Whether you want to spend a year, a semester, or a few weeks becoming a global citizen, SJSU has a program that will provide you with an amazing opportunity to learn about different cultures and perspectives. Choose your adventure and see what the world has in store for you!

Program Types

SJSU offers a variety of program options that provide different experiences and learning environments.

Explore Global Communities

Explore another region of the United States or the globe and focus on learning about diverse cultures alongside SJSU classmates during spring and summer breaks on an Alternative Break Programs (ABP). Alternative Break Programs are led by SJSU staff, often include service learning activities, and vary in length (1 week for spring programs and 1-3 weeks for summer programs). These are co-curricular programs and do not offer academic credit.

Identifying Your Goals and Preferences

There are many different program options and it can sometimes be a little overwhelming to know where to begin. It can help to first think about what your goals and priorities are for a study abroad or away experience. What do you want to get out of your study abroad or away experience? What do you want to achieve or accomplish personally, academically or professionally? What is motivating you to study abroad or away?

Once you have identified some goals, consider the different factors involved with choosing a program. How would you prioritize them? Below are some of the factors you may consider:

• Type of experience/learning environment: Do you want to travel with a group of SJSU students or are you looking for a more independent experience?
• Academics: Are there any specific courses or requirements you are looking to fulfill during your program?
• Location and geographic interests: Are there particular locations you are interested in? Do you want to be in a big city or small town?
• Timing/length: What time of year do you want to go (ex: fall, summer)? How long do you want to be away (ex: 2-3 weeks, semester)?
• Housing: What type of housing arrangements would you prefer?
• Language: Do you want to study in another language or take courses in English?
• Finances: Are you looking for a program that does not cost much more than being on campus? Would you like to use your financial aid for study abroad?
• Accessibility: Are there certain services or accommodations you would require to be successful? Please note that students requesting accommodations on their study abroad program due to disability-related limitations are required to register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at least 60 days before the program start date.  However, we strongly encourage registering prior to or as part of applying to the program in order to inform a student’s choice of program. If you need accommodations, please register online.

Use this worksheet to identify your goals, think through your program preferences, and draft a goal statement, which will help guide your program search and planning.

Searching for Programs

There are a few different ways to search for programs on the Spartans Abroad Portal (SAP).

Discover Your Program: Click on Discover Your Program to use the program discovery tool. Type in keywords and use the search filters to narrow down your options in a variety of ways (ex: by term, country, program type, programs of study, language of instruction, etc.) You can click on the star icon for each program that interests you in order to save to your favorites and revisit later. You will need to have already created an account in SAP to save your preferences by logging in with your SJSU ID and password.

Recommended for Colleges: If you’re wanting to take courses in your major and aren’t sure where to start, look at the curated lists of programs recommended for each SJSU college. These lists reflect a number of factors including program focus, availability of approved courses for majors within the colleges, and popularity among students from that college. This is not a comprehensive list of options; it is intended to be a starting point in your search for the perfect program.

Search Programs