Whether it’s interning in London, studying in Spain or doing research in Germany, most Hobart and William Smith students will have had some kind of international learning experience before they graduate.
With some planning, sociology majors can travel abroad and still graduate on time. While the Center for Global Education offers abroad programs on six continents, faculty from the sociology department sponsor programs in Ireland, South Africa, and Vietnam.
The Colleges maintain an affiliation with the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) to provide students with the opportunity to live and study among Irish students at an Irish university. Participants in the program are also encouraged to join one of the many university clubs and organizations in order to directly experience Irish student life and culture. Community service options are available and provide a unique opportunity for students to gain access to the local community.
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a large, bustling city that has grown rapidly in recent years. While Hanoi reflects Vietnam's long and tumultuous past in the ancient merchant streets of its unique Old Quarter, the colonial facades of the French Quarter, the monuments and houses of Ho Chi Minh and the relics of the struggle for independence and the “American War,” it has also embraced the open economic policies of doi moi that are transforming Vietnam.
South Africa provides unique opportunities for study abroad students. It is a highly industrialized country that maintains its African identity, thus bridging the gap between Africa and the Western world. Moreover, South Africa provides perspectives on the central issues of race and ethnicity unlike those found virtually anywhere else in the world.
