for all study abroad programs. Be sure to read through the program page carefully to find out. It can be difficult to secure housing on your own in a major city that you’ve never been to before.
- Application Requirements:
- Does the program require a specific GPA to participate?
- Is there a residency requirement, meaning do you have to a second-semester sophomore or junior to participate?
- Do you need to show proof of a background in a specific language?