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Learning Abroad for: Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature and Studies in Cinema & Media Culture

“For many of our students, study abroad turns out to be the single most educationally enriching, indeed life-altering experience they have as an undergraduate. I can’t recommend it highly enough.” —Gary Thomas, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature

“Spending a semester abroad in Paris was absolutely amazing. Learning Abroad gave me the opportunity to improve my French Language skills and participate in a culture and a way of life very different from my own.” —Jenna Lyons, CSCL student who studied in Paris, France, through CIEE Critical Studies program

Study Abroad Process

This is the basic process you'll complete in order to study abroad. The order in which you do things is somewhat flexible.

Academic Planning

Review the following suggestions from the Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature before beginning your study abroad research.

Apply study abroad coursework to your CSCL or SCMC major

  • Many study abroad programs offer courses similar to those taught in CSCL and SCMC, though they may vary in both method and content.
  • The key is to identify courses that approach cinema and other media not as isolated objects, but rather in relation to larger patterns of discourse, modes of production, and socio-political power in history that would allow pre-approved learning abroad courses to fulfill CSCL or SCMC major requirements.

Though each course is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, consider the following recommendations before starting your research:

  • Learning abroad courses are most commonly approved as electives toward the CSCL and SCMC majors. When warranted, however, learning abroad courses may be accepted toward specific categories or rubrics within the major.
  • Most learning abroad courses are approved at the 1xxx, 2xxx, or 3xxx-level. Only in rare circumstances are 4xxx or 5xxx-level courses approved toward major requirements.
  • Some foundation courses for the major are offered on campus only once a year, so discuss your plans with your adviser in advance to determine when a learning abroad experience would best fit within your program of study.
  • Learning abroad internship opportunities may be applied toward a CSCL or SCMC major with pre-approval from the undergraduate adviser and/or Director of Undergraduate Studies.
  • If, once abroad, you become interested in a course which you did not consult before departure, email the undergraduate adviser before registering for it; never assume without prior consultation that a course will apply to the major.
  • Appropriate research done abroad may be incorporated into a directed study, internship, or thesis project. Prior approval is required to receive academic credit, and any proposed research must be pre-approved by the faculty supervisor of the project. Consult with the CSCL undergraduate adviser for further information.
  • Learning abroad courses are pre-approved by the undergraduate adviser prior to leaving for your learning abroad experience. Upon your return, you must submit to the undergraduate adviser a detailed syllabus and, if available, class materials from the learning abroad course for final approval toward your major.

Prior to meeting with your major academic adviser

After you have selected a program or institution for your study abroad, please schedule a meeting with the CSCL undergraduate adviser, Michelle Livingston, at 612-626-7299 or cscladv@umn.edu. Please bring the following materials to the meeting:

  • The Academic Planning for Study Abroad sheet
  • Course descriptions and/or syllabi (if available) for each course you want considered toward your CSCL major or minor. Course descriptions and/or syllabi are often available through the learning abroad institution’s website. Identify components of the course that you feel meet CSCL or SCMC course parameters. For some programs or institutions you will not be able to know before arrival which courses will actually be available; in such cases you will want to identify and seek pre-approval for more courses than you will actually be able to take.

Final approval for every learning abroad course will not be finalized until you provide the syllabus and, if possible, coursework for review upon your return. Please note, however, that most courses that are pre-approved will be granted final approval if all course requirements are met and the course syllabus resembles CSCL or SCMC courses in content and/or approach.

Fulfill Liberal Education Requirements

Advance planning can help you use study abroad to satisfy many of the University’s Liberal Education requirements. Consult early with your CLA student community adviser to decide which requirements you want to satisfy through coursework taken overseas during your learning abroad experience.

Consult the Learning Abroad Center’s Liberal Education Database of approved courses. If you identify a course that seems appropriate but is not on the list, it may mean simply that it has not yet been screened; in such a case, submit the course for evaluation via the Learning Abroad Center online database.

