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The Department of Political Science encourages students to participate in study abroad programs. Political Science majors in particular will benefit from an international experience and may have the opportunity to improve their foreign language skills. Our faculty have been involved with study abroad programs to Morocco, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Cuba, and Trujillo, Spain. During the Summer 2016 semester, Dr. Mark Long co-directed the EU Study Abroad Program in Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

The College offers a variety of study abroad opportunities. The Center for International Education (CIE) has information on full-year, semester-length, and summer programs of study in countries around the world. The College of Charleston sponsors programs in several countries.   Students can also enroll in a number of programs through the National Student Exchange Program which allows study at over 155 programs abroad.  For more information contact the CIE office at: 953-7661 or visit the CIE webpage.

Students choosing to study abroad normally maintain a full load of courses and do not "lose time" in completing their degree. Contact Dr. Jordan Ragusa, Associate Chair, for information about the applicability of courses taken overseas to the political science major.

Trujillo, Spain

Study abroad in Trujillo immerses students in worlds very different from their own. At the same time it continues the College of Charleston experience, revolving around close interaction with faculty and anchored in the liberal arts tradition. Courses in a range of disciplines (Anthropology, Biology, Communication, English, Geography, History, Political Science, Spanish), designed around students coming to grips with their new home, all use Trujillo, Extremadura and Spain as classroom semester-long. Extended faculty-led field trips and extra-curricular activities make for experiential learning for students studying Spain’s vibrant political, economic, historical, and urban geographies. 

Morocco

The Morocco program immerses students in the history, culture, politics, languages, and geographical location of this unique African country. The first portion of the program takes place in Tangier. Students attend formal classes in the morning, and the afternoons and weekends include guided excursions of Tangier, its surrounding cities and landmarks (such as the Medina, Azila, and the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal environments).

The second part of the program is a guided tour of the major imperial Moroccan cities (Volubilis, Meknes, Fez, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh, Casablanca, and Rabat, etc.) where students discover the historical impact of each site. In addition, the tour traverses the extremely diverse natural environment of Morocco including its alpine, desert, and mountainous terrains.

The final part of the program is in Tangier and may include a day trip to Tarifa in Andalusia, Spain to complete the students' understanding of historical Morocco during the 700-year rule of the Moorish Empire in Spain. Dr. Jack Parson co-directs this summer program.