Study Abroad

The Environmental Policy and Culture (EPC) Program encourages students to integrate the study of environmental issues in their Study Abroad plans. Many EPC students study abroad during a summer, part or all of junior year, or fall of senior year.

Course credit: To find out what your school's policy for transferring study abroad credits please visit the Study Abroad website. If your school allows study abroad credits, and if you would like to have a course taken abroad be considered for EPC course credit, complete the Petition for Credit for Courses Taken Abroad form (whether or not you are a Weinberg student).

Credit can only be approved after completion of the program. When students return to Northwestern, they should make an appointment with the EPC Program Director and bring the following materials:

  1. Syllabi and course description
  2. Major course work (paper, test, presentations, etc.) and notebooks
  3. Petition For Credit for Courses Taken Abroad

Additional information about study abroad is available at the Office of International Program Development and the Study Abroad Office.

Environmental Study Abroad Programs:

* New NU Program on Green Technology and Environmental Sustainability in China The Wanxiang Fellows Program is a competitive program which consists of three phases. During the preparatory phase at Northwestern in the Spring Quarter of 2012 students are introduced to environmental and sustainability studies and will visit the Wanxiang America Corporation headquarters in Elgin, Il. During the abroad phase, Wanxiang Fellows will spend one month completing two full-credit courses with other Northwestern students in Beijing. Afterwards students continue their studies at Wanxiang Polytechnic in Hangzhou. Along with language study, they will learn about clean energy science from researchers at Wanxiang Corporation, and go on various experiential field trips.

* NU Renewable Energy Policy and Development is a five-week experience in Bonn, Germany in which students learn about German energy policy and initiatives in renewable, sustainable sources of energy and energy conservation in European and global contexts.

* School for Field Studies offers international semester and summer programs focused on environmental topics ranging from wildlife management to sustainable development to marine resource conservation.

* Contemporary India: Development, Environment, and Public Health is a fall and spring semester program that introduces U.S. undergraduates to some of the most dynamic, exciting areas of Indian society, politics, economics, and culture today.

* Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica: The tropical biology semester is an opportunity to learn about a variety of ecosystems-- from dry forest to wetlands to lowland tropical rainforest to cloud forest to páramo.

The program includes field trips, discussions with conservation experts, and independent research. 

* SIT Study Abroad - Ecuador Comparative Ecology and Conservation: An opportunity to explore bio-diversity, sustainability, and conservation issues. Includes educational excursions, independent research, and field work. Program Partners includes Galapagos National Park.  Also, explore Volunteer Opportunities in Ecuador through Fundacion Tangare.

Online Resources

* NU Study Abroad Office:

* International Program Development:

* NU Global Opportunities (NUGO)

* Weinberg Study Abroad information

* China: Environment and Development (2009)

November 23, 2011