Summer & Maymester Programs
Look for a program that meets your learning goals, academic and personal interests and allows you to experience a new adventure!
Summer study abroad can be a great opportunity for students who are heavily involved in student organizations, pursuing additional majors or minors outside of Smeal or who otherwise don't feel like a full semester abroad will be a good fit.
- Programs offered during the summer term vary in length from as short as 10 days to as long as 12 weeks.
- There are faculty-led programs, taught by Penn State professors, as well as direct enroll or partner institution programs.
- Course topics can range from business, to language and culture and other topics. Smeal students typically earn general education, elective or IB Minor credits from these programs. Students will submit a Smeal Study Abroad Course Approval (SACA) Agreement prior to departure to confirm how their credits will count.
- All summer study abroad programs charge all students the in-state tuition rate.
- Maymester programs fall under the category of Summer study abroad, but typically refer to programs that begin and end in the month of May. Summer programs refer to all other programs, including other short, three week programs (that may take place in June/July) or longer programs. Consider your other summer plans and any date restrictions you might have as you explore study abroad programs. Students are not permitted to start late or leave early.
Search Penn State Global to view all PSU study abroad programs offered in the summer term.
Summer & Maymester 2025 Application Deadline: January 23, 2025
Applications must be submitted through Penn State Global on the LionsABROAD portal. Students may only apply to one program at a time. Some programs may be competitive and it is a good idea to have a back-up in mind.
Jump to Maymester & Short Term Programs.
International Business Minor Approved Programs for Global Immersion Credits (6+ weeks)
Smeal Business Faculty-Led Summer Programs |
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| Program | Dates | Approved for IB Minor? |
|---|---|---|
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*Brno, Czech Republic: Business in Central Europe (Summer) |
May 13 - June 28, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
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*Florence, Italy: The World of Business and Italian Culture (Summer) |
May 15 - June 27, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
Summer Programs with Business & Other Courses |
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| Brighton: University of Sussex (Summer) | Late June - Early August | Yes - Must attend both sessions for IB Minor Global Immersion |
| CIEE: Shanghai (Summer) -- Business + Culture track offered in three different sessions, 3-4 credits per session |
Session 1: May 19 - June 16, 2025 Session 2: June 16 - July 14, 2025 Session 3: July 14 - August 9, 2025 |
Yes, up to 9 credits - Must attend at least two sessions for Global Immersion credits - IB minor supporting course possible |
| CIEE: Seoul, Yonsei University (Summer) | June 25 - August 8, 2025 | Yes, up to 9 credits IB Minor Global Immersion |
| Must attend two sessions in one summer for the IB Minor Global Immersion Track. Must attend all three sessions for the Global Immersion Track if doing the Entrepreneurship Practicum. | Session 1: May 21 - June 13, 2025 Session 2: June 16 - July 5, 2025 Session 3: July 8 - July 30, 2025 |
Yes, up to 9 credits |
| Florence: International Studies Institute (ISI) at Palazzo Rucellai (Summer) -- cost effective: $0 Program Fee! | May 15 - June 27, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| May 31 - July 12, 2025 |
Yes |
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| IES: Buenos Aires, Culture & Language (Summer) | June 23 - Aug 3, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| Thessaloniki, Greece: Perrotis College (Summer) -- cost effective: $400 Program Fee! | May 30 - July 12, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
Other Summer Programs with Language, Culture or other Courses |
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| *Besançon: Intensive French Language and Cultural Immersion (Summer) | May 30 - August 1, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| *Puebla, Mexico: Spanish Language and Mexican Culture (Summer) | May 16 - June 25, 2025 | Yes, up to 9 credits - IB Minor Global Immersion - IB minor supporting course possible |
| *Ronda, Spain: Spanish Language and Culture (Summer) | May 18 - June 22, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| *Salerno, Italy: Language and Culture (Summer) | May 18 - June 29, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| *Todi: Italian Language, Art History, Culture (Summer) |
May 12 - June 23, 2025 | Yes, up to 9 credits - IB Minor Global Immersion - IB minor supporting course possible |
| CIEE: Amman - Middle East Studies (Summer) - Arabic Language (Summer) |
Middle East Studies: May 19 – July 14, 2025 Arabic Language: May 25 - July 25, 2025 |
Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| CIEE: Seville, Language + Culture (Summer) **Course options in English or Spanish |
Session 1: May 19 - June 16, 2025 Session 2: June 16 - July 14, 2025 Session 3: July 14 - August 9, 2025 |
Yes - Must attend at least two sessions for Global Immersion credits |
| CIEE: Shanghai (Summer) -- Accelerated Chinese Language Program |
June 22 - Aug 16, 2025 |
Yes, up to 9 credits - IB Minor Global Immersion - IB minor supporting course possible |
| IES: Berlin, Language and Culture (Summer) | June 3 - July 19, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| IES: Madrid, Language and Cultural Studies (Summer) | May 16 to June 28, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| IES: Nagoya, Language and Culture (Summer) | May 28 - August 1, 2025 |
Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
| IES: Tokyo (Summer) | May 22 - July 5, 2025 | Yes IB Minor Global Immersion |
Maymester & Short Term (2-4 week) Programs
Smeal Business Faculty-Led Maymester |
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| Program | Dates | Approved for IB Minor? |
|---|---|---|
| *Monteverde, Costa Rica: Sustainability in Business (Maymester) | May 12 - May 30, 2025 | Yes IB Minor supporting course only |
| *Zagreb, Croatia: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Croatia (Maymester) | May 12 - May 31, 2025 | Yes IB Minor supporting course only |
| *Singapore: Business in Asia (Maymester) | May 12 - May 31, 2025 | Yes IB Minor supporting course only |
| May 12 - May 31, 2025 | Yes IB Minor supporting course only |
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Other Programs with Business course options |
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| NEW! *Lisbon, Portugal: Penn State in Portugal (Maymester) | May 12 - June 1, 2025 |
Depends |
| NEW! AIFS: Barcelona, International Business and Spanish Culture (Maymester) | May 10 - May 30, 2025 |
To be confirmed |
| Session 1: May 21 - June 13, 2025 Session 2: June 16 - July 5, 2025 Session 3: July 8 - July 30, 2025 |
Depends |
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Other Maymester and Short Programs |
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| *Cairo: Egypt: Ancient Egyptian History (Summer) | June 10 - June 30, 2025 | Depends Course pre-approval required |
| *Oaxaca, Mexico: Culture and Communities (Maymester) | May 15 - June 8, 2025 | Depends Course pre-approval required |
| *Seoul, Korea: Sociology and Culture in Korea (Maymester) | May 20 - June 4, 2025 | Yes IB minor supporting course possible |
| *Shanghai, China: Food Chemistry in Chinese Cuisines (Maymester) | May 15 - June 4, 2025 | Depends Course pre-approval required |
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Florence: Florence University of the Arts (Maymester and Summer) Summer at FUA includes 4 different 3-week sessions.Students may select any combination of one or more sessions. This program does not have any courses approved for the International Business minor, but Smeal students may earn general education and elective credits. You may find the program page and details by searching the full list of PSU Global programs. |
Session I: May 19 - June 6, 2025 Session I: May 19 - Jun 6 |
No |
| Seoul: Sungkyunkwan University, International Summer Semester (Summer) -- cost effective: $0 Program Fee! | Late June - Mid July | Yes IB minor supporting course possible |