Reed offers a number of international and domestic programs for students interested in off-campus study. Students considering such study are encouraged to meet with their faculty adviser and the director of international programs to develop a study plan. Students in good academic standing who are approved by the faculty for participation in these programs are registered as regular students at the college and are able to use their financial aid for Reed-approved programs. Residence in Reed-approved study-abroad programs does not count toward the college’s two-year residence requirement.
International Programs
Argentina: San Andreas University/UNA/UCA/UBA, year or semester
Reed students with at least two years of Spanish have the opportunity to enroll at Universidad de San Andrés, the Universidad Nacional de las Artes (UNA), the Pontificia Uni Católica Argentina (UCA), and/or the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) in areas of Latin American politics, history, and literature as well as other areas in the humanities, arts, and sciences. Programs coordinated by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) offer students guidance with academics, housing, and extracurricular opportunities.
Australia: Australian National University, year or semester
In collaboration with International Studies Abroad (ISA), Reed students interested in science, politics, and humanities may consider ANU, which offers a unique history, ties to the Australian government, and special standing as a resource for the Australian people.
Australia: University of Sydney, year or semester
In collaboration with ISA, Reed students may take advantage of Australia’s most extensive university studies while embracing Australian student life and culture. With its main campus located nearby downtown Sydney, the University of Sydney provides its students with an intimate look at Australia’s most populous city.
Botswana: University of Botswana, year or semester
In cooperation with CIEE, Reed students will take classes of their choice in the arts, sciences, social sciences, or humanities with local students, learn the Setswana language, go on excursions, and live in university residence halls. In addition, students will have the opportunity to spend a week with a local family. Botswana, one of Africa’s most stable countries, is governed by a multiparty democracy and hosts the headquarters of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community.
China: Reed China Program, year or semester
Reed has affiliations with three Chinese universities—Capital Normal University in Beijing, East China Normal University in Shanghai, and Fujian Normal University in Fuzhou—where students can study the Chinese language intensively. Students may also take courses in Chinese calligraphy, Chinese culture, and tai chi.
Cuba: Sarah Lawrence in Cuba, semester
This unique opportunity is offered to Reed students in conjunction with Sarah Lawrence College. In addition to core program courses, students can take classes with Cuban students at the University of Havana and affiliate institutions. Students must have completed four semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent to qualify.
Czech Republic: New York University Prague, year or semester
The NYU program in Prague enables Reed students an opportunity to study for a semester or year in the gorgeous capital city of the Czech Republic. Coursework, taught in English, focuses on the political and economic interests of new EU member states and the growing territorial and security interests of the Russian Federation. Areas of study include anthropology; art; literature; German language; Hebrew and Judaic studies; Russian language and Slavic studies; film, photography, journalism, and media studies; and music.
Denmark: DIS Neuroscience, year or semester
Neuroscience is one of the most exciting and fastest growing scientific fields. It spans studies of dysfunctional brain circuits and neurobiological perspectives on creativity, and asks: What is consciousness? The DIS Program in Neuroscience, approved by Reed’s interdisciplinary neuroscience faculty, centers on the fields of biology and psychology. The program is centered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and includes study tours in Italy, England, and Sweden.
Ecuador: University of San Francisco de Quito, year or semester
By participating in the program at the University of San Francisco de Quito, Reed students will take regular courses in Spanish with Ecuadorian students in departments including biology, literature, politics, and social sciences. Students will live with Ecuadorian families in Quito. The University of San Francisco also has an environmental and marine sciences program in the Galapagos Islands open to qualified Reed students.
Egypt: American University in Cairo, year or semester
AUC is a leading English-language, American-accredited institution of higher education and center of intellectual, social, and cultural life of the Arab world. In addition to courses in Arabic language and Middle Eastern politics, history, and religions, AUC offers students a broad array of courses in sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
England: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), year
The London School of Economics offers a unique opportunity to study at one of the world’s foremost social science universities.
