Study Abroad Programs

UConn Education Abroad in Israel!

Are you interested in studying, interning, or conducting research in one of the most exciting, innovative, entrepreneurial environments in the world, while earning UConn credits? Then it’s time to participate in a program in Israel! A wide range of opportunities in Israel are offered through UConn Education Abroad, including programs at universities such as University of Haifa, Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, IDC-Herzliya, and Ben Gurion University.

Students may spend a semester, summer, or academic year in Israel, or participate in one of UConn’s faculty-led summer programs. In cooperation with the Hebrew and Judaic Studies section, the Center for Judaic Studies promotes special programs (e.g., archaeological excavations) and internships in Israel for which credit, including for the major and minor in Judaic Studies, may be possible.

The Center for Judaic Studies also awards travel stipends to students who travel to Israel for academic programs. These awards are sponsored by the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, the Office of Global Affairs, and Middle East Studies. Additional financial assistance is available through scholarship opportunities, and we encourage students interested in traveling or studying abroad to contact us at judaicstudies@uconn.edu. Please visit UConn Education Abroad website for further details about the opportunities available to all students interested in international travel.

Faculty-led summer programs:

Summer Brain and Behavior in Tel Aviv

Summer Brain and Behavior in Tel Aviv is a summer study abroad program that provides students the opportunity to pursue their studies in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, PreMed, or PNB in Israel. The program is led by Dr. Etan Markus (UConn Psychology) together with colleagues at Tel Aviv University. Participants will take a UConn psychology class supplemented with a second, Tel Aviv University course focused on regional history and/or culture as well as organized activities, tours, and an Israeli dinner/cooking class.

Summer Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program

The Summer Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program in Israel will allow UConn students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation across all majors the opportunity to learn from

and work with the world’s leaders in these fields at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. They will gain invaluable firsthand experience from leading educators and business professionals during their time at one of the world’s top science and technology research universities.

Exchange Programs:

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is one of Israel’s leading research universities and among the world leaders in many fields. It has around 20,000 students and 4,000 faculty members in the Faculties of Engineering Sciences; Health Sciences; Natural Sciences; the Pinchas Sapir Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management; the Joyce and Irving Goldman School of Medicine; the Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies; and the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies. More than 100,000 alumni play important roles in all areas of research and development, industry, health care, the economy, society, culture and education in Israel.

Established in 1969 as the University of the Negev, BGU’s core aim is promotion the development of the Negev desert, which comprises more than sixty percent of Israel. A leader in environmental research in Israel, it is also committed to care for the environment as part of the “Green Campus” initiative.

Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya

IDC Herzliya is a private, autonomous, not-for-profit and non-government-subsidized institution of higher education that strives for interdisciplinary learning, cultivates scientific and professional excellence, and imbues its students with a broad cultural background and a vision that has international horizons. According to the vision of the Founding President – Prof. Uriel Reichman, IDC Herzliya was established in 1994 to be a university that will cultivate freedom of thought, research, and self-realization.

The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology is one of the leading institutes of science and engineering in Israel and the world. The institute was recently counted among the top ten universities for educating CEOs of American technology companies worth over 1 billion USD by Bloomberg Financial, and ranked in sixth place worldwide for innovation and entrepreneurship by the MIT/Skoltech Initiative.

In September 2014, the Technion and the Neubauer Family Foundation established the Neubauer American Study Abroad Program (“the Neubauer Program”) with the objective of attracting American students to spend a significant period at Technion and in Israel and to expose them to its academic excellence as well as its innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem. American students will study in classes with Israeli students and enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities as will be detailed.

The University of Haifa

Found in 1972, the University of Haifa has become one of Israel’s leading comprehensive research universities. Situated on the top of beautiful Mount Carmel, the University is remarkably diverse, with the students coming from Jewish, Christian, Moslem, Druze and Bedouin communities. Haifa is also one of the most beautiful and modern cities in Europe, but as one US student put it “still maintains a mellow atmosphere.”

The University of Haifa offers a rich menu of courses in English through its International School. You can take courses in Hebrew, Arabic, the Middle East, Religion, Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Business, History, and Literature. If you are proficient in Hebrew, you can also take any course offered at the University.

Affiliated Programs:

Arava Institute

The Arava Institute is at the forefront of environmental studies and research in the Middle East. Offered for credit through Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Arava Institute offers students an opportunity to explore a range of environmental issues from an exceptional transboundary and interdisciplinary perspective. Under the guidance of leading environmental

professionals and researchers, students maintain a full course-load in environmental studies that focus on water management, renewable energy, ecology, sustainable agriculture, environmental politics, and more.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s first university and a symbol of the cultural rebirth of the Jewish nation in its ancestral homeland. Founded by such luminaries of the twentieth century as Martin Buber, Albert Einstein, and Sigmund Freud, the University has become a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning and research. Today 24,000 students from diverse backgrounds study on the University’s four campuses, including 1200 visitors from abroad and new immigrants at the Rothberg International School. From the inception of the Junior Year Abroad Program in 1955, the School has grown into an international arena that attracts students from more than 50 countries around the world, converging to find intellectual challenge, artistic expression, religious bonds, political analysis, and cultural activity.

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University’s undergraduate study-abroad program allows students to learn Hebrew and absorb the fascinating land and culture of the people of Israel while taking extraordinary courses in English for full academic credit. The programs offer a rich variety of exciting courses in the fields of International Relations, Social Sciences, Arts, Environmental Studies, History, Religion, Business, and many more. Each course awards three academic credits, for a total of up to fifteen undergraduate-level credits per semester.

Student Experiences

Read about the experiences of travel award recipients who participated in summer abroad programs in Israel.

Study abroad in Israel, Poland, Austria and Hungary, Buenos Aires, Prague, and other locations!

Study abroad opportunities are offered through UConn's Study Abroad Program as well as in collaboration with other universities such as Eastern Connecticut State University's Global Field Course to Poland, Austria and Hungary; University of Haifa (offers summer study and year- or semester-long study opportunities in a variety of fields); Tel Aviv University; and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.