Colgate University’s Office of Off-Campus Study hosted a Study Group Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 25, to showcase its numerous study groups that encourage students to learn about the cultures and perspectives of locations around the world. The fair featured seven Fall 2025 study groups, 11 Spring 2026 study groups, and two Spring 2025 extended studies. 

Extended studies are designed as regular courses that travel following their completion. At the end of the semester, students visit a relevant destination for two to three weeks with their professor to continue exploring the course’s subject matter in an immersive manner. 

This spring, Colgate’s Department of East Asian languages and literatures is offering the course “Visual China: Moving Pictures” which explores both modern and traditional visual culture in China. The cohort then travels to Beijing, Shanghai and Huangshan.

Additionally, Colgate’s departments of educational studies and earth and environmental geosciences are offering a course titled “(Re)Designing STEM Education.” The course studies interactive methods and theories for teaching science and at the end of the semester, students will travel to the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.

Study groups are faculty-led cohorts of 12-17 Colgate students. The programs are semester-long and are offered every year in both the fall and spring. Study groups are offered both internationally and domestically. Off-Campus Study Advisor Susie Michael highlighted the importance of studying abroad.

“Studying abroad enhances students’ overall experience and builds confidence in themselves in navigating new systems and processes and transportation,” Michael said. “It gives them a different perspective on the way other people live and how other societies operate.”

The study group programs span all across the world, from a department of LGBTQ studies group in Manchester, England, and a department of romance languages and literatures program in Madrid, Spain in the fall to a department of mathematics program in Wollongong, Australia, and a department of political science group in Geneva, Switzerland in the spring. 

Sophomore Bella Nalli was particularly excited about the Spanish and philosophy groups.

“Either the Madrid or philosophy study groups are really appealing to me,” Nalli said. “I’m excited to spend a semester somewhere I’ve never been. I think it will really help me explore and learn about other cultures I’ve never interacted with before.”

Expressing similar sentiments to Nalli, sophomore Christina Harrah is looking forward to some of the science programs offered.

“I’m not sure which programs I’d like to apply for yet, but I am interested in some of the biology or public health groups,” Harrah said. “I appreciate how they offer many programs and a wide variety of subjects. There really is a program for everyone.”

Michael touched on the change students undergo after a study abroad experience.

“My favorite part is the growth that I see,” Michael said. “[Students] come back so much more confident in who they are, which is really great to see.”