England: Middlebury College Oxford Humanities Program, year or semester
This program offers an academically rigorous curriculum of reading seminars, field research, and Oxford’s traditional one-on-one tutorials. Its affiliation with Keble College and central location amidst the historic university provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in Oxford’s academic and cultural life. Rooted in the humanities, the program welcomes applicants from all academic disciplines.
England: Sarah Lawrence College Programs in London and Oxford
London Theatre Program, year or semester
This program gives students an opportunity to work and study with leading actors and directors from the world of British theatre. Through a combination of classes, tutorials, master classes, and performances, students take part in Britain’s great theatrical tradition. The British American Drama Academy (BADA) will also offer “Shakespeare in London,” a semester program which focuses on Shakespeare’s plays and takes full advantage of the opportunity to see a considerable number of these works in performance in London and also at Stratford-upon-Avon. While Shakespeare’s plays are studied principally in the classroom, they are also explored in performance both on stage and in the rehearsal room.
Oxford University, year
Students can spend an academic year as associate students at Oxford University. The emphasis of this program is on the Oxford tutorial, combined with a core seminar, university lectures, and a complete range of social, cultural, and athletic privileges at Wadham College. In addition to the core seminar focused on British history, students take two tutorials in an array of disciplines in the arts and humanities, as well as psychology, physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and neurology.
England: SOAS/University of London, year or semester
SOAS/University of London specializes in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Near and Middle East. The curriculum, open to exchange students, focuses on pressing issues confronting two-thirds of humankind: democracy, development, human rights, identity, legal systems, poverty, religion, and social change.
England: University of East Anglia, year or semester
The UEA, in Norwich, shares a common educational theme with Reed College in its use of the conference style of instruction. Reed students may enroll in any of the various schools of the university—including the schools of English and American studies, biology, and chemistry—that offer courses across disciplines.
England: University of Nottingham, year or semester
The University of Nottingham, a large comprehensive British university with particular strength in psychology, political theory, economics, biosciences, film studies, and American studies, offers students an opportunity to become fully immersed in the British academic system, live in residence with British students, and participate in all elements of student life in England.
England: University of Sussex, year or semester
The University of Sussex, a short distance from London in Brighton, is a comprehensive university with particular strength in the social sciences as well as a residential campus where Reed students live with British and other international students.
France: Sciences Po Lille, year or semester
Sciences Po Lille is a highly selective public institute of higher education focusing on law, humanities, and social sciences (political science, economics, history, and sociology). Located near the border between France and Belgium, Sciences Po Lille gives Reed participants small class settings in which to study wide-ranging topics including journalism, European studies, international relations, and the history and politics of European integration. Approximately half of the courses are taught in English, with the remainder taught in French.
France: University of Lille, year or semester
Through this program, students may choose to spend either a year or a semester in France at the University of Lille. Two primary exchange plans are offered at Lille: one for experienced French speakers, and another for students with little or no French who wish to study French language intensively as well as taking other courses taught in English. Upon arrival in France, students undergo an expansive 10-day orientation program to assist in immersion and general cultural acclimation. Several excursions within and outside of the city are provided by the university.
France: University of Paris, year or semester
In cooperation with the Center for University Programs Abroad (CUPA), Reed students with at least two years of college-level French language can take courses at some of France’s most prestigious academic institutions including the Sorbonne (Paris IV), Jussieu (Paris VII), Ecole du Louvre, or Institut d’Etudes Politiques. The program provides immersion in the French university system, integrated with intensive tutorial work to provide students with personalized study programs.
France: University of Rennes II Haute Bretagne, year or semester
The Université Rennes II, a comprehensive French university located in Rennes, a beautiful medieval city in Brittany, offers Reed students the opportunity to take courses in the social sciences and humanities. Two years of college-level French language or the equivalent is required. Students may live on campus or in apartments in the city.
