While Colorado College's innovative Block Plan provides opportunities for students to enroll in a single course that travels to other parts of the world, sometimes a more immersive, longer-duration, multi-subject semester or year abroad is more aligned with student interests and academic goals.  This is why CC, in addition to its Block Away offerings, also maintains a pre-approved pool of over 150 different half-semester (2-block), full semester, and full academic year opportunities around the world.  This pool includes CC faculty-led half-semester & semester programs as well as university exchanges and direct enrollment programs which allow students to spend a semester immersed in the life of a renowned global university; single-subject immersive semesters in fields such as Computer Science, Mathematics, Environmental Sciences, or language immersion; and multi-subject semester programs designed specifically for students at U.S. colleges and universities. 

Students who opt to join a semester or year away program will pay standard CC tuition for their time away (and can transfer all their credits earned back towards their CC degree progress, with proper approvals) and all billing for other semester away charges (lodging, for example) will be billed through CC. This allows the college to provide financial aid just as it would for an on-campus semester, ensuring that a semester away is offered at a cost comparable to a semester on campus, reducing the financial barrier for students to participate in semester and year away opportunities.  

For any CC-led program, courses are part of the Colorado College curriculum and are enrolled directly through CC, while for partner-sponsored programs, credit is treated as transfer credit and the Global Education Office maintains an approved course transfer database, making it easy for students to select courses and know the CC equivalencies before they depart.  Students can sign up for courses on our partner programs and know in advance that the credit is transferable and applicable to their CC degree.  

The process of selecting a semester or year-long study away program is different for every student, depending on academic goals, major and minor, language ability, and other considerations. Here are some good starting steps to think about early on in the process to help you decide which program(s) might be a good fit.

Academic Plan for your Study Abroad: Prep Worksheet - start here!

Global Education has developed this helpful planning tool to walk you through all the important questions at the beginning of your exploration of studying abroad for a semester or year. Print this pdf, and complete side one with your academic advisor (in your major or potential major, or your pre-major faculty advisor, or your staff Hub advisor), and then walk through the self-guided exploration steps on side two. Once both sides are complete, you are welcome to set up your Study Abroad Advising appointment with Heather Powell Browne in Global Education if you would like, following the instructions on the worksheet.

In addition to the Academic Planning Worksheet above, there are many resources to explore on our website to help you in the selection process of finding the perfect study abroad program from all the available options.

• Which programs can I choose from? This page lists all the CC Semesters as well as all our approved partner programs.
• You can explore at the specific narrowed-down list of recommended programs to consider in the Advising Guides available for many academic majors and areas of interest.
• Check with your department/major handbook online to see if there is a section about study abroad or other recommended programs that they really like. Please also see our departmental listing of credit transfer policies from study abroad to get a sense of how your classes taken abroad will count towards your specific major or minor.
• Discuss also with your advisor when it might make the most sense to go. Students typically study away any time from Spring semester of sophomore year through Fall semester of senior year, depending on courses they should be here on campus to take, and when those are offered. Your academic advisors can help you think specifically and creatively about what your path might look like.
• Several times throughout the year, we offer a "Planning Your Study Abroad & Away" lunchtime workshop (usually in Tutt Library at 12:15pm on the first or second Friday of the Block - check Today@CC for details!). This is a great opportunity to start the process and get all your questions answered.
  
  

We look forward to working with you to help you along the path towards a successful study away experience!

Colorado College regularly offers seven different CC Semester and CC Half-Semester (2-block) programs, each with its own academic focus. Several of the 4-block CC Semesters also allow for an option in which students enroll in half of the semester for a 2-block experience. See below!

Fall Semester CC Programs

• CC in Berlin: A German language & culture program in partnership with the Humboldt-Institut in Berlin, offered each fall.  Students may opt for Blocks 1-4, or the 2-block sequence in Blocks 1&2 only.
  
  
• CC Russian in Bishkek: A half-semester 2-block program in Russian language & Eurasian cultures, in partnership with the American University of Central Asia, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  Offered in Blocks 1&2, 2025.
  
  
• TREE Semester (Teaching & Research in Environmental Education):  A 4-block program in the mountains of Colorado in the fall semester.  No 2-block option exists for this program. [on hiatus Fall 2025]

Spring Semester CC Programs

• CC in France: A French language & culture program in partnership with the Alliance Française in Nice, France, offered each Spring.  Students may opt for the full semester (Blocks 5-8), or the 2-block sequence in Blocks 5&6 or 7&8.
  
  
• CC in Latin America: A Spanish & Portuguese language & culture program with two blocks in Yucatan, Mexico in 5&6, and two in Salvador, Brazil, Blocks 7&8.  Students may opt for the full semester (Blocks 5-8), or either one of the 2-block sequences.
  
  
• CC Chinese in Asia: A half-semester 2-block program in Chinese language & culture.  Locations can vary each year, with study possible in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Singapore.  Offered each spring.  Students enroll for Blocks 7&8.
  
  
• CC Italian in Italy: A half-semester program offering language immersion (IT203-204), with study in Florence, Rome, Arezzo, and Sorrento.  Offered each spring.  Students enroll for Blocks 7&8. [on hiatus Spring 2026]
  
  

EXPLORE THE FULL LIST OF SEMESTER & YEAR ABROAD OPTIONS HERE

In addition to the CC Faculty-led semester programs, the Global Education team maintains a pre-approved list of 170+ partner-sponsored semester and year away programs, all approved to align with Colorado College's goals for a high quality liberal arts education in the global context. These come in various forms, to meet many different student goals and needs. 

DIRECT ENROLL & EXCHANGE

Students fully immerse themselves into a new campus, such as our exchanges in France, Finland, and Germany, or university programs such as the IFSA year abroad at the London School of Economics (LSE) or semester programs facilitated at Kansai Gaidai (Japan) or CIEE South Africa's program in conjunction with the University of Cape Town (South Africa).

There are also a range of topic-specific programs tailored to focus primarily on one discipline, for example the Budapest Semester in Mathematics program, the ISDSI International Sustainability & Development Studies Institute in Thailand, or the School for International Training (SIT) whose thematic semesters each focus on a specific Critical Global Issue. 

Finally, there are many programs designed specifically for the enrollment of students from U.S. colleges. These programs often offer courses across many disciplines, opportunities to study with a mix of U.S.-based and local faculty, and customized excursion and field opportunities. Courses may be taught at a program center, at a local partner university, or a hybrid of both. Some examples of this final type of semester away include the programs offered by IES Abroad, College Year in Athens, DIS, or the School for Field Studies. 

Whatever the model, wherever the location, these programs are thoroughly vetted by Colorado College for academic rigor and quality of student care.  Courses are pre-approved via our internal Summit application system for study abroad for transfer back to Colorado College, so that students know that their coursework from studying away will move them towards their degree from CC.  

As with all semester programs, students work with the Global Education staff and their campus academic advisors to ensure that they are prepared for departure, that the courses selected are good choices for their academic goals, and that the timing of their experience does not disrupt their 4-year graduation plan.  We are happy to assist students with their interest in any of the semester and year away programs. 

Finally, if a student feels that a program not in our pre-approved pool is the best option for them, and can demonstrate "a valid academic need not met through any existing approved program," Global Education has a petition process which allows students to request access for them to participate in a different program, and for that program to be treated just as we would one of the programs in our pool, financially, for aid, and for credit transfer.  

EXPLORE THE FULL LIST OF SEMESTER & YEAR ABROAD OPTIONS HERE