Faculty-led Programs

Many academic departments at Columbia have created study abroad programs that offer courses within their concentrations. These programs usually run in the J-session, over spring break, and in the summer and are open to all Columbia students. To find out more about these programs, reference the information below and contact the faculty leaders directly.

Upcoming Deadlines:

J-term: October 31*
Spring: October 31*
Summer: March 31*

*Individual programs may have earlier deadlines. Consult with faculty leader(s) for additional information.

General Eligibility Requirements:

A cumulative 2.5 GPA for UG and 3.0 GPA for Grad
Good academic standing with no active holds
Be in compliance with the Student Code of Conduct
Meet any program specific requirements, if applicable

Note: Prices below are additional Special Course Fees and do not include tuition. For information on tuition rates at Columbia, please refer to Columbia Central.

Utilize the Faculty-Led Budget Planning Tool to determine the total cost associated with your program selection.

Ready to apply for a Columbia Faculty-Led Course? Applications are coming soon!

Apply Here!

J-Term 2025 and Spring 2025 - OPENING SOON

Note that for financial aid reasons, J-term is considered to be part of the Spring semester. For information on tuition rates at Columbia, please refer to Columbia Central.

*Please note that while descriptions and prices are as accurate as possible, everything is subject to change.

Art & Design in Los Angeles (LA)

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: January 5 - January 12, 2025
Courses: ARTS 475 or ARTS 575 (3 credits)
Faculty Leader: Biddy Tran
Special Course Fee: $1330
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $720
Course Description: In this course we travel to the greater Los Angeles area for exposure to cultural organizations, persons, and experiences that are timely, historical, and relevant to the arts and design. Students will engage with critical and theoretical texts, interviews, and archives relevant to artists and locations to be visited. This includes visiting permanent and temporary exhibitions, and practitioners’ studios where students will meet with artists, designers, curators, gallerists, and other arts professionals. Students will develop a visual journal of their experience through, but not limited to, drawing, photography, video, and reflective writing, responding to the works, exhibitions, and presentations by professionals in the visited locations. Participation in the course is open to students from across the college with department permission.
Accommodations: TBD
Sketchbook Stories from Japan (Japan)

Location: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara, Japan
Program Dates: January 8 - January 22, 2025
Courses: ILLI 330 (3 credits)
Faculty Leader: Cheri Charlton
Special Course Fee: $3770
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $2155
Course Description: Dive into the world of illustration while exploring the sights, sounds, and flavors of this fascinating country. From sketching sessions at iconic landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Kyoto's Temples to hands-on experiences at the Toei Animation Museum and sumo wrestling tournaments, you'll blend artistic expression with cultural immersion. Along the way, discover the art of Zen meditation, try your hand at Japanese calligraphy, and soak up the vibrant energy of local neighborhoods like Harajuku and Shibuya. By the end of the program, your sketchbook will be bursting with memories and creations that reflect your personal and artistic journey through Japan.
Accommodations: Shared hotels in Chiba.
International Cultural Heritage Management in Rome (Italy)

Location: Rome, Italy
Program Dates: January 8 - January 25, 2025
Courses: BUSE 415 or BUSE 515 (3 credits) *This program runs concurrently with Topics in Writing Abroad in Rome
Faculty Leaders: Bob Blanford
Additional Program Contact: Monika Jaiswal-Oliver
Special Course Fee: $2990
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1500
Course Description: Immerse yourself in Rome’s art, history, culture—and food! Here’s your chance to study abroad, earn college credit, and visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum; Catacombs; St. Peter’s, Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Museums; Borghese Gallery, Keats-Shelley Museum, contemporary art museums, and other cultural heritage sites. Includes a day trip to Pompeii.
Rome is home to over 2000 years of human history and culture. You'll investigate cultural sites, archeological excavations, museums, and exhibitions in and around the city while meeting with local archeologists, art historians, and film experts.
Through first-hand observation, research, and reflection, you'll analyze and propose strategies to engage visitors from diverse backgrounds with the cultural heritage of Rome. You'll draw on your own creative, professional, and academic interests and experience to investigate curatorial direction, exhibition design, uses of technology, interpretative methodologies, and marketing and communication strategies.
Accommodations: Shared Hotels
Additional Information: BUSE Abroad
Topics in Writing Abroad in Rome (Italy)