Germany: Free University, year or semester
The Freie Universität Berlin, founded in 1948 and internationally recognized for teaching and research, offers regular university courses taught in German and the vibrant cultural life of the reunited capital of Germany. Students with no German language preparation may take intensive German language courses as well as select courses taught in English in the “FU-BEST” program at the Freie. Students enrolling in regular courses at the university must have completed two years of college-level German or the equivalent. Reed has also joined with the Berlin Consortium for German Studies to offer a program based at the Freie Universität with special complementary courses for program students.
Germany: Tübingen University, year or semester
The Universität Tübingen, in Baden Württemberg, exchanges students with Reed for a semester or academic year. Founded in medieval times, Tübingen is recognized for its humanities faculties, particularly in philosophy. Two years of college-level German or the equivalent is required.
Germany: University of Munich, year
Reed’s oldest program was established in 1972 with the Universität München, founded in 1472 in Bavaria. Students who have completed two years of college-level German or the equivalent take courses taught for the program and at the Universität in all disciplines offered by Reed.
Greece: College Year in Athens (CYA), year or semester
Through this program, Reed students can take advantage of the resources of Athens and of Greece, and expand their knowledge and understanding of Greece’s fundamental contribution to the development of Western civilization and of the world of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The courses explore ancient times to the present in the areas of ancient Greek civilization and East Mediterranean area studies, and represent the disciplines of archaeology, art history, classical languages, cultural anthropology, Greek literature in translation, history, modern Greek language, philosophy, political science, and religious studies.
Hungary: Aquincum Institute of Technology in Budapest, year or semester
Located in Budapest, Hungary, AIT is specifically designed for computer science and software engineering students, offering a curriculum that combines foundational computing courses with innovative courses in entrepreneurship, design, special topics including an innovative computer vision course for digital film postproduction, and courses in computational biology.
Hungary: Budapest Semester in Mathematics, year or semester
The Budapest Semester in Mathematics (BSM) provides a unique opportunity for Reed students in mathematics and computer science to spend fall or spring semester in Budapest to study under the tutelage of eminent Hungarian scholar-teachers. The instructors of BSM are members of Eötvös Loránd University, the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Budapest University of Technology and Economics. All courses are taught in English, and classes are held in small groups.
Ireland: Trinity College–University of Dublin, year or semester
Trinity College, Ireland’s most prestigious university, offers a broad array of academic and extracurricular resources. Reed students accepted for study at Trinity College Dublin will take courses in a variety of disciplines of their choice with primary focus in their major field of study. Students must have completed two years of college to be accepted for study at Trinity College.
Ireland: University College Cork, year or semester
University College Cork, Ireland’s leading research university, offers the opportunity to study a variety of disciplines, with particular strength in Celtic studies and the sciences, and rich offerings in the liberal arts. Students will find a broad international student community on this urban campus in Ireland’s second-largest city.
Israel: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, year or semester
Reed students have the opportunity to take courses directly through Israel’s leading undergraduate institution. In addition to a wide selection of English-taught classes, students in this program will undergo an intensive introduction to the Hebrew language, and can also focus on topical areas including Israel studies and Arabic language studies.
Israel: DanceJerusalem, year or semester
This unique program combines artistic training in dance skills and technique with academic exposure to Israel’s challenging social, historical, and cultural environment. Students can focus on artistic and technical training in the disciplines of classical ballet, contemporary dance choreography, repertoire, and improvisation.
Israel: Hebrew University, year or semester
Students are nominated by Reed to study at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. They may either enroll in regular courses in the university taught in Hebrew or study in the Rothberg School for Overseas Students, where courses are taught in English in the areas of Middle East and Israeli studies and the Hebrew language. The Rothberg School has recently added focused programs in dance and music for interested students.
Italy: Florence Center of Syracuse University, year or semester
The Florence Center offers a broad array of courses taught in English in fields including history, literature, political science, fine and studio arts, architecture, and Italian language and culture.
Italy: Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS) in Rome, semester
The ICCS in Rome, established in 1965, offers courses in Greek and Latin literature, ancient history and archaeology, and ancient art.
