A Global Community // College of Arts and Letters // University of Notre Dame

The World is Your Classroom

You’re in a discussion seminar mere steps away from the Colosseum in Rome or London’s bustling Trafalgar Square. Or maybe you’re studying the rich history of Jerusalem while living in the modern city. Perhaps you’re improving your language skills while interning at a news outlet in Beijing. Or you’re touring 8th-century Celtic artifacts at Trinity College in Dublin before seeing experimental theatre with your professor and classmates.

“Our campus is in South Bend, Indiana; our classroom is the world.”

—Notre Dame President Emeritus Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C.

Through Notre Dame’s unique network of Global Gateways, you can live and learn in major global cities. The academic and intellectual hubs allow scholars, students, and leaders from universities, government, business, and community to gather and discuss, discover, and debate issues of topical and enduring relevance.

And Notre Dame’s study abroad programs take students to more than three dozen locations, from Dakar and Berlin to Santiago and Hong Kong. About 70 percent of Arts and Letters majors spend a semester or a summer abroad studying or conducting research, learning to see the world in new ways.

Expanding Horizons

Rachel Ganson

Major: Political Science

Rachel’s undergraduate experiences around the globe inspired her to pursue a career in international law. She did service work in a Beijing foster home, interned at a think tank in New Delhi, India, and researched sustainable fishing practices and interstate cooperation in Iceland, Italy, and Spain — work that informed her senior thesis on the environmental consequences of overfishing in the Mediterranean.

Having such diverse experiences and support along the way has really encouraged me to think about where I want to be — and given me the confidence to continue pursuing that after college. And when I get to where I feel I can do the most good, I’m going to be the most effective leader I can be.”

Sienna Wdowik

Majors: Arabic and Political Science

Sienna prepared for a career in counterterrorism through multiple international trips, internships, and research projects. She studied abroad in Jordan for two semesters, then spent a summer there living with a host family and volunteering at a Palestinian refugee camp. When she later interned with a Washington, D.C., think tank, her experience on the ground proved to be extremely valuable.

I was able to bring a really unique perspective. When something would happen on the Jordanian border, for everyone else that was just a data point, but I had been there. I had experience talking to professors and local Jordanians and was able to say why something had a big impact there."

Learning Languages

The College of Arts and Letters now offers instruction in 20 languages:

Exploring Cultures

Catholicism is the world’s most multicultural and multilingual institution, and our Catholic identity inspires our work helping students develop into alumni who are cosmopolitan citizens of the world.

To promote language and cultural fluency, the College’s Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures combines teaching and technology with dozens of special events each semester. Its Summer Language Abroad grants also allow graduate students and undergraduates to participate in intensive language immersion programs that often advance their fluency level by two full semesters in just one summer.

Building Understanding

Jacob Kildoo ’15

Majors: Arabic and Philosophy

Jacob took intensive language courses and explored the culture in Oman, with funding from the Summer Language Abroad program. He is now pursuing a master’s in Arabic at the University of Michigan.

I accomplished far more than I thought possible in the short time I was abroad. Over the course of five weeks, I interacted with my Omani professors constantly in Arabic; I spoke Arabic in restaurants, barber shops, stores, taxis, and on the streets. The whole experience was truly a fantastic way to learn. I hope that I can continue to use intercultural experiences and foreign language acquisition to make myself a more well-rounded person.”

Jenna Ahn ’14

Majors: Theology and Arts and Letters Pre-Health

With support from Notre Dame’s Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement and Center for Social Concerns, Jenna spent two summers in Kolkata, India, conducting research and working with the Missionaries of Charity. She is now program manager for community-based learning at Santa Clara University.

Observing the convicted witness of the missionaries and volunteers really changes your life and makes you question, ‘What was I called to do?’ I feel like I've grown so much as a person and coming to know who I am at a deeper level, and that's something that really opens me up for different opportunities.”

Education Through Experience

The questions Arts and Letters students ask take them around the world. Whether you’re consulting the Vatican Library, delving into an obscure South American archive, filming a documentary in Asia, or conducting ethnographic research in Africa, research funding is available from an array of University programs, centers, and institutes. Many Arts and Letters students receive grants from the College’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).

Meghan Butler ’16

Majors: International Economics, Arts and Letters Pre-Health

Meghan spent a semester studying in Puebla, Mexico, where she worked in a local hospital, shadowing physicians. She also went to Bolivia with a grant from the Undergraduate Research Opportunity to improve her language skills and do research.

Traveling to Bolivia to conduct independent research was an amazing experience that definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was able to apply what I’ve learned at Notre Dame in a real-world context to discuss important issues with politicians and doctors.”

Austin Hagwood ’15

Major: English

During his four years at Notre Dame, Austin took a train past the Arctic Circle to meet the only living Finnish rune singer, interned in Paris at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, taught English at Al-Azhar University in Egypt, and got a UROP grant to venture to New Zealand and research Māori folklore and literature.

Notre Dame wants to help undergraduates pursue their ideas and explore the world. That’s a huge part of what getting an education really means. The College of Arts and Letters is unparalleled in its ability to offer both incredible flexibility when choosing a major and phenomenal financial support for student research. Always apply for opportunities and say ‘yes’ to everything. When else will you have a school offering to fully fund your summer internship, creative project, or research idea?”

Preparation for Life

For some Notre Dame students, their experiences abroad open up a world of opportunities back home. For others, it opens doors to international educational and professional pursuits they never previously considered.

Notre Dame—especially the College of Arts and Letters—is a top producer of Fulbright grant recipients, annually placing many students in the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

The Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement offers many resources for students to pursue research and creative endeavors during their time at Notre Dame. It also encourages and facilitates students’ applications for nationally competitive fellowships—including successfully helping several recent graduates become Rhodes Scholars.

The power of Notre Dame alumni network extends around the globe, with more than 270 clubs across the U.S. and in 50 international cities.