Location: Rome, Italy
Program Dates: January 8 - January 25, 2025
Courses: CRWR 372 or CRWR 672 (3 credits) *This program runs concurrently with International Cultural Heritage Management in Rome
Faculty Leaders: Randy Albers
Special Course Fee: $2990
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1500
Course Description: Immerse yourself in Rome’s art, history, culture—and food! Here’s your chance to study abroad, earn college credit, and visit the Colosseum and Roman Forum; Catacombs; St. Peter’s, Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Museums; Borghese Gallery, Keats-Shelley Museum, contemporary art museums, and other cultural heritage sites. Includes a day trip to Pompeii.
Rome is home to over 2000 years of human history and culture. You'll investigate cultural sites, archeological excavations, museums, and exhibitions in and around the city while reading fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by noted authors writing in or about Rome.
Through first-hand observation, research, and reflection, you'll create an extended story, essay, performance, hybrid, or mixed media project, either individually or collaboratively, based on your program experience.
Accommodations: Shared Hotels
Additional Information: BUSE Abroad
Marketing in Europe: Paris (France)

Location: Paris, France
Program Dates: January 12 - January 22, 2025
Courses: BUSE 406 or BUSE 506 (3 credits)
Faculty Leader: Monique Maye
Additional Program Contact: Monika Jaiswal-Oliver
Special Course Fee: $3300
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1500
Course Description: This course introduces and exposes students to the components and elements of marketing from the European point of view. The current international trends in marketing have made it necessary for marketing professionals to maintain a global view in performing their tasks. This course will allow students to comprehend how marketing is critically linked to a firm’s global business objectives. Understand why marketing and communication are influenced by cultural diversity. Students will observe the contrasts in marketing practices and business processes, and more importantly, how they are impacted by cultural differences. Students will also grasp the understanding of why storytelling should be an integral part of any effective marketing strategy. We will visit businesses like Chanel, WPP, and Peclers. Highlights include the Eiffel Tower, Champs Élysée, the Louvre, and Fountaine Bleu.
Accommodations: Hotel
Additional Information: BUSE Abroad
Fashion Studies in the Field (NY)

Location: New York City, NY
Program Dates: January 16 - January 19, 2025
Course: FASH 387 (1 credit)
Faculty Leaders: Dana Connell
Special Course Fee: $1010
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $500
Course Description: Drawing on the rich resources specific to New York City, this course will provide an introduction to the local fashion industry for students soon-to-enter a fashion-related profession. The course is designed to enhance students' knowledge of New York's fashion industry including its history, fashion design, production, merchandising, and retailing. In addition, students will visit museums and other culturally unique sites to enhance their understanding of the subject.
Accommodations: Double-occupany rooms in hotel
Fashion in the Field: Asia (Vietnam & Thailand)

Location: Bangkok, Thailand & Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Program Dates: January 12 - January 22, 2025
Course: FASH 309 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Allison Leahy
Special Course Fee: $TBD
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $TBD
Course Description: Tour textile mills and garment manufacturing facilities while exploring the rich culture in Vietnam and Thailand. Students will meet prior to the trip to explore Sourcing & Supply Chain topics and prepare for travel. The planned visits will enable students to understand the benefit of global sourcing and the practical applications to the field. Further, during their travels they will be able to firsthand consider the global perspectives relative to income levels, cost of living, lifestyles and culture. Note: all fashion tours will be planned and coordinated by former sourcing professionals, as they are currently Columbia College faculty. Additional cultural activities include: excursion to the Mekong Delta and city tours.
Accommodations: Shared hotels. Daily breakfast included.
Visual Art in Germany (Germany)

Location: Mainz & Berlin, Germany
Program Dates: January 11 - January 19, 2025
Course: PHOT 475 or PHOT 575 (3 credits)
Faculty Leader: Karen Irvine
Special Course Fee: $TBD
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $TBD
Course Description: During the first half of the program, students will meet with Professor Shannon Bool and her students at the Kunsthochschule Mainz. They will work together to mount an exhibition of their work in a gallery space in Mainz or Frankfurt. They will also meet with other artists and visit art institutions in Mainz and Frankfurt. A culminating event will be planned in the form of a dinner based on a passage out of Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, where students will take turns presenting their work for 15 minutes each. During each presentation a course of the meal will be served as works are discussed. The second half of the trip will take place in Berlin, where students will meet with artists, curators, and gallerists to discuss artwork, the art market in Germany/Europe, institutional structures, and professional practice. Institutions visited will include NeuerBerlin Kunstverein Berlin, Martin Gropius Bau, Institute für Alles Moegliche, Haus der Kutur der Welt, Kunstwerk, and more.
Accommodations: TBD
Creative Global Social Practice (Mexico)