Italy: New York University in Florence, year or semester
Located at La Pietra, a magnificent estate outside the city of Florence, the program offers students an intellectually and culturally rewarding experience centered on coursework in areas including studio art, art history, literature, politics, and the Italian language.
Lebanon: American University of Beirut, year or semester
The AUB, a comprehensive university overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, offers Reed students—in addition to courses in Arabic language and Middle Eastern politics, history, and religions—a broad array of courses in sciences, social sciences, and humanities taught in English with students from the country and region.
Morocco: Al Akhawayn University, year or semester
Reed students may study intensive Arabic as well as other courses in areas of arts and humanities taught in English. The university’s residential campus is in the community of Ifrane, in the Atlas Mountains not far from Fez.
Morocco: Regional Area Study with Lewis and Clark College, spring semester
This program, delivered in collaboration with Lewis and Clark College, focuses on the history, culture, and social dynamics of Morocco and is held in spring semester in Marrakesh, Agadir, and Fez. Students will have a host family experience and can take courses including Arabic language, architecture and urban landscape, and women and gender relations.
The Netherlands: Amsterdam University College (AUC), year or semester
Based in the global city of Amsterdam and offering a liberal arts and sciences curriculum in collaboration with major research institutions Vrije Universiteit and the Universiteit Amsterdam, AUC offers Reed students the opportunity to take courses in English across disciplines in sciences, social sciences, and humanities with a diverse and highly international student body. Through collaboration among the three institutions, students will be able to study and participate in research projects focused on an array of contemporary projects, particularly in environmental sciences.
Palestine: Al-Quds Bard College for Liberal Arts and Sciences, year or semester
The partnership program between the Al-Quds Honors College and Bard College allows Reed students to spend a year or semester at Palestine’s leading liberal arts institution. Students interested in learning Arabic and taking fairly geographically determined courses should consider this program, especially as it offers the rare opportunity for students to live in homestays in Ramallah.
Russia: ACTR Russian Language Program, year or semester
In cooperation with the American Council of Teachers of Russian, Reed students can spend a semester or year in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, or Almaty engaged in intensive study of the Russian language. The Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) combines intensive classroom instruction in Russian language, history, and culture with a wide range of immersion activities, excursions, and regional travel.
Russia: European University, fall semester
In cooperation with Vassar College, this program is centered on the collections of the Hermitage Museum and the State Russian Museum—two world-class institutions of art and culture in St. Petersburg. Students have direct access to works of art through their classes in art history, Russian language, and culture. No previous language skills are necessary.
Russia: Math in Moscow, semester
Reed students are invited to participate in this one-semester study abroad program held at the Independent University of Moscow in Russia. The primary curriculum is entirely mathematical, drawing from every major field of mathematics. Fall or spring semesters. Students must have completed one year of college and completed one semester of both real analysis and linear algebra.
Russia: Middlebury School in Russia, year or semester
Reed has developed an affiliation with Middlebury College to participate in programs in Irkutsk, Yaroslavl, and Moscow. Students study Russian intensively while participating in extracurricular life in Russian cities.
Russia: Moscow Art Theatre, semester
In collaboration with the National Theater Institute, Reed students have the unique opportunity to study in the heart of Moscow at the world-famous Moscow Art Theatre School, the home of Stanislavsky and Anton Chekhov. A full semester of courses taught in English includes acting, Russian theatre history, movement and voice, design, and Russian language.
Scotland: University of Edinburgh, year or semester
Founded in 1582, the university is considered one of the top universities in the world. Alumni include Charles Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell and Robert Louis Stevenson. Reed exchange students can study in any discipline taught at Edinburgh in the faculties of humanities, science, and social science. Exchange students are guaranteed accommodation in university-owned facilities with Scottish and other international students.
South Africa: Organization for Tropical Studies, semester
Centered in Kruger National Park, the OTS program in South Africa provides students who have an active interest in biology with a rich experience in field study and research. The academic program consists of four core courses with a concentration on ecology and includes visits to additional sites in South Africa.
