About 65 percent of Rhodes students take advantage of learning opportunities off-campus and in other countries, most often during their sophomore and junior years. And while language and culture are common subjects of study, specialized programs abound and help students develop real-world skills in their discipline. In most cases, students pay tuition, room, and board as normal to Rhodes, including any federal and institutional aid they normally receive, which covers their tuition, room, and board while on the program.
How to Get Started
The Buckman Center for Global Engagement manages the off-campus and study abroad component for Rhodes College. To get started, explore the Online Portal for Off-Campus Study, which houses all approved programs and where students apply to study off-campus.
Types of Programs
Rhodes Summer Programs - Every year, Rhodes faculty plan programs off-campus for Rhodes students. These are commonly referred to as Rhodes' “Maymesters.” The Online Portal has a list of current programs. As these are Rhodes programs, credit earned is Rhodes credit. No institutional or federal aid is portable for summer programs. However, the Buckman Center has need-based scholarships available.
Rhodes Semester Programs - Rhodes, Sewanee, and Centre College jointly own/operate three semester-long off-campus study programs: the "New York City Internship Program" (NYC, USA), "Cape to Campus: South Africa" (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), and the "Global Environmental Challenges Program" (Cuenca, Ecuador). Rhodes' portable institutional and federal aid applies. On the NYC Internship and the Global Environmental Challenges programs, credit is awarded as Rhodes credit. On the Cape to Campus: South Africa program, the faculty leader's course is Rhodes credit, while the remaining credit is treated as transfer credit, as it comes from direct enrolling at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, the program's base of operations. Students from all three schools will enroll in these programs and the faculty leaders are drawn from each of the schools on a rotating basis.
ISEP and Bilateral Exchanges – Rhodes students have access to exchange programs worldwide. Our formal bilateral exchange agreements can be found on this site. Students pay tuition (in some cases, room and board) to Rhodes and receive tuition (in some cases, room and board) on the program. Rhodes' portable institutional aid and federal/state aid applies. Exchanges can occur in any discipline and can range in length from one semester to one academic year. Exchange students are directly enrolled at the host institution and pursue courses with host country students. Credit earned on exchange programs is treated as transfer credit. The number of students who can participate on exchange programs is limited.
Rhodes is also a member of ISEP (The International Student Exchange Program), an organization of more than 200 colleges and universities located throughout the world. Students pay tuition, room, and board to Rhodes and receive tuition, room and board on the program. Rhodes' portable institutional aid and federal/state aid applies. Exchanges can occur in any discipline and can range in length from one semester to one academic year. Exchange students are directly enrolled at the host institution and pursue courses with host country students. Credit earned on exchange programs is treated as transfer credit. The number of students who can participate on exchange programs is limited.
Affiliated Programs - In addition to Rhodes Programs and Exchange Programs, Rhodes has semester- and year-long Affiliated Program partnerships with numerous other colleges, universities and international organizations. Students pay tuition (in some case, room and board) to Rhodes and receive tuition (in some cases, room and board) on the program. Rhodes' portable institutional aid and federal/state aid applies. Credit earned on Affiliated Programs is treated as transfer credit.
In the case of an Affiliated Summer Program, students pay the program out of pocket; no institutional or federal aid is portable for summer programs. However, the Buckman Center has need-based scholarships available.