Students are strongly encouraged to further explore the culture, history, art, language and people of a particular nation by participating in a semester abroad. There are a vast number of off-campus opportunities for Urban Studies majors, including England, Italy, Hong Kong, Ireland and Vietnam.

Galway, Ireland

Hobart and William Smith 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.

Hanoi, Vietnam

The HWS program in Hanoi enables students to explore an ancient Asian civilization which is undergoing a dramatic process of transition and modernization. Students begin intensive Vietnamese language instruction through VLS (Vietnamese Language Studies) in Ho Chi Minh City upon their arrival in Vietnam, continuing under the direction of faculty from VLS in Hanoi.

London, England

The program in London is one of the oldest international programs sponsored by the Colleges. It is offered in collaboration with The Foundation for International Education (FIE), our on-site partner, and is designed to provide students with a variety of academic and cultural experiences in one of the world's leading cities. The centerpiece of this program is an internship with a local business, agency or organization. Through this experience and related coursework students will gain an understanding of historical London as well as the city's evolution as a modern, multicultural city.

Lingnan, Hong Kong

HWS offers an exchange program at Lingnan, a university that seeks to provide its students with quality education distinguished by the best liberal arts traditions from both East and West. It adopts a whole-person approach to education, teaching students to think, judge, care and act responsibly in the constantly changing circumstances of life in Hong Kong, the region and the world. The university is officially "bilingual" with the majority of classes offered in English to both its international and Chinese students. International students have many clubs and activities from which to choose and they can enjoy the amenities offered by Hong Kong, a dynamic city where English is widely spoken.

Rome, Italy

The interdisciplinary Rome program utilizes the entire city as a classroom or studio. While the program is designed to immerse students fully in the experience of being in Rome, excursions provide students a wider perspective on the history, culture and daily life of Italy as a whole. Students live in furnished flats to provide an opportunity to practice Italian language skills and experience Roman daily life. Students are affiliated with the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci (SLdV), one of the leading language and culture schools in Italy.