South Africa: The University of Cape Town, year or semester
In cooperation with CIEE, Reed students will take courses in the broad areas of mathematics and sciences, social sciences, the arts, and humanities offered to regular students at the University of Cape Town. Students will have the opportunity to live, interact, and study with African students in a society in transition.
Spain: CIEE Programs in Barcelona and Seville, year or semester
Administered by the CIEE, these programs offer Reed students with at least two years (four semesters) of college-level Spanish language the opportunity to take courses at the University of Barcelona, the University of Seville, or the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Courses are offered in all disciplines represented in the Reed curriculum and are particularly complementary of work in the sciences, arts, literature, and politics.
Spain: Hamilton College’s Madrid Center, year or semester
Based at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Hispánicos, this program offers students who have completed two or more years of Spanish language the opportunity to enroll in courses across the fields of arts and humanities while participating in the life of Madrid, Spain’s cultural, intellectual, and geographic center. Students also have the opportunity to enroll directly in the Madrid University system.
Spain: Middlebury School in Spain, year or semester
Under the auspices of Middlebury College, Reed students with two or more years of Spanish language can study in one of three Spanish universities in Getafe, Logroño, or Córdoba. In addition to Spanish literature, history, and culture, courses can include work in a variety of other disciplinary areas that complement the Reed academic program.
Taiwan: NCKU-CLC / NTU-ICLP, year or semester
Reed has affiliations with two Taiwanese universities in order to provide students with the opportunity to participate in academically rigorous and immersive Chinese language programs in Taipei and Hainan. The International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) at the National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei is widely considered to be one of the best programs for the study of modern and classical Chinese currently available. The Chinese Language Center (CLC) at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) is the oldest Chinese language program in Taiwan. The program focuses on linguistic and cultural immersion and includes, in addition to intensive Chinese language coursework, opportunities for teaching English at a local middle school.
Turkey: Boğaziçi University, year or semester
Boğaziçi University in Istanbul was founded in 1863 and offers study in a wide variety of disciplines in areas of science, social science, and humanities. Reed students will take regular classes taught in English with students from Turkey, the region, and around the world. This elite, highly selective university will allow Reed students to take courses of their choice including those that focus on the topics of the Middle East.
Multiple Sites: School for Field Studies (SFS), semester
SFS offers Reed students an interdisciplinary approach to questions about public policy and biological resource management combined with direct research projects involving independent fieldwork at the sites, including Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies—Panama; Himalayan Environment and Society in Transition—Bhutan; Wildlife Management Studies—Tanzania; Rainforest to Reef—Australia; Marine Resource Studies—Turks and Caicos Islands; Sustainable Development Studies—Costa Rica; Conservation, Ethics and Environmental Change—Cambodia; and Biodiversity and Development in the Andes-Amazon—Peru.
Domestic Programs
Howard University, semester or year
Howard University is a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., where Reed students have the opportunity to take courses in multiple disciplines, particularly strong offerings in Black culture, history, and literature.
Sea Education Association (SEA), semester
At the Sea Education Association (SEA), founded in 1971 at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and affiliated with Boston University, undergraduates may study the ocean from a multitude of academic perspectives. Coursework focuses on maritime studies, nautical science, and oceanography and includes six weeks of applied studies aboard a sailing vessel.
Other Programs
Arabic Language and Culture Course, year
This first-year Arabic course will be offered online in fall and spring semesters. All classes will be taught by the faculty of the Center for Language and Culture (CLC), located in Marrakesh, Morocco. These virtual lessons will be supported by in-person meetings with our on-campus Arabic language scholar.
Independently Arranged Programs
In addition to the formal programs described above, Reed students are able to participate in a variety of other study programs sponsored by either a foreign university or an American college. Students are encouraged to discuss their study plans with their adviser, as well as the director of international programs, before doing so. Although students participating in such programs are required to take a leave of absence from the college and are not able to use Reed financial aid, they can, with careful planning, be assured of having the work apply toward Reed academic requirements.