Honors Study Abroad

In the Honors College, we believe that few things can so enrich and enlarge a student’s worldview and sense of themselves as study abroad. Our programs accomplish this by utilizing the host city as text, providing a framework with which to approach and understand these international experiences, and giving students necessary time for independent exploration.

Explore more of yourself by exploring more of the world during our one-, two- and three-week faculty-led study abroad programs.

The Honors College Study Abroad provides our honors students with the opportunity to study abroad, satisfy honors requirements, and earn college credit in our faculty-led one-, two- and three-week programs.

Azores - Honors Project Writing Retreat Spring Semester 2026 with travel during spring break

Earn 3 credits and satisfy your H7 or H3 honors requirement, River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED)

The Honors College’s Azores study abroad experience is designed especially for students at (or about to enter) the Honors Project stage of their honors pathway. Escape to Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel in the Azores for a transformative 10-day writing retreat and cultural immersion experience! Delve into seven writing workshops and dedicated Honors Project sessions while also taking time each day to experience São Miguel. Tap into the power of resetting in a new environment, while embracing slow travel and immersing yourself in the picturesque landscapes and rich culture of the Azores.

We’ll sample geothermal cookery, visit hot springs, view dormant volcanic craters and the beautiful blue and green Lagoa das Sete Cidades. Excursions with local experts on the arts, sustainability, and permaculture will enhance your understanding of this beautiful island. Get unstuck, connect with fellow honors project students, and break through creative barriers in this fusion of exploration, productivity, and reflection.

Learn more about the Azores program

Havana, Cuba - Winter Session January 2026

Earn 6 credits and satisfy two honors requirements, an Arts & Humanities requirement, a Social Science requirement, and three of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

Cuba is one of our closest neighbors – only 90 miles of water separate Cuba from the Florida Keys – and yet remains a mystery to us. The Honors College has one of the longest-running winter study abroad programs in Cuba. Because of the American trade embargo, Cuba has been cut off from the world’s largest economy for more than six decades, making Cuba one of the most distinct and unique countries in the world. There is no other place like Havana, Cuba! Our eight days in Cuba are jam-packed with activities, excursions, and lectures. As such, students can satisfy two honors requirements this winter in Cuba with our HONR 3200 seminars.

Learn more about the Cuba program

Germany and Austria - Spring Semester 2026 with travel May 24-31, 2026

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement, an Arts and Humanities requirement, and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

This course on Germanic history will cover the cultural and social history of Germany and Austria from medieval times to the current day. Our trip in May will feature visits to medieval and Romantic-era castles, ancient natural wonders, and 20th century Nazi-era locations. We will be based in Munich, with day trips to several towns. In one week, students will have the opportunity to see the birthplace of Mozart, the birthplace of Nazism, an Alpine town and former Olympic site, a castle that influenced Disney, and a museum dedicated solely to Dachshunds. Was kann man sich mehr wünschen? (What more can you ask for?) No German language skills are required for this course.

Learn more about the Germany and Austria program

Madrid, Spain - Spring Semester 2026 with travel during spring break

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement, an Arts & Humanities requirement, and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

Located in the heart of Spain, Madrid is the nation’s vibrant capital where the country’s wondrous and varied cultures meet. This welcoming and stunning city is rich with many distinct neighborhoods that are worlds unto themselves. Madrid is enthusiastically alive. The city’s streets have stories to tell – it is a fascinating history – but those streets are just as interested in the stories you’ll be writing upon them. This is a spring semester HONR 3300 course with travel to Madrid in during spring break.

Learn more about the Madrid program

Paris - June 2025 and July 2025

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts & Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [person], then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” So wrote Ernest Hemingway, one of countless American writers who have been drawn to live and create in Paris. What took writers like Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, Gertrude Stein and Richard Wright to, perhaps, the world’s most iconic and romantic city? What did they find there? In which ways did the city inspire them? How did they portray it on the page? And what remains of those literary representations of France’s dazzling capitol? This course will attempt to answer these questions and more while we explore and interact with the City of Lights during two weeks this summer.

Learn more about the Paris program

Winneba, Ghana - Winter Session January 2026

Earn up to 6 credits, satisfy an honors requirement, a STEM requirement, a Social Sciences, and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

Visit Ghana and explore the challenges of addressing equity in global energy and public health! We will tour local health facilities, a clean water company and a solar power station while enjoying the historical sites and beaches. Lectures will be conducted at UML’s partner institution: University of Education Winneba, Ghana. Open to Honors students in all majors. Non-STEM students are encouraged to apply.

Learn more about the Ghana program

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts & Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

What are the benefits of using performance practices to facilitate community collaboration, engagement, and/or health? How do we navigate questions of identity, power, and privilege in the context of arts-based community collaborations? This immersive study abroad experience in London invites students to explore the vibrant theatre scene through a civic engagement lens.

