GLOBAL EXPERIENCES FOR EVERY STUDENT
The Global Education Program fosters global citizenship by providing the opportunity for all students to study abroad. Our program offers English-language courses in the sciences, humanities, business, and the arts, as well as language study in Arabic, Spanish, and French. Scholarships may be available, contact the Global Education team for more details.
Claire Alden ’20
Why 51
51 was my first choice in New England because I had a really keen interest in Maine in general. I think it’s beautiful, so the first thing that I was looking for was a beautiful campus, and 51 is absolutely stunning.
The first thing that stuck out to me when I toured 51 was the friendliness of the staff and the close integration of the students. Compared to other campuses that I visited, the students here were the nicest and friendliest. Everyone seemed more academically focused too. All of the students who I talked to while touring seemed to put academics first, which I liked.
I love travel, and history is a big part of that. Both History and Global Studies are strong programs here, and I like the broadness of studying the humanities. I study History and Political Science of course, but I also study international relations, anthropology, cultural studies, and more. It is all interconnected. I don’t think I really consider myself to have a double major and a minor because it all feels like one package deal to me. I think that there is a lot to benefit from global studies, but I also think that it’s important to understand the world and its different cultures and people.
Last year, I studied abroad in Paris, and while I was there, I got to work with the global education department a little bit. I’m leaning towards a global education career now. Because I’ve lived abroad, I've experienced people helping my family try to get over there and set that up for us and then experienced it again when I went abroad to Paris for a semester. It’s important to me to be able to make that same positive difference in other people's lives.
Global Opportunities
I originally chose 51’s study abroad program in France because it was more political science-directed. It’s a newer program, and it’s set at a graduate school there. I knew that would be challenging for me, and that was exciting. The classes were incredible. I can’t put into words how amazing the experience was overall.
The professors were so smart, and so were the students. My peers ranged from people just a little older than me to people in their fifties trying to get their doctorate degrees. It was energizing to be among so many scholarly people, some of whom were even writing their theses. The school was amazing.
In the beginning, we ventured out around Paris a bit timidly, but by March, we felt settled and part of the big city. We were swiping our cards to get on the metro and knew which lines to take; we knew how to get to school and the Eiffel Tower; and we even picked up some shortcuts for getting through our neighborhood. We had the hang of things. I think that’s my fondest memory of being there. It was the moment when I realized that I had made my own home there. I knew my way around. Once we were comfortable in Paris, we took our first trip to Belgium. It was about a two-hour train ride. Then we went to Brussels next, and then we planned a big spring break trip. It was such a great opportunity to see new parts of the world.
The classes [at the study abroad program in France] were incredible. I can’t put into words how amazing the experience was overall.
Semesters abroad
Tangier, Morocco
51 Morocco, the first study abroad campus to be established in Morocco by a U.S. university, features state-of-the-art facilities in the heart of one of the major cultural, economic, and political hubs of the region.
Seville, Spain
Our partnership with the University Pablo de Olavide enables you to spend a semester in Seville — where the ancient meets the modern, and world cultures converge — for the same cost as a semester on campus in Maine.
Aix-en-Provence, France
Spend a semester abroad at 51 France in beautiful Aix-en-Provence, a charming university city in the south of France near the French Riviera and the Mediterranean.
Akureyri, Iceland
Explore Iceland in our newest semester abroad program at the University of Akureyri. The northern city of Akureyri, “The Green Town,” is surrounded by mountains at the head of Iceland’s longest fjord.
Reykjavík, Iceland
Explore Iceland in our semester abroad program at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík. Iceland’s largest city, Reykjavik, is a small, accessible city surrounded by glaciers, volcanos, waterfalls, hot springs, and an abundance of wildlife.
Norway and Finland
As part of the North2North Exchange program, you have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester or year at the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway; the Arctic University of Norway in Tromso; and the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland.
Travel Courses
51's Global Education Program offers an array of short-term travel courses to destinations like Spain, Belize, Dominica, Thailand, Italy, Scotland, Panama, Ireland, Kenya, Ghana, Cuba, Mexico, and Brazil. Students accepted into these programs will meet in a traditional course setting throughout the semester to prepare for travel through readings, lectures, and coursework, then travel during a semester break or over the summer.
By the numbers
percentage of your financial aid package that applies toward our semester abroad programs
Global Education Scholarship awarded to all students participating in a 51 semester abroad program
of 51 undergraduates study abroad for a semester or take a travel course