In addition to what is offered through ACES Study Abroad, you can also apply to programs in different colleges across Illinois. Before you start looking into specific programs, think about how study abroad can help you achieve your academic, personal, and professional goals! You can also reference the Frequently Asked Questions section to learn about different program types, eligibility, and more.
Open ACES Winter Break & Spring Semester Programs
These ACES programs are still accepting applications until 11:59 pm CST on September 15 deadline unless otherwise noted. These programs are open to students in ANY MAJOR. Programs in other colleges may also be accepting applications until September 15. Please email aces-studyabroad@illinois.edu with any questions.
The ACES Study Abroad Scholarship is also open until 11:59 pm CST on September 15. ACES students are GUARANTEED some funding as long as they apply.
Winter Break 2026-2027
- Faculty-Led Program: ACE 398/GLBL 298 - International Development Immersion in Sierra Leone
- Faculty-Led Program: HDFS 379 - Service Learning, Child, Family, Health and Agriculture in South Africa
- Faculty-led Program: NRES 385 - Ecology, Culture, & Environmental Sustainability in the Yucatan Peninsula
Spring Semester 2027
- ACES/FAA: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- ACES: Illinois in Vienna Program
- ACES: KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden
- ACES: KU Leuven in Belgium
- ACES: Nagoya University in Japan
- ACES: National Taiwan University
- ACES: University College Dublin in Ireland
- ACES: University of Bristol in the United Kingdom
- ACES: University of Copenhagen in Denmark (App due September 1)
- El Purpan in France
- ISDSI Thailand - Culture, Ecology, and Community
- Kyushu University in Japan
- Lincoln University (New Zealand) (App due September 1)
- Perrotis College in Greece
- SFS Chile - Wild Patagonia: Fire and Ice
- Study and Intern at the University of Cape Town in South Africa
- Study and Intern at University of Congreso in Mendoza, Argentina
- University of Stirling in Scotland
- University of Sydney Spring Friendly Semester in Australia
- Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands
ACES Programs by Major
- Agricultural & Biological Engineering
- Agricultural & Consumer Economics
- Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications
- Agronomy
- Animal Sciences
- Computer Science + Animal Sciences
- Crop Sciences
- Computer Science + Crop Sciences (CS+CPSC)
- Dietetics & Nutrition
- Engineering, Technology & Management for Agricultural Systems
- Food Science
- Hospitality Management
- Human Development & Family Studies
- Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
- Nutrition & Health
- Plant Biotechnology
- Sustainability in Food & Environmental Systems
ACES First-Year Experience Programs
As a first-year student, you have two unique study abroad options available to you. These experiences are available to all ACES majors, including ACES Undeclared. The College of ACES offsets most of the program costs, and there are scholarships for ACES students as well.
- ACES 298: Discovering Agricultural & Environmental Systems in Panamá
- ACES 298: Service Learning & Sustainability in Ecuador
As part of these programs, students will enroll in ACES 298 and take an 8-week pre-departure class with the faculty instructor in the fall. Then, you will travel together as a group in early January. Each program has two ACES faculty or staff who lead the courses and travel with the cohorts.
In addition to all of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities these programs provide, the highlights for most students are the communities they build here in ACES and with the people they meet abroad. Most students who do a First-Year Experience Program go on to study abroad again and may even explore new ways to apply their ACES degrees in their future careers.
Read more about our first-year programs in the following articles!
ACES Internship & Research Programs
Gain valuable professional, language, and cross-cultural skills with an internship abroad! The internships are unpaid and for academic credit.
Many programs offer students the opportunity to participate in supervised research! The research opportunities are typically for academic credit, but it varies by program.
Example Programs in Other Colleges
Depending on what courses you need to take abroad, you may want to explore a program offered through another college at Illinois. Here are examples of programs that ACES students have done in the past.
- CEA CAPA Prague, Czech Republic
- DIS Copenhagen
- Food Systems & Sustainability: Study & Intern in Rome, Italy
- Illinois in Costa Rica Program
- Lorenzo de Medici - Florence, Italy
- Summer at Barcelona SAE School for International Studies (SIS) in Barcelona, Spain (Open to ACES students with BUS minors)
- Summer International Internship: Sage Corps
- University of Pavia in Italy
- University San Francisco de Quito
This is by no means the only list of programs you can consider. If a program title has a college acronym in front of it (ex: BUS: BI Norwegian Business School), that program is only open to students in that college. Any program that does not have a college acronym is open to anyone, but the program-specific eligibility requirements (ex: GPA) and course offerings vary.
If you are considering a program but are not sure whether you are eligible, please email ACES Study Abroad.
What are the different program types?
There are different types of programs offered in each term. They have different structures, inclusions, and price points. Read the overview of different program types to learn more!
As an ACES student, can I apply to programs in other colleges?
Yes! The majority of programs are open to all students regardless of major or college. However, some programs are only open students in specific colleges. In My Study Abroad, those programs are labeled with the college acronym at the beginning of the program title (ex. ACES: University College Dublin). If you see "Illinois in..." in a program title, that means it is open to students in any college (ex: Illinois in Costa Rica). If you aren't sure, you can always email aces-studyabroad@illinois.edu.
When determining which program is the right fit, the most important consideration is what course(s) you need and want to take. Not every program offers every type of course, so please consult with your Academic Advisor to understand what types of courses you should try to find abroad. We can then help you identify programs that offer those courses!
Can I study abroad on a program that is not offered through Illinois?
This is highly discouraged. If you participate in a non-approved program, you must do so without university association, which means:
- You will have to forgo any institutional, state, and/or federal financial aid that is disbursed through the Office of Student Financial Aid.
- You will not be eligible to apply for or use any university scholarships.
- You will not be authorized to use the university’s international insurance.
- You will not receive any university approval or signatures on program application forms.
- You will need to petition for course articulation upon returning, which cannot be guaranteed in advance.