Penn State Semester and Summer Programs

Program Length

  • Summer: typically four to eight weeks
  • Semester: 12 to 16 weeks; does not always follow Penn State's semester schedule
  • Academic Year: anywhere from seven months to an entire year abroad

Program Types

Direct Enrollment

  • Students enroll as an international student at a host university.
  • Students are fully integrated with local students.
  • Housing is often acquired by the student independently or in cooperation with the host university's international office.

Exchange

  • Exchange programs are often, though not always, the least expensive options.
  • Students from Penn State and the host institution are exchanged, typically on a one-to-one basis.
  • Exchange programs have the most competitive admissions process.
  • Each student will enroll as an international student at a host university.
  • Penn State students are fully integrated with local students.
  • Housing is often acquired by the student independently or in cooperation with the host university's international office.

Study Center

  • Study Center programs are often organized by a non-profit educational organization such as IES, CIEE, or Arcadia (note: not all programs on the IES, CIEE, or Arcadia website are approved by Penn State).
  • The program fee often includes housing, field trips, and some meals.
  • Study Centers provide on-site staff to assist students.
  • Penn State students may be less integrated with local students; courses usually taken with other U.S. students.
  • Some study centers also offer direct enrollment course options with local universities; although there may be a higher language requirement for those courses depending on the location.
  • Many programs offer homestays as one housing option.

Faculty-Led Freestanding

  • Programs organized and led by a Penn State faculty member.
  • Courses are taken with Penn State students only.
  • Programs typically focus on a single theme or academic discipline.
  • Some programs are only open to students in specific majors.
  • Many programs offered during the summer semester.
  • Various short-term, embedded courses offered during semester breaks (fall break, winter break, spring break, Maymester).