Many psychology majors study away for a semester, usually during their junior year. In the past few years, psychology students have studied abroad in Europe, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania; they have also studied in North America through domestic study away programs. The Study Abroad office maintains a list of recommended programs organized by discipline. This list is a helpful starting point as you think about programs best suited to your goals for study abroad. Please note that you are not limited to the programs on the college’s approved list; students can apply to study through other programs as long as they provide an essay justifying their choice.
Occasionally, students will discover excellent study abroad programs, especially in some parts of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, that do not offer traditional psychology courses. You may still be able to receive psychology credit while participating in these programs by conducting an independent study or internship with a psychological focus. Early consultation with your advisor or with the department chair will help determine whether this option will work for you.
Please note that no class taken during study away will count toward the major without the review and approval of the chair. If you need a course to count toward the major, you will typically provide the chair with the course syllabus and copies of all of the work that you completed for the course. This information will determine not only the appropriateness of the course for psychology credit but also its level (introductory, intermediate or advanced) and whether it can fulfill specific requirements for the major (e.g., Group A/B; Context and Culture).
Obviously, studying abroad entails much more than simply advancing your knowledge of psychological science. The Psychology Department enthusiastically encourages you to take NON-psychology courses during your study away experience. Your adviser can help you think about how your study abroad experience relates to your major as well as your personal and academic goals.
In addition to your advisor and the department chair, the staff at the International Center’s Study Abroad office are eager to meet with you as early in the process as possible to ensure that you find the program that is best for you. The IC website [https://www.macalester.edu/about/whymacalester/studyabroad/] has detailed information about policies, procedures, and deadlines.