The International Studies Program encourages its students to participate in study abroad, both those programs endorsed and managed by International Studies and those offered by the Global Education Office or other departments of the university.
Johns Hopkins requires all students engaging in a university-sanctioned activity abroad to either book or link their travel through Concur Travel, the university’s online travel booking tool. This makes it easier for the university to provide travel emergency assistance to you while you are abroad, particularly in the event of a natural disaster or political unrest. Please refer to the Global Education Office for more information.
SAIS Europe
Motivated International Studies and Political Science majors demonstrating a high level of maturity and strong desire to study abroad at the graduate level may apply to spend their junior year or a semester at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)-Europe in Bologna, Italy.
The Bologna Center is among the leading graduate schools for international affairs in Europe, offering an English-speaking interdisciplinary graduate program of study that emphasizes international economics, political science and history, geographic area studies, and languages. In addition, it offers an unsurpassed student experience. The small size of the student body coupled with its international diversity allows students to communicate across national borders while building a sense of community and collaboration. SAIS-Europe invites over 50 speakers to participate in the faculty research seminar such as foreign ministers, central bank governors, activists, representatives from NGOS, and business leaders.
Students will also gain access to a rich and diverse network of social, educational, and professional opportunities through a diverse multicultural and multilingual community. With Bologna at the heart of Europe, students participate in career and study trips to destinations like Brussels, Geneva, London, and Sarajevo where they can meet with alumni and practitioners.
Please note: degree-seeking students at SAIS will take precedence for enrollment in courses or opportunities with limited capacity, such as career treks and skills courses. Participation in these opportunities is not guaranteed as a JYA student.
Students who spend all or part of their junior year in Bologna, and subsequently apply for graduate studies at SAIS, will receive advanced credit at SAIS for part of their work. Scholarship support may be available through the Hull Family Study Abroad Fund.
All courses taken at SAIS-Europe (including foreign language courses even though they are zero credits) will be listed on the undergraduate transcript with letter grades and credit and thereby factored into the undergraduate GPA.
Eligibility and Application Process
Participation in the year or semester abroad at SAIS-Europe is selective. Students must demonstrate a high level of academic performance as well as the completion of significant coursework in their major.
For more information, how to apply, and application deadlines for the year or semester abroad at SAIS-Europe, please contact the Global Education Office.
Sciences Po
Motivated International Studies majors demonstrating a high level of maturity and strong desire to study international affairs while abroad may apply to spend a year or semester at Sciences Po in France. Students may choose to spend their time at the Paris campus or at one of Sciences Po’s regional undergraduate campuses. The regional campuses are distinctive from the Paris campus in several ways. Each campus has a specific regional focus, which is often comparative in nature. The regional campuses have a smaller, but more diverse, student population, and consequently have more of an international campus community atmosphere. In addition to Paris, students may choose between the following campuses:
- Le Havre (Asia and the Pacific)
- Menton (Middle East and Mediterranean)
- Reims (North America and Africa)
- Dijon (Central and Eastern Europe; limited availability for exchange students)
- Nancy (France-Germany, requires German proficiency; limited availability for exchange students)
- Poitiers (Latin America, Spain and Portugal, requires French proficiency; limited availability for exchange students)
Students can choose to take courses either in English or in French. Students who are not proficient in French will be required to take French language classes as part of their curriculum at Sciences Po. Note: Beginning in Fall 2025, Sciences Po will no longer provide grades for language courses, and therefore, if taken, they will not be transferable back to Johns Hopkins.
Eligibility and Application Process
Participation in the year or semester abroad at Sciences Po is highly selective; students must have a strong motivation to study at Sciences Po, demonstrate a high level of academic performance, as well as the completion of significant coursework in their major.
For more information, how to apply, and application deadlines for the year or semester abroad at Sciences Po, please contact the Global Education Office.