Location: Oaxaca City & Candelaria Loxicha, Mexico
Program Dates: January 13 - January 25, 2025
Course: PHOT 475 or PHOT 575 (3 credits)
Faculty Leader: Peter Fitzpatrick
Special Course Fee: $310
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $TBD
Course Description: An exciting opportunity awaits students who seek to work collaboratively on a creative photo-based project in Oaxaca, Mexico. By collaborating with fellow students, and youth from an indigenous community participants can enhance their photographic and project management skills while broadening their creative horizons in a culturally rich and diverse environment. Students will work in small groups. The final body of work will be sequenced and printed in a fanzine and/or collective exhibition in Oaxaca and Chicago. The project team will be mentored by the 2024/2025 Diane Dammeyer Fellow Alessandro Bo Rohde.
Accommodations: Hostels or AirBnB and host families
An Actor's Guide to Hollywood (LA)

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Program Dates: January 6 - January 11, 2025
Courses: THEA 389 (3 credits)
Faculty Leader: Caroline Liem with support from Brian Shaw
Special Course Fee: $1040
Tuition: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional.
Estimated Additional Costs: $625
Course Description: This course is designed to give students a practical and applicable experience toward pursuing a career as a film or television actor in Los Angeles. It is a highly competitive business, and the actor who is prepared to face these challenges has a much better chance of succeeding. Meeting in Los Angeles, this course will provide an intensive, hands-on experience, meeting with some of the best LA has to offer. Classes will consist of lectures, demonstrations, off campus field trips, Q &A, and performance. Students will attend taping sessions of a TV show, enjoy a Warner Brothers Studios tour, and engage in discussions with industry professionals such as, actors, managers, casting agents, and alumni.
Accommodations: Shared apartments or hotels
London Theatre Workshop (UK)

Location: London, UK
Program Dates: January 10 - January 19, 2025
Courses: THEA 475 or THEA 575 (1 credit)
Faculty Leader: Michael Brown
Special Course Fee: $1490
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1880
Course Description: Participants will receive practical classes in different aspects of professional theatre, from Columbia College Chicago faculty and from working theatre professionals in London. Students will also attend performances by theatre companies from the UK and around the world, ranging from contemporary physical and experimental work to Musicals and productions of Shakespeare’s plays. Other activities include workshops and tours at well-known theatrical venues like Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Royal National Theatre, and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Accommodations: Hostel in central London shared among program participants (4-6 per room)
Latin American Culture, Arts, and Gender (Argentina)

Location: Buenos Aires and Jujuy, Argentina
Program Dates: January 2 - January 17, 2025
Courses: HUMA 103 or HUMA 104 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Gabriela Díaz de Sabatés and Marcelo Sabatés
Special Course Fee: $2180
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $2095
Course Description: This 2-week long study abroad program immerses participants in a rich and vibrant Latin American setting, combining experiences in a cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic culture (Buenos Aires, one of the cultural and artistic hubs in Latin America) with an indigenous community location (Tilcara/Purmamarca, in the Inca-influenced northern Argentina province of Jujuy). The trip provides a unique ground to learn about gender, ethnicities, colonialism and neo-colonialism, and regional cultural and artistic productions. Knowledge of Spanish language is NOT required. The special course fee covers lodging and excursions in Buenos Aires and Jujuy, domestic round-trip flight between Buenos Aires and Jujuy, city transfers, three group meals, breakfasts, a Tango experience, and museum and event fees. Since Argentina is located in the southern hemisphere, participants enjoy warm, long days with pleasant 70-80 degree temperatures.
Accommodations: Hotel in Buenos Aires; Colonial House in Jujuy
Creative Writing in Paris (France)