Build Second Language Skills

If you are at the beginning or intermediate level, consider a program where you can study and be surrounded by a language. If you already have reasonably advanced language skills, consider a program taught in another language.

Programs

Africa and the Middle East

Tunisia

SIT Tunisia

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • Explore Emerging Identities in North Africa in this interdisciplinary program focusing on the impact of changes in mass media, technology, and consumerism on traditional values, family roles, and national identity
  • Instruction is in English
  • Fall or spring semester

Kenya

MSID Kenya

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • MSID combines development-focused internships with rigorous classroom study.
  • Central themes include the relationship between political and economic power, and between power and ideologies of development.
  • Content courses are taught in English.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year

Senegal

MSID Senegal

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • MSID combines development-focused internships with rigorous classroom study.
  • Central themes include the relationship between political and economic power, and between power and ideologies of development.
  • Content courses are taught in French.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year, or summer

South Africa

CIEE South Africa

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • Post-apartheid South Africa is a fascinating place to reflect on the relationship among race, language, class, and political and economic power.
  • Set in the spectacular city of Cape Town, this program incorporates service-learning and a capstone research project Instruction is in English.
  • Fall or spring semester

 

University of Cape Town (available through Arcadia South Africa)

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Sample courses include: Media & Society; Media, Power & Culture; The Media in South Africa; Film & History; Visual Culture: Perception & Communication; Memory, Identity & History; Language, Thought, & Reality; The Politics of Gendered Knowledge; Culture, Identity & Globalization in Africa.
  • Instruction is in English.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

Americas

Argentina

IFSA-Butler Argentina– Buenos Aires

Universidad Católica Argentina
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Universidad del Salvador
Universidad Torcuato Di Tella
  • Program Type: Host-University Study and/or Study Abroad Center
  • Offers Cinema Studies Track, which emphasizes Argentine cinema.
  • This track incorporates a number of activities including a seminar, roundtable discussions, art exhibits, theater productions, and meetings with local experts.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

Language and Culture in Buenos Aires

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Take Spanish language courses while also learning about Argentine society through courses taught in English.
  • Course offerings include Latin American Literature & Cinema; Politics and Society in Latin America; Buenos Aires: City of the Arts.
  • No prior Spanish required
  • Fall Semester, spring semester, or summer

Brazil

CIEE Salvador da Bahia

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center and Host-University Study
  • Find relevant coursework in Communication, Gender Studies, Urban Anthropology, Philosophy, and more
  • 4 semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent, or 2 semesters of college-level Portuguese or the equivalent
  •  Fall or spring semester, academic year, calendar year

ISEP Direct Brazil– Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Advanced Portuguese speakers can take integrated courses in Social Communication, History, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, and Psychology.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

Ecuador

International Reciprocal Student Exchange Program– Quito

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • The IRSEP full scholarship exchange covers tuition and fees, room and board, and health insurance.
  • Language pre-requisite: 4 semesters of college-level Spanish (or equivalent)
  • Academic year only

MSID Ecuador

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • MSID combines development-focused internships with rigorous classroom study.
  • Central themes include the relationship between political and economic power, and between power and ideologies of development.
  • Courses are taught in Spanish.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year, or summer

Mexico

IFSA-Butler Mexico– Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Take an advanced Spanish course and up to one additional program course in addition to courses at the university.
  • Relevant coursework can be found in the following departments: Anthropology, Communication, History, Latin American Studies, Literature, and Psychology.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

Venezuela

Study Abroad in Venezuela

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Based in Mérida, a student city set high in the Andes
  • Relevant coursework includes: Film Criticism & Appreciation in Latin America; Latin American Politics & Civilization: Caribbean Literature; Latin American & Cultural Discourse.
  • Fall Semester, spring semester, academic year, summer

Asia and Oceania

Australia

Study & Internships in Sydney

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Participate in a 3 or 6 credit internship related to CSCL or SCMC.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or summer

