UMass Boston

For Reciprocal Exchange Programs, UMass Boston exchange students pay their tuition and curriculum fee to UMass Boston, not to the host university. Mandatory and other student fees are paid to the host institution. The host institution will assist the student in locating housing and the cost is the student’s responsibility. If you are currently receiving the Chancellor's Scholarship or are studying under the GI Bill and want to receive that funding for your study abroad term, you must go on a semester/ year-long exchange program only. 

GPA Requirements for Exchange Programs: Varies by program; 2.75 minimum required by UMass Boston for nominations to exchange programs. Some programs may have higher requirements. Be sure to check all eligibility requirements on the host university website before applying.

Exchange Programs (active)

* Language Requirement 

** Indicates limited exchange placements available each term. Exchange places are awarded to eligible students in the order in which they apply. Contact studyabroad@umb.edu before applying.

UMass Boston courses are taught by UMass Boston faculty in locations around the world. Our small group, faculty-taught study abroad programs will expose you to an array of diverse peoples, cultures and settings. The programs are custom-designed and taught by experienced UMass Boston faculty. Programs range from 10-days to one-semester in length in a variety of subject areas.

Faculty-Led Programs Currently Accepting Applications: 

Spring 2025 Course with Spring-Break Travel:

• CEHD and SGISD Sponsored Study Tour to Peru (travel during Spring-break)
• Honors College: Spring-Break: US & Mexico Healthcare Systems

Summer 2025:

• Entrepreneurship in the US and China with Professor Raymond Liu
• Human Rights and Migration in Mexico with Professor Luis Jimenez
• Sexual Communication in the Netherlands with Professor Cassandra Alexopoulos
• Taste of Japan: Food, Culture, and Society with Professor Miyuki Yamamoto 
• Theatre & Literature in London with Professors Robert Lublin & Matthew Brown
• The Moroccan Experience with Professor Abdelkrim Mouhib

Specific third-party study abroad companies/organizations (providers) that UMass Boston partners with to offer alternatives to the Reciprocal Exchange Programs. 

All costs for alternate programs are paid directly to the programs themselves; often expenses such as housing, partial board, and additional on-the-ground support are a part of the costs associated with provider programs. Many provider programs offer scholarships to participants. You can transfer the financial aid you are receiving now to these programs. Additional financial aid for the program is assessed based on your individual FAFSA. 

As of Fall 2026, UMass Boston will no longer initiate or maintain formal affiliations with for-profit study abroad companies or organizations. UMass Boston students will not be approved to study on these programs from Fall 2026 onward. 

Provider Partners as of Fall 2026:

• Oxford Study Abroad Programme (OSAP): OSAP places strong students in colleges of Oxford University. Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world, and is considered to be one of the two or three best universities and/or colleges in the world. The program is offered for UMass Boston students 4 times a year, including summers. The Oxford Study Abroad Program is multi-disciplinary & features tutorials (one-on-one instruction). 
• American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS): AIFS offers a wide range of study abroad programs in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, plus multi-country traveling programs throughout western Europe. AIFS offers courses taught in English, and also language acquisition programs abroad. Programs are offered three times a year, including summer.
• Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) - programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, or Spain
• University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) - Nonprofit, university-based study abroad organization which provides quality, accredited summer, semester & yearlong programs in 25 countries
• ISEP Study Abroad -A nonprofit partner that offers summer, semester, academic year, and internship programs in popular cities and unique destinations in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. 
• SIT Study Abroad: We offer programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations. SIT programs are developed within a framework of Critical Global Issues—challenges that cross borders, languages, and cultures. SIT is a nonprofit university and was founded in 1964 as the School for International Training.
• School for Field Studies: SFS creates transformative study abroad experiences through field-based learning and research. Our educational programs explore the social and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental problems faced by our local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where we live and work. The SFS community is part of a growing network of individuals and institutions committed to environmental stewardship.

Study overseas as an international/visiting student and transfer credits with the approval of UMass Boston. Tuition and program fees are paid to the university abroad. Check the university website for information on costs.

Affiliated and Popular Direct Enrollment Programs:

• Lorenzo de Medici, Florence, Italy
• Pablo de Olavide University UPO, Seville, Spain
• American College of Greece, Athens 
• MADE School of Arts and Sciences, Sicily, Italy
• London Metropolitan University, UK
• John Cabot University, Rome, Italy
• University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia 
• Oxford Study Abroad Program, UK
• Phillips Universität Marburg IUSP Program, Germany
• American University of Paris, France  

Know of a university we are not partnered with that offers a study abroad program for non-exchange students? Please see the study abroad office if you have an outside program you are interested in before applying.

The National Student Exchange Program offers semester or year-long programs at nearly 200 member universities in the US, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, & Canada. For questions, email NSE Coordinator Michael Mahan.

Reciprocal Exchange Programs: The exchange programs below offer graduate-level coursework. These are semester or year-long based programs in which your tuition/fees would continue to be paid to UMass Boston. Any additional fees/housing costs will be paid by you to the program abroad. Before proceeding in applying to any program, please discuss the program, courses, and any related financial awards with your Graduate Program Director. You must have permission from your program before we can accept your application.  

Please check the following, before applying: 

• If you are receiving any sort of financial aid/scholarships/assistantships, check with your program and scholarship office on what can be applicable to a study abroad exchange program. Your tuition/fees continue to be paid to UMass Boston for the semester you are abroad on exchange programs.
• Also ensure the courses offered on the program abroad are able to be transferred to your program. This will need to be confirmed by your graduate program director. You should provide syllabi for all courses you wish to take to your graduate program director on the Graduate Credit Request for Prior Approval Form. 

Programs with graduate-level coursework: 

• Summer Faculty-Led: Entrepreneurship in the US and China with Dr. Raymond Liu
• Aarhus University: Aarhus, Denmark
• Aarhus University: Arctic Spring Semester in Greenland: Nuuk, Greenland
• Ecole de Management de Normandie: Caen, Paris, Le Havre, Dubai, Dublin, or Oxford
• Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
• Glasgow Caledonian University: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
• Hessen-Massachusetts Exchange: Hessen, Germany
• Nova School of Business and Economics: Lisbon, Portugal
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México: Mexico City, Mexico
• Universidad del País Vasco: Bilbao, San Sebastián, Spain
• University of Mannheim: Mannheim, Germany
• Utrecht University: Utrecht, Netherlands

Research Programs/Opportunities: 

Goethe Research Experience Program (GREP) at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main: Frankfurt, Germany: GREP offers top international undergraduate and master's students 2-6 month fellowships at Goethe University Frankfurt, where you'll gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge research projects under the guidance of expert faculty. Deadline in September for Spring-intake (April-July) and in December for Summer-intake (June-August).

• DAAD Research Grants: Various, Germany 
• Intern Program at United International College: Zhuhai, China
• Intern Research Program at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main: Frankfurt, Germany
• UMass Boston Faculty-Led Graduate Programs (check here to see if any are open)