Study Abroad and International Education
See the World
See the world, receive a world-class education, and dive into the global economy. Montgomery County has a large and diverse ethnic population which is reflected in enrollments at the three Montgomery College campuses. The college mission to bring a greater awareness of global perspectives to the student body and community has led to the development of an International Education program that provides opportunities through a variety of activities to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures.
Study Abroad has been a part of Montgomery College since 1996. Formed with the International Education program, it addresses the International Education mission through five areas: education, extended study abroad, culture, travel, and continuing education.
Two new programs have come to MC. The Global Exchange Through Social Media program allows students and employees to engage in culturally-rich exchanges right from your home. These programs take place via Zoom meetings, Instagram, and Facebook Live. Virtual International Internship Program are for students and are offered in 18 career fields with academic credits available.
Learn Locally
MIEC & MCCIEC 2023 Conference
February 2-5
Cambridge, MD
Get more information (PDF, 
) . Register by January 15.
With its rich history as a seaport and links to Harriet Tubman, Cambridge is a quintessential small Maryland town – the perfect place to hone our skills on the conference theme as international educators working in an increasingly domestic context. This conference builds on the growing need in international education for campus- and community-based global learning – a pivot that has accelerated in recent years and that aligns with many institutions' diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Conference participants will engage in workshops led by experienced international educators, a multi-disciplinary practicum on program design and leadership, sessions led by skilled peers, and networking activities.
Conference Content Will Include:
- Strategies for exploring global concepts in a local context
- Global learning on campus, including virtual international partnerships
- Developing and fostering community
- partnerships for local engagement
- Risk management off campus
- DEI and global learning locally
- Creating multi-disciplinary programs
- Leading study away USA programs
- Recent trends and innovations in study abroad
Keynote Speaker
Kent Koth is the executive director of Seattle University's Sundborg Center for Community Engagement, which he founded. He is an expert on campus community partnerships, including in the context of international education. Among his publications is an influential chapter on this topic in the 2015 book Putting the Local in Global Education (Sobania, ed.), which his keynote address will explore in depth.
Thursday, February 2
7 - 9:15am: Pre-conference events via Zoom
- Keynote speaker Kent Koth, Executive Director of Seattle University's Sundborg Center for Community Engagement
- Workshop on COIL: Collaborative Online International Learning
Friday, February 3
- 4 pm: Registration opens at the hotel
- 4:30 - 6:30 pm: Conference sessions at the hotel
- 7 pm: Group welcome dinner at a popular waterfront restaurant near Cambridge
Saturday, February 4
- 8 am - 12:30 pm: Conference workshops and sessions at the hotel, including a group lunch catered by a local restaurant
- 1 - 2 pm: Local-global practicum: Guided walking tour of historic Cambridge
- 2:30 - 4 pm: Local-global practicum at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
- 4 - 6:30 pm: Free time to explore Cambridge and pursue dinner on your own
- 6:30 - 8:30 pm: Conference sessions at the hotel
Sunday, February 5
- 8 - 9:30 am: Conference workshop and sessions at the hotel
- 10 am - 12 pm: Local-global practicum: Guided visit to the University of Maryland's Horn Point Laboratory, a nationally renowned site for environmental research and discovery
- 12:30 - 1:30 pm: Group lunch and learn: Interactive conference sessions over lunch catered by a local restaurant
- 1:30: Conference closes
The schedule is subject to change, and activities may be switched or substituted as needed based on availability.
The conference will be based at Cambridge's Holiday Inn Express. Near historic downtown Cambridge and numerous area attractions, the hotel features modern rooms and spacious conference facilities as well as a fitness center with indoor pool and hot tub. The room reservation includes a daily hot breakfast at the hotel.
Reserve Your HotelRegister by January 15.
The TOTAL conference cost for registration plus accommodations combined is $223 (shared room) or $361 (single room), broken down as follows:
Registration: $85, which includes all conference activities, use of conference facilities, two lunches, and a dinner.
Accommodations for Two Nights: $138 or $276
Either $138 per night for a single room with breakfasts included, or ask on your registration
form if we can match you with av roommate for $69 per night in a shared room with
breakfasts included.