Students will explore the rich tradition of British theatre while examining how performances reflect, shape, and challenge social issues. Through a combination of live theatre performances, workshops with local artists and activists, and guided explorations of London’s diverse neighborhoods, the course will investigate the role of theatre as a tool for community building and social change. Students will also examine why “voice” matters and explore how theatre can be used as a platform for advocacy and resistance.

Learn more about the London program

San Sebastian, Spain – Summer Session I and II 2026

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts & Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

The stunning and picturesque coastal city of San Sebastian is the crown jewel of Spain and the Basque Country. Miles from the French border, San Sebastian offers students the best of both worlds—it is a small and easy-to-navigate modern cosmopolitan city with a well-preserved old part, Belle Epoque architecture, and is rich with a distinct history and regional characteristics. The most popular study abroad program at UMass Lowell (UML), we take multiple groups each summer to beautiful San Sebastian where they study Spanish and immerse themselves in the local culture for three weeks, travel to France, and satisfy an honors requirement with our HONR 3200 seminar. All levels welcome.

Learn more about the San Sebastian program

Belfast, Northern Ireland - Travel June 10 - July 5, 2025

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts & Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

This seminar will combine literature and writing to understand the power of storytelling. Set in the historic city of Belfast, the seminar will build on Queen’s University renowned summer program on Story, as we read contemporary Irish literature, talk to contemporary Irish authors, and then turn to writing our own stories. You do not need to be an English major or have experience in fiction or memoir writing to participate; we think everyone will benefit from this program that combines developing creative skills AND seeing how story works in a specific locale: Ireland!

Learn more about the Belfast program

In an “Honors Ready” study abroad course the instructor creates an add-on honors component. This allows the course to be taught as a mixed section of non-honors and honors students. Students must opt in to the "Honors Ready" component via the instructor prior to the add/drop period.

Paris (HR), Winter Semester Travel, January 05-14, 2026

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts & Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

This course is a historical and critical examination of the aesthetic and intellectual similarities between art history, music history, literature and culture from Ancient Egypt to contemporary Art. Emphasis is placed on an in-depth exploration of western cultures. In addition, this course provides an understanding of human creativity and expression through a comparative analysis of visual art and music.

Learn more about the Paris program

Belfast (HR), Summer 2025 - Travel June 14 - July 5

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and a Manning / Non-Manning Elective requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

Students from all majors interested in leadership and emotional intelligence are encouraged to join.

Students will explore the entwined social, political, and historical realities of Belfast today, discovering multiple community perspectives on modern Ireland/Northern Ireland. The course will be very interactive in nature and will draw heavily on student discussion and analysis of where leadership went wrong. By the end of program students will understand the multiple ways we can use and interpret the past and differentiate between various discipline-centered conceptions of the past. Students will be oriented to the city of Belfast and visit Derry-Londonderry. Where aligned, several senior leaders from across the public, private and non-profit sectors in N. Ireland will offer their insights into their leadership journeys and the challenges and opportunities they encountered along the way in their ventures.

Learn more about the Honors Ready Belfast program

Lisbon, Portugal (HR) - Spring Semester 2025 with travel May 17 - May 27, 2025

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts and Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

Enjoy a unique international experience in Lisbon, the largest city and capital of Portugal (member of the European Union.) Immerse yourself in this at once ancient and modern waterfront city characterized by a thrilling culture, delicious cuisine, and booming nightlife. Take advantage of the rich architectural history of Romanesque and Gothic churches, a medieval castle, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. Revel in a diverse music scene, with the soulful melodies of Portuguese fado, varieties of Cape Verdean and Brazilian music, cutting-edge jazz, and classical music. Take strolls through the bairros of this beautiful, safe and historic city, or get around in a first-rate public transport system.

There will be side trips to picturesque towns, including Sintra, also a World Heritage Site.

Learn more about the Honors Ready Lisbon program

Florence, Italy (HR) - Summer 2026

Earn 3 credits and satisfy an honors requirement and an Arts and Humanities requirement and two of the four needed to earn the River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) in Global Engagement.

A Taste of Italy: Food Culture in Art, Literature, and Cinema

This course offers an overview of the history of Italian culture and society by exploring the relationship between food and identity. Students will learn and examine how food has been used in Italy as a tool to discuss different aspects related to the question of identity. Day trips, academic visits, and cultural activities together with class discussions, readings, films, and the visual art works will provide the students with an understanding of the controversial and problematic issues that characterize the Italian identity through a regional, national, and transnational lens. Students will keep a daily journal with their personal reflections. At the end of the course, they will submit a final creative project to document their understanding of food culture in Italy and tie the acquired knowledge to their immersive experience in Tuscany.

Learn more about Florence program