Global Study

Your Next Classroom

Elon is a top study abroad program. Again and again.

For 18 years, Elon has been ranked #1 for study abroad in the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors Report.

77%of students participated in global study at least once
160+global study programs
50+countries represented

Elon continues to make progress toward its goal of achieving 100 percent access to a global engagement experience, with the university expanding financial aid and study abroad scholarships to assist students who cannot afford the cost of the experience.

Get your passport ready. Elon’s best study abroad program is waiting.

Elon provides long- and short-term global opportunities for students in every major.

Where on earth can I study?

College is a time for learning—but no one said you have to do it all in the same zip code. Studying away from Elon can take place around the world and throughout the United States.

  • North & Central America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Middle East & North Africa
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Oceania

When can I go? And what types of programs are there?

You will study abroad. The only questions are when, where and how often?

Short-term: Winter Term, summer, semester-long or a year

There are three types of programs:

  • Elon faculty-led, short-term
  • Elon Global Centers (four abroad, four U.S.)
  • Affiliate and exchange
Students participate in one of Elon University's best study abroad programs in Tanzania. They stand at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro holding an Elon University banner, bundled up and surrounded by snow.

What’s Winter Term all about?

Elon’s 4-1-4 academic calendar allows multiple opportunities to study away, especially during  our month-long Winter Term. There are multiple options to study globally or throughout the United States in Study USA, including programs such as:

  • Barbados: Culture, Politics and Society
  • China: The Flying Dragon
  • Costa Rica: Language, Culture and Ecotourism
  • Florida: Happiest Place? The Science of Happiness at Disney
  • Great Structures of Europe: Technology and History
  • Greece: Classics in Context
  • Hawaii: Nation or State? In Search of Hawaiian Identity
  • Italy: Dante’s Inferno: From Poetry to Video Games
  • Spain: Art and Revolt
  • Vietnam: Business and Culture
What are the best study abroad programs? Elon University study abroad programs. Two female students, holding coffee cups with pink lids, stand in front a red tour bus while studying abroad in England.

What about longer-term options?

Semester Elon global centers are tailor-made for our students.

Study Abroad

  • Dunedin, New Zealand: Develop skills for teaching the next generation of students
  • London, United Kingdom: Compare two countries linked by language and history
  • Florence, Italy: Explore the roots of Western civilization

Study USA

  • Elon in Charlotte (fall and summer)
  • Elon in Los Angeles (fall, spring and summer)
  • Elon in New York City (fall, spring and summer)
  • Elon in Washington, D.C. (fall, spring and summer)

Are there more programs to consider?

In Elon’s more than 80 partner and exchange programs, you take part in a study abroad program hosted with an educational affiliate. Here are some of the opportunities available:

  • Amman, Jordan: Middle East Studies
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands: International Perspectives on Sexuality & Gender
  • Prague, Czech Republic: Multiple Programs
  • Rabat, Morocco: Human Rights, Social Justice and Cultural Transformation
  • Shanghai, China: Chinese Studies and Internships
  • Turks and Caicos Islands: Marine Resource Management Studies or Fundamentals of Marine Conversation or Marine Megafauna
An Elon students stands with Ban Po Tha Pagoda 10000 Buddhas, Kek Lok Si Temple complex, behind him during time in Penang, Malaysia.

Semester at Sea:
‘I gained a lot of insights’

Name: Jack Sheppard

Majors: Sport Management

Minor: Business Administration and Coaching

Where: Experienced Europe, Africa and Asia

“I gained a lot of insights from the experience. I got firsthand exposure to diverse cultures, customs and traditions as I visited multiple countries during the program. One of my classes was oceanography and for our field class we went snorkeling in the Mediterranean Sea and learned how the coral reefs were being impacted by climate change.  ”

An Elon student with long braids and her left arm outstretched sits on a rock that overlooks Cape Town, South Africa, while taking advantage of one of Elon's best study abroad programs.

Cape Town, South Africa:
‘A unique opportunity’

Name: Keiarra Bray

Major: Cinema & Television Arts, Journalism

Minors: Leadership Studies

Where: Cape Town, South Africa

“Studying abroad created such a unique opportunity to not only learn in communities different from my own but also provided the opportunity to have conversations that broaden my perspectives on social, cultural and political issues. Cape Town, South Africa, is such a beautiful city with such valuable history, and each day I was there I was able to gain new insight into what it meant to be a Capetonian.”

A row of Elon students jumping in the air on sand in Dubai

Schedule a visit

To get started on your path to a life-changing experience (or two), schedule a visit to Elon, North Carolina. A campus visit is the best way to determine if Elon is right for you.