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Environmental Studies Education Abroad Guide

Costa Rica landscape of mountains and flowers
CU Boulder Education Abroad offers over 400 programs in over 60 countries! You can go abroad for a semester, year, and/or 2-12 weeks in the summer. Going abroad is strongly encouraged by the Environmental Studies department. This is a general guide to planning your time abroad, connect with your academic advisor to plan your individual academics. Talk with Education Abroad advisors to get started, discuss your program options, and next steps. 

Quick Facts

  • ENVS majors are encouraged to go abroad for at least one semester!
  • Junior year is the most common year to go abroad
  • ENVS students often choose research and seminar-type programs, or university settings
  • The most common degree requirements taken abroad are upper-division Specialization courses, certain A&S Gen Ed courses, and general elective hours
  • Use the Course Approvals List to find programs that offer courses approved for the credit you need

Planning and When to Go

  • First-year: 
    • Start planning for education abroad.
    • Consider saving your Specialization courses if possible (or at least save some of them).
  • Sophomore: 
    • Continue required lower-division ENVS courses.
    • Save specialization courses if possible.
    • Education abroad during sophomore year is less common, but possible.
  • Junior:
    • Go abroad! Going abroad during your junior year allows you plenty of variety in your choices of classes.
  • Senior: 
    • Work closely with your advisor to ensure that you can get all of your requirements completed.
    • Know when the credits may be transcripted, as this can delay your official graduation date.

What Kind of Credit Can You Earn Abroad?

Usually Doable Tricky Probably Not
General Electives  A&S Gen Ed ENVS A&S Gen Ed ENVS A&S Gen Ed ENVS
Overall credit hours  Arts and Humanities Upper-division Specialization courses, Application course
 		 Global Diversity, U.S. Diversity, Intermediate Natural Science course, ENVS/PHIL 3140, PSCI 2116
 		 Lower-division Written Communication ENVS 3020, Cornerstone, Capstone, Intermediate Social Science course
 

Note About A&S Gen Eds

CU's ENVS curriculum has all Social Science, Natural Science (and lab), and Upper-division Written Communication already built into it. ENVS students should not try to take these requirements abroad.

Suggested Programs

Use these links to find programs that may be a good match for you and your course needs.
 

Additional Resources

Last Updated March 2025