*Application Deadline*: This program is competitive!
Location: Paris, France
Program Dates: January 2 - January 18, 2025
Courses: CRWR 370 or CRWR 670 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Kathie Bergquist and Doug Whippo
Special Course Fee: $2750
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $2215
Course Description: While exploring the work of Ernest Hemingway and James Baldwin and through deep interaction with the city of Paris and its rich literary heritage, students experience firsthand life as a creative writer abroad, see their work in the context of other writers’ works, and examine the personal and social contexts for creativity. Site visits include a city tour of major Paris sites, walking tours of literary/artistic Paris including lunch at a literary cafe, optional jazz club visit, and an end-of-session literary salon. Daily breakfast, as well as a welcome lunch and celebration dinner are included.
Accommodations: Double occupancy rooms with ensuite bathrooms in hostel.
Additional Information: Paris J-Term Website & Info Sessions
Covering Europe (Ireland)

Location: Dublin, Belfast, and Derry, Ireland & Northern Ireland
Program Dates: January 8 - January 23, 2025
Courses: COMM 270 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Suzanne McBride,John O'Neill, and Joan Giroux
Special Course Fee: $3860
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1740
Course Description: Travel to Ireland and Northern Ireland during J-Term. Visit historical sites; explore Dublin, Belfast and Derry; and immerse yourself in the culture of another country.
Accommodations: Hotels
Fashion, Art, & Queerness (Netherlands) - Spring Break

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Program Dates: March 21 - March 30, 2025
Courses: FASH 399A (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Justin Dougan-LeBlanc
Special Course Fee: $2870
Tuition: This is part of a spring semester course.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1500
Course Description: The course introduces students to the analysis and culture of fashion, art, and queer culture in Amsterdam. We will have inclusive access to museums, galleries, meetings with local designers, and cultural events to explore and learn about the dynamic queer community in Amsterdam. Students will have the opportunity to have a broader understanding of art, fashion, and queerness in Europe.
Accommodations: Hotels
SXSW Music (TX) - Spring
Location: Austin, TX
Program Dates: March 7 - March 15, 2025
Courses: BUSE 475/575; BUSE 483/583; BUSE 485/585; BUSE 486/586 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Jerry Brindisi; Justin Sinkovich; Alex Fruchter; Loren Wells; Monique Maye; Philippe Ravanas; Clayton Smith; Jason Stephens
Program Contact: Monika Jaiswal-Oliver
Special Course Fee: $1430
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Additional Information and Application: BUSE Abroad
SXSW Interactive (TX) - Spring
Location: Austin, TX
Program Dates: March 7 - March 15, 2025
Courses: BUSE 479/579; BUSE 484/584; BUSE 489/589 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Jerry Brindisi; Justin Sinkovich; Alex Fruchter; Loren Wells; Monique Maye; Philippe Ravanas; Clayton Smith; Jason Stephens
Program Contact: Monika Jaiswal-Oliver
Special Course Fee: $1550
Tuition: UG: Included as a part of the spring semester. Any credits over 18 credit hours will cost additional. GRAD: Cost per credit hour.
Additional Information and Application: BUSE Abroad

Summer 2025

Please note that the Special Course Fees do NOT include tuition and fees. Estimated tuition is listed, but refer to Columbia Central for the most up to date information and amounts.

Fashion in the Field (UK)

Location: London and Bath, UK
Program Dates: June 17 - June 28, 2025
Courses: FASH 399A (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Justin Dougan-LeBlanc
Special Course Fee: $2890
Tuition: Tuition is NOT included. Please see current per credit tuition rates via Columbia Central.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1800
Course Description: Are you interested in seeing and meeting local fashion designers in London? Immersing yourself in Textile Design or Marketing in Fashion at Bath Spa University? This is for you!  You will spend 4 nights in London with trips to museums, fashion houses, and iconic locations throughout the city.  You will travel to the gorgeous town of Bath, where you will have opportunities to take a class at Bath Spa University’s prestigious Textiles Program or Marketing Program. The Textile program is located in the new state-of-the-art Locksbrook Campus. This course is open to those studying fashion or those interested in fashion and the arts. The Marketing Program is in the main Bath Spa University campus where you will take course on understanding the Marketing industry in Europe and work alongside with local students. All are welcome. 
Accommodations: Shared hotels
International Festivals: Edinburgh (Scotland)

