Overview
Stanford University offers you a variety of off-campus opportunities to enrich and diversify your undergraduate experience. This is done through immersion in different academic and cultural environments both within the United States and overseas. The choices are virtually endless.
Options
Off-campus educational experiences include the following:
- Studying abroad on a Bing Overseas Studies Program
- Learning about the nation's capital and operations through Stanford in Washington
- Engaging one of the great cities of the world to learn about the arts, architecture, design, and urban issues through Stanford in New York
- Learning about the Bay Area marine environment at Hopkins Marine Station
- Pursuing public service opportunities in the US and around the world
Academic Off-Campus Programs
Bing Overseas Studies Program
The Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) offers the opportunity to study abroad while remaining enrolled at Stanford. All BOSP programs offer direct Stanford credit for courses taught overseas that frequently count toward one or more majors. In addition, many BOSP courses fulfill General Education Requirements. Almost 850 Stanford students (approximately 44 percent of the graduating class each academic year) study overseas with the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) alone. BOSP operates a variety of programs, including quarter-length programs, internships and other opportunities.
Overseas Resource Center
The Overseas Resource Center (ORC), located in the Bechtel International Center, serves as a resource center for scholarships and fellowships to study and research abroad.
Go to the Overseas Resource Center site
Stanford in Washington
The Stanford in Washington (SIW) Program offers the opportunity for qualified Stanford University undergraduates to study and learn in a rigorous program in our national capital. The regular program at SIW has two terms: Fall (mid-September to mid-December) and Spring (March to late June). A special environmental / health program operates during Winter quarter from early January to mid-March.
The Stanford in Washington program is composed of the following components:
- Seminars. Taught by Stanford faculty members, seminars meet each week to analyze government institutions, political processes and public policy.
- Theme Tutorials. Composed of two to five students who share similar intellectual and policy interests, theme tutorials cover a variety of topics. Some are civil rights, criminal justice, international economic policy, international environmental policy, education policy and foreign policy.
- Internships. The program takes advantage of its location in the capital to place students in internships with governmental, national, and international organizations.
- Activities. Members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, journalists, researchers, museum curators and foreign visitors come to the Bass Center to meet and talk with students.
Learn more about Stanford in Washington
Stanford in New York
In this new program, beginning Autumn of 2015, students will have the opportunity to use New York City as a laboratory to learn about the arts, architecture, design, and urban issues. In New York students will:
- Work 4 days a week in a well-supervised internship related to their interests
- Take a City Seminar to help make the most of the entire New York experience, integrating the learning happening in courses, the city, and work
- Take one or two other electives specially designed to capitalize on the resources only New York can offer
- Live in a central location with other students on the program
- Participate in field trips, alumni events, speaking engagements, and other group activities
Learn more about Stanford in New York
Hopkins Marine Station
The Hopkins Marine Station is located in Pacific Grove, 90 miles from the main University campus. It was founded in 1892 as the first marine laboratory on the west coast of North America. The Hopkins faculty offers undergraduate and graduate biology courses that focus on the marine realm and involve topics including oceanography, cellular biology and conservation biology. Small class sizes encourage close student-faculty interactions. Undergraduates have opportunities to carry out research projects with Hopkins faculty during the academic year or summer months.
Learn more about Hopkins Marine Station
Stanford Diversity Exchange Program
The Stanford Diversity Exchange Program allows Stanford students to trade places with students from a historically black college or university. This can be arranged for a quarter, a semester or an academic year. The Exchange now enjoys the participation of three historically black colleges and universities: Howard, Morehouse and Spelman. For students interested in Native American Studies, an additional exchange program exists with Dartmouth College.
Public Service Off-Campus Programs
Haas Center for Public Service Fellowships Program
The Haas Center for Public Service undergraduate summer fellowships and postgraduate fellowships offer support for Stanford students who contribute to public service organizations and communities. Summer fellows can participate in either pre-arranged placements or self-designed fellowship opportunities in both domestic and international settings. This service-learning program allows students to apply classroom knowledge in a professional setting.
Alternative Spring Break
The Alternative Spring Break (ASB) Program organizes trips for undergraduates between Winter and Spring quarters. These trips are designed to expose participants to complex social and cultural issues through direct service, experiential learning, group discussion and individual reflection. The vision is to transform students into advocates of social change on issues affecting our communities.
