Undergraduate Programs

International Programs

SPEA Abroad is your opportunity to study overseas - and earn credit hours! Choose among exciting locations where SPEA instructors team with partner institution faculty to offer programs in English, but with a comparative as well as a local perspective. You will find courses in public and nonprofit management, public policy and policy analysis, comparative and international administration, and environmental science. 

No need to worry that SPEA Abroad is all study: programs also include supplementary introductions to the language, culture, and history of each location, with special excursions to local sites that will help make your overseas experience unforgettable. All courses are approved by the Indiana University Office of Overseas Studies after careful review of the plan of operation, location, key personnel, and cost effectiveness.

SPEA offers several opportunities to study abroad for credit, although program destinations change from year to year. Some examples of previous study abroad programs include:

  • IU at Oxford Program (summer)
  • The Parliamentary Internship Program in Canberra, Australia (year-round)
  • Scholars in Global Citizenship
  • SPEA in Pamplona, Spain (summer)
  • SPEA in Speyer, Germany (summer)
  • SPEA in Berlin, Germany (summer)
  • SPEA in Tyumen - Siberia, Russia (summer)

All of these programs are taught in English, and the IU credit obtained costs the same as it would on campus. Financial aid obtained is normally applied to these overseas experiences. Experience has taught us that studying abroad does not adversely affect a student’s GPA, increase the cost of study, or delay graduation, even though many people seem to think one or all of these things will happen.

Our purpose in creating these study abroad opportunities is to provide students with a unique chance to broaden their horizons, help them prepare themselves for a world that is becoming much more international and global, and allow them to challenge themselves by facing new environments. Of course, there are opportunities to travel and socialize as well as study—all of which are part of the educational experience. More than 200 SPEA students have benefited from this opportunity. There are many programs from which to choose and students are encouraged to speak to their academic advisor for more information.