Important Considerations
You may be able to complete your internship or field study requirement while abroad. The program list below includes a section on field experiences that have been reviewed by CFANS faculty. Additional options are certainly available but would require prior approval from your adviser.
Nonaffiliated Programs
CFANS strongly encourages you to participate in UofM-sponsored or affiliated programs, which have been vetted and approved by the Learning Abroad Center or another unit on campus. The UofM has close working relationships with hundreds of affiliated programs that are high quality in terms of academic standards, housing, cultural immersion, health and safety and administrative support services. CFANS will not support or approve student participation in nonaffiliated programs.
Programs
Africa & the Middle East
Morocco
Climate Resilience in Agriculture: Exploring Diverse Regions and Empowering Youth in Morocco
- Travel to and around Morocco learning about the different regions and agricultural systems found within the country on this 3-week CFANS sponsored May term program.
- Learn about the impacts of climate change on food production and how, through modifications in cultural practices, governmental policy, and technological advances, stakeholders are adapting to the rapid change.
- Meet with Moroccan youth to learn about the impact of climate change and the agricultural economy on youth.
Madagascar
- Explore rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, natural resource management, and the environmental challenges of Madagascar, one of the world’s globally recognized “megadiverse” countries, with flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth
- Study alongside Malagasy university students, employing social and natural science field techniques in coral reef systems, national parks, and farming and fishing villages
- Build your résumé and skills with an internship or Independent Study Project.
Senegal
MSID—Sustainability in Senegal
- Take the course "Sustainable Development & Climate Change" which focuses complex environmental issues in Senegal.
- Complete a 6-week internship or research project in your area of interest; a sample internship includes working organizations that focus on green infrastructure projects in rural villages.
- 4 semesters of college-level French required.
Americas
Ecuador
- Students will take course at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and at the Galápagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences on the island of San Cristóbal.
- Take courses such as " Island Sustainability", "Evolution of Business Sustainability", and "Climate Nexus: Water-Energy-Food in the Galapagos".
Asia & Oceania
Australia
University of Melbourne (available through IFSA Australia)
- The University of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading universities
- Take courses in forestry and forest products marketing
University of Technology in Sydney (available through IFSA Australia)
- UTS is a dynamic and cosmopolitan university
- Take courses in Residential Building Science and Technology
Australian National University (available through IFSA Australia)
- ANU is one of Australia’s most distinguished universities
- Choose from course offerings ranging from biodiversity conservation to environmental politics and policies to wildlife and habitat management.
James Cook University (available through IFSA Australia)
- With its tropical location near the Great Barrier Reef, rainforest, and outback, James Cook University provides an ideal location to study natural resources and environmental studies
- JCU has long been respected as a world leader in tropical environmental study
- Take courses in tropical rainforest ecology, hydrology, marine ecology, and environmental assessment
Japan
Japanese Studies in Nagoya (available through IES Japan)
- Study in Nagoya, a modern city with a stunning natural environment
- Take classes in international business, finance and economics at Nanzan University
New Zealand
University of Canterbury (available through IFSA New Zealand)
- Study in Christchurch, the largest city on New Zealand’s South Island
- The U of Canterbury offers a vibrant campus environment
- Take courses in forestry
Taiwan
- Based in Taipei, this city gives students all the benefits of life in a big city, while offering quick and easy access to mountains, beaches, and plenty of small towns to explore.
- No language pre-requisite. English-taught electives in environmental studies.
- Enroll in classes like "Environmental Risk Assessment and Urban Resilience", "Energy Policy and Conflict in Taiwan", "Sustainability Transition in the Time of Climate Crisis: The Taiwan Case", "Climate Data and Climate Change Science in East Asia " and "Circular Economy and Sustainable Business Models".
Thailand
MSID—Sustainability in Thailand
- Take the course "Sustainable Food Systems & Tropical Agriculture" which focuses on sustainable agriculture, both subsistence and cash crops, and agricultural commodity production.
- Complete a 6-week internship or research project in your area of interest; a sample internship includes working with non-governmental organizations that advocate for policy supporting sustainable business practices.
- Courses taught in English.
Sri Lanka
- Situated in the India Ocean off the coast of southeastern India, Sri Lanka is a tropical island destination that offers students access to an affordable program in a unique location.
- Sample courses include: Global Food Systems, Climate Change Impacts in Tropical Ecology, Sustainable Tourism, and Biodiversity in Sri Lanka.
- Courses taught in English, with the opportunity to study local languages like Sinhala and Timil.
- Match with a local university student who will be your learning partner, helping you gain an understanding of the culture.
Europe
Austria
IES Austria—European Studies and Culture
- Study in Vienna, Austria’s capital city that offers rich cultural experiences and a breathtaking landscape
- Take courses in international business, finance and economics
Denmark
Study Abroad in Denmark—Sustainability and International Business
- This program consists of coursework, field study, and study tours taught in English that take an interdisciplinary approach, through historical, political, managerial, ecological, and biological views, of environmental and resource issues from a European perspective.
- Explore current issues and practices in corporate strategy, marketing, and competition
- Gain a deeper understanding of Europe’s business environment and the European Union
Denmark & Sweden
- The Summer in Denmark & Sweden program offers academically rigorous courses in a wide variety of subjects, including courses with a sustainability focus. Each course is the equivalent of a semester-long course, compressed into 3–4 weeks. Instruction is in English by local faculty.
Exploring the New Nordic: Food Seasonality & Sustainability in Denmark & Sweden
- Learn about the culinary movement know as New Nordic and it's focus on hyper local food production on this Spring B+ 2-week May term CFANS-sponsored program.
- Explore Nordic cuisine through actives like foraging, visiting food producers, and urban gardens.
- The program will visit Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden as a case study allowing students to see the similarities and differences in these food cultures.
England
University of Westminster (available through IFSA United Kingdom)
- The University of Westminster has a reputation for academic excellence
- Take courses in Forest Products Marketing
France
Business, Sustainability & Immigration in Nice (available through IES France)
- Students can complete French courses and enroll in courses like "Dangerous Liaisons: Cities and Water in the Mediterranean" and Global Pillars Project: Designing the Sustainable City"
Germany
Environmental Studies & Sustainability in Freiburg (available through IES Germany)
- Based in Freiburg, the center of the modern environmental movement, this program allows students to explore topics in Environmental Studies and Forest Ecology.
- Spring semester students have the option to apply for a research assistantship to work with a University faculty member on an environmental studies research topic. Assistantships are three to six weeks long and take place after the end of the term.
- Take classes like "Ethics and Sustainability", "Freiburg Green City: Social, Ecological, and Economical Aspects of Sustainability", and "Technology of Renewable Energies"
- No language prerequisite; Semester and academic year options available.
Portugal
SIT Portugal - Sustainability and Environmental Justice
- Live in Lisbon, a city that blends traditional heritage with high-tech innovation and progressive thinking.
- Learn how policymakers are mapping alternative designs in green policies.
- Examine an issue more in-depth through an Independent Study Project.
Additional Options to Consider
- 3-week, 3-credit programs at the 3000-level led by University of Minnesota faculty and staff over winter break or May session.
- Explore an exciting location and topic, Fulfill Liberal Education requirements, or earn major/minor credit.
- Check out additional LAC Instructor-led Seminars that might run over winter break, spring break, May, and summer sessions. They vary in length, dates, and content so students can find one that best fits their academic and professional goals.
- 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.