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Program Dates: July 30 - August 13, 2025
Courses: BUSE 425 or BUSE 525 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Mary Filice and Bob Blanford
Additional Program Contact: Monika Jaiswal-Oliver
Special Course Fee: $2600
Tuition: Tuition is NOT included. Please see current per credit tuition rates via Columbia Central.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1500
Course Description: The European Experiments in Arts Policy and Management takes students behind-the-scenes of two of the largest performing and visual arts festivals in the world: Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Art Festival. Students are immersed in the city’s annual international celebration of creatives, gaining first-hand, professional performance and artistic perspectives on managing contemporary arts and cultural events. Students experience the convergence of the arts and business through meetings with arts managers, entrepreneurs, performers, artists, and scholars. Throughout the 2-week duration in Edinburgh, students will also experience live performances, exhibitions, and historical sites. The course includes an online component prior to arrival in Edinburgh and the final project is designed to allow each student to create a project specific to their own individual creative or professional interest.
During the month of August Edinburgh is home to five festivals: Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, and Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Accommodations: Queen Margaret University (QMU)
Additional Information: BUSE Abroad
Culture, Arts, and Gender (Mexico)

Location: Mexico City, Oaxaca City, and Puebla, Mexico
Program Dates: June 5 - June 19, 2025
Courses: HUMA 103 or HUMA 104 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Gabriela Díaz de Sabatés and Marcelo Sabatés
Special Course Fee: $1890
Tuition: Tuition is NOT included. Please see current per credit tuition rates via Columbia Central.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1475
Course Description: This 2-week long study abroad program immerses participants in a rich and vibrant Latin American setting, combining experiences in a cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic location (Mexico City, one of the historic, cultural and artistic hubs of Latin America), an indigenous community location (Oaxaca City, in the Zapotec/Mixtec State of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico) and a traditional colonial location (Puebla). The trip provides a unique ground to learn about gender, ethnicities, colonialism and neo-colonialism, and regional cultural and artistic productions, including Mexican Muralism. Knowledge of Spanish language is NOT required. Students may enroll in either HUMA 103 (Introduction to Latin American Studies) or HUMA 104 (Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies). Some examples of sites to be visited are the Aztec Templo Mayor, Tehotihuacán, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera museums, Monte Albán archaeological site, and the Chapultepec castle. The special course fee covers lodging and excursions in Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca, domestic transportation between the three cities, city transfers, three group meals, breakfasts, a folkloric dance experience, and museum and event fees.
Accommodations: AirBnB houses in Mexico City; Hotel in Oaxaca City and Puebla
Kafka & European Writers: Prague (Czech Republic)

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Program Dates: May 29 - June 28, 2025
Courses: CRWR 320 or CRWR 620 (3 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Kathie Bergquist and Doug Whippo
Special Course Fee: $3350
Tuition: Tuition is NOT included. Please see current per credit tuition rates via Columbia Central.
Estimated Additional Costs: $2670
Course Description: The Creative Writing Summer in Prague program offers students the opportunity to live as writers abroad in one of Europe’s most fascinating cities. Students expand their worldview through literary and cultural encounters, while walking the same streets once trod by Franz Kafka and other renowned Czech writers and artists. Excursions, tours, and field trips complement the course and students are allowed ample time to explore the city and surrounding regions and pursue their own stories.
Accommodations: Double-occupancy in self-catered residence, with full kitchens and laundry
Additional Application Requirements: Attend a mandatory information session. See below link for details.
Additional Information: Prague Website & Info Sessions
Global Marketing: Prague (Czech Republic)

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Program Dates: May 30 - June 16, 2025
Courses: BUSE 405 or BUSE 505 (6 credits)
Faculty Leaders: Philippe Ravanas and Sandra Kumorowski
Additional Program Contact: Monika Jaiswal-Oliver
Special Course Fee: $2500
Tuition: Tuition is NOT included. Please see current per credit tuition rates via Columbia Central.
Estimated Additional Costs: $1500
Course Description: This hybrid, experiential course provides students with a professional strategic marketing experience that expands global awareness. Students will have the opportunity to work with owners and the marketing team of a famous Czech cosmetic brand, develop a strategic marketing plan and present it to the brand leadership. In the process, they will understand how a cosmetic brand operates globally and how cultural differences impact marketing and branding strategies. While in Prague students will be immersed in a culturally rich city and its historically significant environs. They will visit several significant sites in and around Prague to learn about the culture, history and life in the Czech Republic. This six-credit hour program can count as an elective towards all majors in Business and Entrepreneurship (both undergraduate and graduate) or as a college-wide elective. This course also satisfies the College’s Global Awareness credit requirement.
Accommodations: TBD
Additional Information: BUSE Abroad

Are you a faculty member interested in proposing a new international program? Contact David Comp, Assistant Provost for Global Education at dcomp@colum.edu, to get started!