From exploring new cultures to gaining one-of-a-kind, real-world experience, studying abroad allows Clemson students the opportunity to expand their education beyond the classroom. With programs in over 100 locations across the globe and approximately 20% of undergraduate students participating each year, Clemson has a history of success when it comes to providing students with the opportunity to study overseas.
What is Study Abroad?
Clemson offers three different kinds of study abroad programs: Exchange, faculty-directed, and third-party, each of which are unique in their support and academic offerings.
Exchange programs are typically either a semester or year-long endeavor and involve exchanging a Clemson student to a partner institution and vice versa.
Faculty-directed programs are almost exclusively 2-8 weeks in duration. They are usually major specific and often happen over spring break or summer.
Third-party programs offer programs throughout the year and provide additional services and support coordinated by study abroad organizations.
Making sure students prioritize finding the program that is the best academic fit for them is crucial. Director of the Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad Meredith Wilson stresses the importance of “having an open mind and being willing to explore all of the different opportunities.”
There are also opportunities for in-state students to participate in the Pamela Maddex Hendrix Family Scholarship program. The program is currently on its sixth cohort of students, which enrolls about 12 students per year. The idea behind the scholarship program is “to encourage South Carolinians to take the leap and study abroad,” says Wilson. The program’s goal is to transform lives statewide and beyond, in alignment with Clemson Elevate’s strategic plan. Interested students can apply on the Study Abroad website starting in January.
What Students Need to Know
Students interested in participating in a semester-long Study Abroad program should start looking into opportunities between 8-12 months in advance and 6-8 months before for a short-term program. Wilson reminds students “you can’t be admitted to a program in 24 hours. You have to build in time to make it happen.”
Students are required to attend and participate in a pre-departure orientation that runs through more specific details including health and safety abroad. They also walk through the process of utilizing international health insurance, registering for the STEP program, and even how to use things like use Duo internationally.
During pre-departure sessions, students can ask any last-minute questions and hear from the experiences of former Study Abroad students as well.
How To Apply
All information about the application process can be found on the Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad website.
The website contains a Google sheet with all of the approved program options listed with links to more information about each one. This allows students to explore opportunities available to them as a one-stop shop.
Students should follow the step-by-step process listed on the website to start an application.
Student Impact
Ana Leitao, a senior graphic communications major, spent her Spring 2026 semester studying abroad at Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia. Leitao describes her time as “the most rewarding, exciting and unforgettable experience of my life.”
Leitao shared that the experience “taught me that there is so much more out there to experience and learn.” She continued, saying “it gave me a new perspective on the world, made me more open-minded, and showed me how important it is to take opportunities that might seem a little scary at first.”
Wilson reinforces this by reminding Clemson students “by participating in Study Abroad, you’re really separating yourself from the masses, and that comes with skills and characteristics that students can use to market themselves.”
“Studying abroad allows students to learn how to navigate certain real-life situations that they can’t get here in Clemson,” she adds.
Students interested in studying abroad and exploring the world while working toward their degree are encouraged to visit the Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad website.
