ACES Study Abroad has over 50 programs offered all throughout the year and all over the world!

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.

Group of students in Panama under a tree holding the ACES flag
Group of students in Panama under a tree holding the ACES flag

Program Searches

ACES Programs by Major

ACES Programs by Term

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.

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. 

ACES Internship Programs

Many programs offer students the opportunity to participate in supervised research! The research opportunities are typically for academic credit, but it varies by program. 

ACES Research Programs

Open 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. 

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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.