Not included in the program cost is ground transportation (participants use own vehicles) and one dinner.
RegisterEmail any questions to Rebekah de Wit, MIEC & MCCIEC representative, at rdewit@ccbcmd.edu.
Pathway to Freedom: An Examination of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Path
Along the Eastern Shore
March 11-12
Get more information (PDF, )
Montgomery College Study Abroad and the Study Abroad Association (SAA) are partnering
to present the in-country study/travel program, “Pathway to Freedom: An Examination of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Path
Along the Eastern Shore (PDF, ) ,” during the spring semester of 2023.
With this program, you will follow in Harriet Tubman’s footsteps as she escaped in 1849 and traveled from Maryland’s Eastern Shore through Delaware to reach her freedom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Explore authentic escape missions and discover how hundreds of men and women risked everything to pursue their freedom. Chesapeake landscapes – extensive waterways, marshes and woodlands – both helped and hindered Tubman and other freedom seekers. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway travels 125 miles through the Eastern Shore of Maryland before crossing into Delaware at Sandtown. It continues for another 98 miles, connecting through Dover to Wilmington. Our route then follows the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway into Pennsylvania where highways and local roads take you to Philadelphia, Tubman’s first destination once she found freedom. Come join in this educational escape.
- Round trip transportation from Montgomery College to Eastern Shore and Pennsylvania via luxury motor coach
- 1 night hotel accommodation
- Breakfast at hotel
- Visit to Harriet Tubman Visitor Center
- Visit to Brodess Farm
- Visit to Stanley Institute
- Visit to Handsell House
- Visit to Dorchester County Courthouse
- Visit to Choptank Landing
- Visit to Long Wharf
- Admissions to the Belmont Mansion
- Admissions to Johnson House
- Visit to Mother Bethel African American Methodist Church
- 1 free chaperone in double room for every 10 paying passengers
- EDU Trips tour guide for the duration of your trip
- Taxes and fees
- Lunches and dinners
- Gratuities for bus driver, tour guide, and hotel cleaning staff. These are at your discretion based on services rendered.
- Travel insurance (can be purchased at the time of deposit)
- Single supplement for chaperones
- Personal expenses and any expenses at the hotel other than mentioned
Price per person:
Single $585
Double $499
Triple $489 Quad $470
Prices are per person based on a minimum of 20 paying travelers. Please note if group falls below 20 paying passengers prices will increase.
Day 1: Saturday, March 11
7:30am: Meet at Montgomery College and load luggage onto bus.
Day 1: Saturday, March 11, 2023 07:30am Meet at Montgomery College and load luggage
onto bus.
8am: Board bus and depart for Harriet Tubman Visitor Center.
10am: Arrive at Harriet Tubman Visitor Center -Meet your EDU Trips Tour Guide.. After a
brief introduction from the rangers, the group will see numerous exhibits that illustrate
Harriet Tubman and her work as a freedom fighter, leader, and liberator.
11:15am: Depart for Brodess Farm - Site of Harriet Tubman’s childhood home. 11:30am Arrive
at Brodess Farm. 12:00pm Lunch with group (cost not included) 01:00pm Depart for Handsell
House.
1:30pm: Arrive at Handsell House - Built on the site of the Chicone native American village,
this replica house honors the Eastern Woodland Native People of Delmarva.
2pm: Depart for Choptank Landing - Site of Harriet Tubman’s most daring rescues
2:30pm: Arrive at Choptank Landing.
3pm: Depart for Stanley Institute Museum
3:30pm: Arrive at Stanley Institute - an early example of a post-Civil War African-American
school built and run independently by the local black community.
4:00pm: Depart for Doorchester County Courthouse.
4:15pm: Arrive at Doorchester County Courthouse - location where Harriet Tubman’s niece,
Kessiah, and her two children escaped from the auction block at the front of the courthouse.
4:30pm: Walk to 424 Race St, Cambridge, MD 21613 to view the Harriett Tubman “Take My Hand”
Mural (5 min. walk)
4:45pm: Continue walking to Long Wharf - pier where slave ships from Africa docked in the
1700s (10 min. walk)
5:30pm: Dinner with group (cost not included)
7:00pm: Board bus and depart for hotel.
