Philosophy Study Abroad

The Department of Philosophy is strongly committed to keep overseas study a live option for our majors. Minors are also welcome to take courses in philosophy abroad and count them toward their minor requirements. In addition to the contributions that overseas study can make to meeting the overall goals of a liberal arts education, it provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to expand the philosophy curriculum by availing themselves of the offerings at other colleges and universities. In recent years our majors have studied in over 20 different countries on six different continents engaging with an equally diverse array of philosophical traditions. In cases where student's language skills are suitable, we encourage taking philosophy courses in a foreign language. This is an especially good options for students thinking of graduate study in philosophy.

University of St. Andrews
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/studyabroad/incomingstudents/

International Human Rights Exchange in South Africa
http://www.ihre.org

Pitzer in Nepal
http://www.pitzer.edu/academics/ilcenter/study_abroad/nepal/index.asp

University College Cork
http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/international/visiting/

Oxford Study Abroad Programme
http://osap.studioabroad.com/

Nick Cunkelman ’11: Oxford, England
For the spring of 2010, I traveled to Olde England to read Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) amongst the spires and walled courtyards of Oxford on one of IFSA-Butler’s study abroad programs. As a visiting student I could essentially create my own classes—a.k.a. tutorials, one-on-one sessions with your tutor—and thus might’ve had more fun inventing subjects (for example: “Existentialism and Current Issues,” “American and British Politics in Comparative Perspective”) than I did tackling their reading lists and writing their essays. Still, Oxford’s home to loads of interesting people in addition to its tutors and students, some of whom may very well be your tutor (I had a writer for The Guardian one term), and with visiting diplomats, environmentalists, theologians, etc. coming to give their two pence on _______(issue), the city’s basically
one big brain that never shuts off. Wisely, to escape this metro-cognition, my program had orientation in London—which has to be one of the coolest cities in the world—as well as several other trips during the spring to Bath, back to London, etc. My college, St. Catherine’s—essentially the smaller community where you eat, live, play sports—also had its own bar (for the cheapest pints), drama scene, concerts, dart board, and the most relaxed full-time students in the Uni. And don’t miss the Alternative Tuck Shop. Cheers!

http://www.ifsa-butler.org/england-overview.html

Nicole Murakami ’11: University of Westminster, England
During my junior spring (2010), I was lucky enough to study abroad in London at the University of Westminster. Unfortunately I was unable to take any philosophy classes, but the experience allowed me to grapple and think about philosophical issues and themes I had learned at Colby in a different academic setting.  I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I was granted to study and live in the heart of a bustling international city. In addition to being a student, I was also able to get a part-time job at a boutique and really integrate myself into the city. Furthermore, studying abroad in London allowed me to travel reasonably across Europe to other cities and fully experience other cultures. It sounds cliché, but I truly did learn a dramatic amount about myself in my semester abroad and I would recommend every student to try and go abroad. I was once hesitant too, but it was a proper good time!

http://www.westminster.ac.uk/home