Extraordinary Opportunities: Around the World

At Cornell, classes are not limited by four walls. On any given day, a student might be found studying religion in Mongolia, learning about the history of the Pullman Company in Chicago, or conducting research at a top medical lab. With the block plan, the possibilities are nearly limitless.

Below are just a few examples of the off-campus opportunities available at Cornell:

Cornell courses abroad With the block plan, Cornell faculty are able to escort students to far away lands with few scheduling conflicts. Recent Cornell classes studied art in Japan; anthropology in the West Indies; art  history and architecture in Rome; education in Greece; literature and art in South Africa; religion and French in Morocco; international studies in Russia; and geology, biology, and anthropology in the Bahamas. Learn more
Cornell Fellows The Cornell Fellows program places students in high-level, fully-funded internships around the country and abroad for a block or longer.  Recent fellows have performed business analysis for Target Corporation, rehabilitated wild cats in Missouri, conducted museum research and tours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, worked for publishers in Chicago and California, and researched genetics at Translational Genomics in Phoenix. Learn more
Cornell Wilderness Term With endless lakes, the Northern Lights, and the call of loons as a backdrop, various Cornell courses set up camp at the Wilderness Field Station in Northern Minnesota each September. Courses range from Ecology to Wilderness Politics to American Nature Writers, and each includes a week-long canoe journey into the Boundary Waters. Learn more
Real-world business and public policy In the midst of the financial crisis, students in Financial Management Seminar spent five days in Chicago learning about risk management up close and personal. During the global H1N1 pandemic, Cornell students were on the front lines analyzing the nation's response, both locally and in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, two students spent a block in Uruguay developing a case study on a blueberry farming venture. These and many other opportunities are sponsored by the Berry Center for Economics, Business and Public Policy.
Medical research and Operation Walk Students interested in health-related fields are frequently placed in high-level research internships at places like the Mayo Clinic, University of Chicago Medical Center, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York. Students also travel on medical missions each year with Operation Walk to places Peru, China, and Viet Nam.  Dimensions: The Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare supports these and other opportunities.
Newberry Library in Chicago Since 1965, Cornell has collaborated with the Newberry Library in Chicago, one of the world's finest research libraries. Courses in English, history, economics, and music regularly engage students in first-hand research at the Newberry, and individual student frequently make use of the reserves at the Newberry and other libraries for their own independent studies projects.
Alternative spring break Each spring, Cornellians lend a helping a hand to others during Alternative Spring Break. Recent trips have focused on construction projects on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, assisting with school projects in Guatemala, and working at soup kitchens and clothing banks in New York City. Learn more