7:30pm: Check-in at hotel. Rest of the evening is free.
Day 2: Sunday, March 12
7:00am: Breakfast at the hotel
8:00am: Check out of hotel, load luggage, and board bus for Philadelphia.
11:00am: Arrive at Johnson House - one of Philadelphia’s stops on the Underground Railroad.
The Johnson House was owned by a family of Quaker abolitionists who worked with other
European Americans, and African Americans — free and enslaved – to secure safe passage
to freedom along the extensive network of clandestine routes and safe houses.
12:30pm: Lunch with group (cost not included)
1:30pm: Depart for Belmont Mansion.
2:00pm: Self guided tour of Belmont Mansion begins. Students will experience 18th and 19th
Century history through the events and lives of people associated with Belmont Mansion
in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. The site’s museum is dedicated to Colonial history
and the 19th Century network of people and places which comprised the Underground
Railroad in Philadelphia.
3:30pm: Visit Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopol Church - the oldest AME church in
the United States. A majestic towering stone structure, its stained windows act as
a kaleidoscope, washing the sidewalk with rainbow hues. A significant stop on the
Underground Railroad, many African American organizations also began at Mother Bethel.
5:00pm: Dinner with group (cost not included)
5:30pm: Depart for Montgomery College.
8:30pm: Arrival at Montgomery College.Board bus and depart for Harriet Tubman Visitor Center.
Deposit: $100 due 11/15/2022
Final Payment: Based on rooming list due 1/31/2023
Cancellation: All payments are non-refundable.
Travel Insurance: TRAVEL INSURANCE IS AVAILABLE AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: If a traveler opts to purchase insurance, each traveler must purchase their own plan within 14 days of deposit. EDU Trips DOES NOT purchase insurance on your behalf. Purchase insurance by clicking on the button below.
InsuranceWe recommend the Go Ready Pandemic Plus Plan and adding the upgrade “cancellation for any reason benefit” (CFAR) which allows for a 75% refund up to 48 hours prior to your trip. Insurance rates are based on the age of the traveler and the total cost of the trip. Certificates and confirmation of payment will be sent via email upon enrollment.
Short-Term Study Abroad
These academic-centered short-term term programs abroad stretch from 10 days to three weeks in length giving you an unique experience—lectures and academic dialogue on a coach on route to a historic site, atop of a mountain or on Machu Picchu, knee deep in dirt at an archaeological dig, among a busy government municipality or in Tiananmen Square—in which a “learning moment” is not to be missed; day-ending debriefing sessions further solidify lessons learned and International Competency objectives met.
May 22–29, 2023
Healthcare & Nursing in the Dominican Republic. Visit Santo Domingo, San Jose de Ocoa.
See the trip brochure (PDF, ) .
June 10–24, 2023
Choose from a 10– or 14–day program. Click here (PDF, ) for the information packet which includes a full itinerary, pricing, and the application.
Expected to Take Place in 2023: Ecotourism and Biodiversity in Costa Rica
Expected to Take Place in 2023
Long-Term Study Abroad
Students study abroad full time to earn academic credits that are transferrable to Montgomery College and many four-year colleges and universities in the United States.
Long-term study abroad may take place for a semester, year, or summer at accredited academic institutions within 30 different countries through the College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS). Advising occurs through MC’s Study Abroad Coordinator who serves as the consortium’s State Representative. Students must begin the application process for long-term study abroad at least 6 months in advance of departure. Get more information about the program.
More Information
It is not uncommon for recently completed study abroad programs to generate double-digit events on three campuses through partnerships with college organizations, clubs, and departments.
Programs arise from coordinated collaboration with student clubs, college-wide organizations, conference groups, distinct writers and speakers, and friends, allowing for a medley of cultural and educational experiences. Many of the events, such as hunger banquets, silent auctions, and service learning functions, are brought forth in order to give lasting aid to our less fortunate hosts and friends abroad.
For full details about Study Abroad and International Education, please review the entire website, and consider attending a SAID (Study Abroad Information and Discussion) session held at the start of each semester.
The International Education office advises students desiring to study abroad about college requirements and the course selection in order to meet their MC program needs and about the choice of countries best suited to advance their academic careers and broaden their global understanding.
