Study Abroad and Service Learning

Student poses for a picture near a Cathedral of Learning window

Studying abroad has certainly been the most formative and memorable part of my undergraduate experience. It has allowed me to hone my language skills, become more confident in my own independence, and to experience new cultures. I feel so well-versed in the world now, and my education is global in a way that I could never have imagined.

- Sarah Fling  (London Field Studies; Museum Studies Study Abroad in Paris, Madrid and Rome; Intensive Abroad in Brussels)

Read more about Sarah's study abroad experiences.

Pitt students can take part in more than 350 study abroad programs in more than 75 countries, many of which are led by Dietrich School faculty. No matter what your interests—research in London, service learning in Ecuador, or discovering what it takes to be a first responder in the Himalayas—the Dietrich School has you covered. In fact, students from every department within the Dietrich School studied abroad last year!

And you’ll continue to earn credits toward graduation when you study abroad, so you can stay on track with graduation while supplementing your education with an invaluable experience.

Below is just a sampling of some of the opportunities led by Dietrich School faculty.

abroadSELECT

This suite of programs abroadSELECT gives Pitt students the opportunity to study abroad at some of the most prestigious and well-respected universities in the UK and Ireland, including Jesus College Cambridge, Trinity College Dublin, University College London, and the London School of Economics. 

Pitt in Bolivia:  Culture, Society, and Service-Learning

Pitt students give back to communities where they study abroad through community-driven, socially-responsible, and on-going service-learning projects.  Pitt in Bolivia, students learn about contemporary issues facing Bolivian society, helping them contextualize placements in education and technology, health and hygiene, and sustainability.

Pitt in Cuba

Pitt has one of the longest-standing relationships with the University of Havana, one of the most prestigious and well-respected universities in Latin America. Pitt students can spend six weeks in Havana, taking courses in Cuban Spanish, Cuban History, and Cuban Cinema. Going beyond tourism, Pitt students experience day-to-day life in a country that few other Americans have seen.

Tropical Ecology in Ecuador

Situated deep in the Amazonian rainforest, students spend four weeks in Ecuador working with indigenous communities and faculty to explore new ways of preserving biodiversity and sustaining Amazonian communities together with the environment.

Professional Skills in Paris

Pitt students spend six weeks in the heart of Paris professionalizing their French language skills.  With coursework focusing on translation for language instruction and cyber security, Pitt students are given first-hand experience in using a second language in a professional setting.

Pitt in Shanghai

With a focus on Chinese language, development, history, and cultural studies, Pitt in Shanghai gives students at all levels exposure to modern-day China.  Internships provide professional development that prepares Pitt students for a global workforce and market.

Himalayan Health and Wilderness First Responder

Based in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, this summer program gives Pitt students with an interest in health careers the chance to learn critical wilderness skills and understand the intersection of public health and the environment.   While abroad, Pitt students earn their certification in Wilderness First Responder and shadow doctors and nurses during clinical rotations at a community hospital.

Pitt in Ghana

Combining Africana Studies, Music, and African Studies, this summer program gives Pitt students an integrated understanding and appreciate of the social and cultural lives of the West African people.  Students leave the program with an understanding of the diversity, dynamism, and complexity of West African performing arts and their role in society.

University of Adelaide (Exchange Partner)

The University of Adelaide is in the heart of South Australia’s capital city. Founded in 1874, the University of Adelaide ranks in the top 1% of universities worldwide and is known for producing multiple Nobel Laureates and Rhodes Scholars.  Adelaide promotes research and maintains a high quality of teaching and education; promotes freedom of thought and encourages students to create and embrace new techniques and ways of approaching the problems facing our world.

Chinese University of Hong Kong (Exchange Partner)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was founded in 1963 with a mission to combine tradition with modernity and to bring together China and the West. It is a comprehensive research university with a rich multi-cultural and multi-lingual history.  Today, Pitt students join hundreds of students from across the global to study arts, sciences, and social sciences.

Leiden University (Exchange Partner)

As one of the premiere institutions in the Netherlands and the oldest university, Leiden University was established in 1575.  Leiden strives for excellence in an open academic community where teaching takes place in small-scale groups with the focus on the individual. Freedom of spirit and the free development of research are among its core principles. Their academics are motivated by the highest ambitions of quality and integrity, and their innovative teaching is interwoven with our high quality research. Leiden has about 25,800 students and offers over 100 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree levels.

Pitt Study Abroad Team

To connect to all of the study abroad opportunities available, connect with the Pitt Study Abroad team. As just one of the many campus partners connected with the Dietrich School, the study abroad team works with every student to help them find a program that gets them closer to their academic, professional, and personal goals.