University of Melbourne

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Offers majors in both Cinema Studies and Cultural Studies.
  • Relevant courses can be found in the following departments: Gender Studies, History, and Media & Communications.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

University of Wollongong

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Sample courses include: Australian Studies—Cultures & Identities; Australia Fair—Nation, “Race,” Culture; Cinema in Australia.
  • Coursework can be found in: Aboriginal Studies; Australian Studies; English; History; Media & Cultural Studies; Politics; Sociology; and Science, Technology & Society.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

India

CIEE India

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Offers center-based courses in literature, gender studies, folk culture, religion, politics
  • You can also take integrated courses at the University of Hyderabad in a variety of fields including Comparative Literature, Folk Culture, Indian Diaspora, Philosophy, Sociology, Theatre Arts
  • Instruction is in English.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

MSID India

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • MSID combines development-focused internships with rigorous classroom study.
  • Central themes include the relationship between political and economic power, and between power and ideologies of development.
  • Content courses are taught in English.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year, or summer

Japan

IES Japan– Tokyo

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Multidisciplinary program for students with little or no Japanese language background
  • English-taught course offerings include Introduction to Japanese Society & Culture; Japanese Popular Culture, Past & Present; Social Organization in Japan.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic year, or summer

Bilateral Exchange in Tokyo– Sophia University

  • Program Type: Host-University Study and Study Abroad Center
  • Sophia University is a Jesuit institution located in Tokyo
  • Sample course offerings: Call to Arms—Literature of Resistance; Interpretations of Modernity; Studies in Poetics—East-West Comparative Literary Theory; Globalization of Culture in East Asia; Western Thought & Culture.
  • Spring semester or academic year

CIEE Japan– Tokyo

  • Program Type: Host-University Study and Study Abroad Center
  • Sophia University is a Jesuit institution located in Tokyo
  • Sample course offerings: Call to Arms—Literature of Resistance; Interpretations of Modernity; Studies in Poetics—East-West Comparative Literary Theory; Globalization of Culture in East Asia; Western Thought & Culture.
  • Spring semester or academic year

New Zealand

University of Auckland

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Sample course titles include: Critical Theory & Cultural Studies; Reading Contemporary Films; Bollywood & Beyond; Political Content of Television; Fashion, Identity & Globalization.
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

University of Otago

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • The University of Otago, located in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island, has an outstanding film and media program.
  • Sample course titles include: Individual & Community in New Zealand Literature; Understanding Contemporary Media; History of Film; Culture, Politics, Policy & Global Media; Indigenous Representation & Cinema(s).
  • Fall or spring semester, academic or calendar year

Thailand

CIEE Thailand

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • Based in northern Thailand, the Environment, Ecology & Development program critically examines globalization in relation to development and the environment. Includes visits to community-based projects and opportunities for field research.
  • Instruction is in English; no prior Thai is required.
  • Fall or spring semester

South Korea

Yonsei University

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Yonsei University, located in Seoul, teaches a majority of its curriculum in English as a strategy to position Koreans for the global workforce; therefore study abroad students lacking Korean language knowledge are able to take courses alongside Korean students.
  • Sample course titles: Comparative Study of Far Eastern Cinema Art; Cultural Tradition of East Asia; East Asian Literature & Society; Korean-Americans: Studies in Cultural Assimilation, Alienation, and Identity. Even more courses are available for students sufficiently fluent in Korean.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

Europe

Balkans

SIT Balkans

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • The cross-national Gender, Transformation, & Civil Society program examines regional cultural and ideological realignments.
  • Based in Zagreb with field trips to Slovenia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzgovina, participants study the increasing importance of women’s partnerships with nongovernmental organizations, the media, and other social change activists as these societies confront the challenges of a new era.
  • Instruction is in English.
  • Fall or spring semester