As a member of the College Consortium for International Studies (CCISnew window), MC can send students to any one of 52 accredited college programs in 30 countries around the world. Any student that wants to study abroad at an institution outside of this consortium may only select an institution within one of these accepted consortium's: AIFSnew window (American Institute for Foreign Study), CIS Abroadnew window (Center for International Studies), EFnew window (Education First), or ISAnew window (International Studies Abroad).
All courses to be taken abroad must be approved in advance by the MC transfer officer. Upon successful completion, credits transfer to MC, are recorded on the students' transcripts, and may be applied toward graduation requirements.
The pre-departure advising process must be initiated at least one semester in advance of departure in order for the International Education office to help students prepare the necessary documentation. Students will be advised of the Montgomery College fees and the in-country expenses, orientation fees, cost of room and board, and all other financial responsibilities. Students receiving Financial Aid may use it for study abroad. Scholarships may be available through the International Education Program.
Students must satisfy the following requirements in order to study abroad:
- Have a 2.5 GPA
- Have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credits
- Be able to demonstrate the maturity and flexibility necessary to meet cultural and academic challenges abroad
- Be able to study abroad full time (12 credits; additional credits require an advisor's approval)
- Complete the CCIS application form (available from the Coordinator of Study Abroad in the International Education Office)
- Complete two reference forms
- Present a "letter of intent" that documents the purpose for study abroad
The Coordinator of Study Abroad will forward all materials with a cover letter and a copy of an official student transcript to the CCIS sponsoring institution.
Upon acceptance, students must complete the following steps:
- Register at Montgomery College for STBR 200 (12 credits abroad)
- Provide evidence of health insurance or obtain individual short-term-term student insurance policies available through the International Education Office
- Provide evidence of health immunizations
- Obtain a passport at least three months in advance of departure
- Obtain visas, if required
Complete these forms to apply to Study Abroad:
Application for Short-Term-Term Study Abroad (PDF, )
Application for Semester or Year (Long-Term) Study Abroad (PDF, )
Conditions of Participation (PDF, )
Scholarship Application (PDF, )
Sample Proposal to Lead a Short Term Program (PDF, )
Faculty and Staff Opportunities (PDF, )
Fellowships, Financial Aid, Grants and Scholarships (PDF, )
Faculty and Staff Opportunities (PDF, )
Return the forms to the mailbox of Greg Malveaux in the Study Abroad Office:
Rockville Campus, Macklin Tower 212
Scholarship Application Deadlines for Studying Abroad (PDF, )
Scholarship Application (PDF, )
Access CCIS scholarships information through the CCIS websitenew window
Adding Study Abroad to your course - a Professional Development opportunity
As part of the continuing effort to advance the Montgomery College Study Abroad goal of providing distinctive learning experiences and professional development that foster lifelong success, we seek MC faculty input for developing short-term-term study abroad programs. The market for short-term-term programs has grown dramatically, and recent data show that more than half of all students studying abroad participated in short-term-term programs (NAFSA 2010).
Proposals are reviewed by a Study Abroad Committee, and an interview with the Study Abroad Coordinator will follow. Faculty with selected proposals will receive a fully paid program while abroad. It is essential to share your proposal with your supervisor, prior to submission, in order to avoid potential scheduling conflicts (email confirmation from a Department Chair and Dean is adequate).
The Study Abroad Faculty Proposal (PDF, ) form needs to be completed and submitted to Gregory Malveaux via email. View a sample proposal (PDF, ) .
In addition, last year’s Study Abroad Survey, completed by MC students, faculty, staff and administrators, shows the venues in which the audience would most like to participate in or lead a study abroad activity.
However, do not feel limited to the venues noted in the survey with your own proposal; we appreciate multi-cultural, diverse educational opportunities that span the entire globe.
MCCIEC (Maryland Community College International Education Consortium): The Meaning
of Citizenship in Turbulent Times
Jon Greg Malveaux, MC employees, and other community college members throughout the
State at the MCCIEC 2020 Conference in Prague, the Czech Republic. The conference
dates are January 5-11, 2020. See the flyer for more information (PDF, ) .