Czech Republic

CIEE Czech Republic

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • This multidisciplinary program is based at Charles University.
  • Relevant course titles include Contemporary Czech Culture—Alternative Literature, Music & Lifestyles; Czech New Wave Cinema— Origins & Implications; Cinematographer’s Influence; Imagery, Ambiguity & Culture.
  • You can also take up to 6 credits at the Prague Film and Television School of the Academy of the Performing Arts. Instruction is in English
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year, or summer

Denmark

Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS)

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Copenhagen-based DIS, one of Europe’s largest and academically strongest study abroad programs, offers a wide variety of courses on Denmark, Scandinavia, and Europe.
  • Sample courses of interest include: Holocaust & Genocide: Cases & Contemporary Debates; History of European Film; Contemporary European Film—The Individual & Society; Contemporary Germany—Culture, Identity, Memory.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year, or summer

France

CIEE France– Paris

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • For students with sufficient French, the Critical Studies in Paris program is an ideal program option.
  • Emphasizes critical thought, writing, and reading.
  • Sample center courses: The French Avant-Garde in the 20th Century; Francophone Writers & Cultural Identity—North African & Sub-Saharan Literature; Contemporary French & Francophone Cinema & Societies; Post-War Literature & Politics—Sartre, Foucault, & Rancière.
  • You may also take University of Paris courses in French literature, comparative literature, and film studies & media.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

Study Abroad in Montpellier– Université Paul Valéry

  • Program Type: Host-University Study and/or Study Abroad Center
  • Located in southern France near the Mediterranean, Montpellier is a delightful combination of medieval and modern.
  • Participants may combine special language and culture courses for international students with courses from the regular curriculum of Université Paul Valéry in a proportion suitable to their level of language competence.

Germany

IES Germany– Berlin

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Courses of particular interest to CSCL students include German Popular Culture; Multicultural Berlin; Portable Roots—Reflecting Otherness in Modern German Culture; German Film as Refracted History; Women, Literature, & Transitions: Gender Relations in Modern German Literature.
  • Students with advanced German fluency may also take courses at Humboldt University.
  • Instruction is in German.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

Bilateral Exchange in Berlin

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • The IRSEP full scholarship exchange provides a stipend and covers tuition and fees and health insurance
  • Language pre-requisite: 4 semesters of college-level German (or equivalent)
  • Academic year only

Iceland

International Reciprocal Student Exchange Program– Reykjavik

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • The IRSEP full scholarship exchange covers tuition and fees, housing and health insurance
  • No language pre-requisite
  • Academic year only

Ireland

Arcadia Ireland – National University of Ireland Maynooth

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • The National University of Ireland offers a residential, college-town atmosphere within easy reach of Dublin.
  • Relevant courses can be found in the following departments: English, European Studies, Media Studies, and Sociology.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

USIT – Irish Studies Summer School

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • This six-week program at Trinity University (Dublin) focuses on understanding Ireland.
  • Choose from courses in: Literature, Drama, History, Gaelic Culture, Visual Culture, and Critical Issues.
  • This program is only available during the summer

Italy

IES Italy– Rome

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • IES Rome includes the following courses: Italian Literature into Film; In the Eyes of the Beholder: Masterpieces of Italian Cinema Seen through an Italian-American Lens; Cinecittà—Understanding Italian Film; Love, Death & Social Strife in Italian Fiction 1820-1920; The Contemporary Italian Novel.
  • Instruction is in English; students with enough Italian may choose from a wider range of offerings at any of three local universities.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

Bologna Consortial Studies Program– Università di Bologna

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • The University of Bologna (UB) is Europe’s oldest university and arguably Italy’s most prestigious.
  • The Bologna Consortial Studies Program (BCSP) supplements UB courses with courses designed for US students, including one on The Cinema of the Italian Economic Miracle.
  • Instruction is in Italian.
  • Academic year, fall or spring semester

Netherlands

Bilateral Exchange in Amsterdam
CIEE Netherlands
IES Netherlands

  • Program Type: Host University Study and/or Study Abroad Center
  • Students in these programs mostly study through the University of Amsterdam’s International School for Humanities and Social Sciences, which offers such courses as Ethnic Diversity and Popular Culture; Gender, Culture and Space; Memory, History & the Cinema; Europe-Hollywood-Europe—American Cinema & European Imagination.
  • No prior Dutch is required
  • Fall semester (not available for the bilateral exchange), spring semester, or academic year

SIT Netherlands– International Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • Based in Amsterdam, this program offers rich opportunities for you to explore issues of gender and sexuality based on your interests. You'll participate in a Field Study practicum with a Dutch or international organization and conduct an independent study project.
  • No prior Dutch is required
  • Fall or Spring semester

Norway

The New Norway: Globalization, National Identity, and the Politics of Belonging (HECUA)

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • The New Norway explores Scandinavian grassroots citizen involvement, inequality, and social justice, as well as state support of health care, education, and economic security.
  • Based in Oslo, The New Norway includes comparative field study in other Norwegian cities and in Sweden and Denmark.
  • Fall semester

Spain

International Program in Toledo

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Has strong curriculum in the humanities and social sciences
  • Includes such courses as Contemporary Spanish Women Writers; Introduction to the History & Present Situation of Spanish Women; Society Through Spanish & Latin American Film; and Seminar in Recent Spanish Film.
  • Internships are offered. Instruction is in Spanish.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, academic year, May term, or summer

United Kingdom

Lancaster University

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Many courses are relevant to both CSCL and SCMC majors. Check out offerings in American Studies, English, Film, European Studies & Culture, Linguistics, and Sociology.
  • A few sample course titles: Crime & the Media; Film Modernism & the Avant Garde; Silent Cinema; Youth & Political Culture in 1960s Europe.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

University of Glasgow

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Enroll in courses in the Comparative Literature and Film & Television Studies departments
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

HECUA Northern Ireland: Democracy & Social Change

  • Program Type: Field Study
  • Examines the historical, political, economic, and religious roots of the conflict in Northern Ireland, the prospects for peace, and the progress being made.
  • An 8-credit internship complements classroom and field study.
  • Spring semester

Queen Mary University of London

  • Program Type: Host-University Study
  • Queen Mary offers a true campus environment within London’s fascinatingly diverse East End.
  • Relevant courses can be found in departments such as: Comparative Literature, English, Film Studies, French, German, and Hispanic Studies.
  • Fall semester, spring semester, or academic year

Study and Internships in London

  • Program Type: Study Abroad Center
  • Offers a multidisciplinary array of course offerings on Britain and Europe, including such courses as Women in Britain in the 20th Century; 20th & 21st Century Art; Understanding Britain in the European Context; British Popular Culture; Visualizing Britain; British Broadcasting Today.
  • Participate in a 3 or 6 credit internship related to CSCL or SCMC.
  • Fall Semester, spring semester, academic year or summer

Additional Options to Consider

Intensive Language Programs

  • Begin your language study or work toward completing requirements for a language minor
  • Complete a semester of language on a short-term program or explore options to complete two or more semesters of language on semester long program

Global Seminars

  • 3-week, 3-credit programs at the 3000-level led by University of Minnesota faculty and staff over Winter Break or May Session.
  • Fulfill Liberal Education requirements, or earn major/minor credit.
  • Explore an exciting location and topic! Check out this year's offerings!

Freshman Seminars

  • Freshman Seminars Abroad combine on-campus instruction during spring semester with a study abroad component during spring break.
  • Seminars are 3 credits at the 19xx level and most fulfill a liberal education requirement.
  • Seminars are designed specifically for first year students as an introduction to study abroad.

Work, Intern, and Volunteer (WIV) Abroad Programs (non-credit)

  • An alternate or complement to study abroad
  • Explore new interests or gain experience related to your field of study
  • Consider paid and unpaid opportunities offered throughout the year at locations around globe. 

Student Experiences

Visit the Learning Abroad Center's Student Experiences web page for details on other students' experiences studying abroad.