Bing Overseas Studies Program

Explore Programs

About the Bing Overseas Studies Program

The Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) offers the opportunity to study away while remaining enrolled at Stanford and is considered an integral part of the Stanford curriculum.

The demographic breakdown of BOSP participants closely mirrors that of the entire Stanford population. Approximately 50 percent of each graduating class studies away on a BOSP program during their undergraduate career at Stanford. All BOSP programs offer direct Stanford credit for courses taught overseas that frequently count toward one or more majors. In addition, many BOSP courses fulfill Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing Requirements (WAYS). Regular tuition applies, and financial aid continues. BOSP operates a variety of programs, including Stanford-In programs, academic partnership programs, global seminars, internships and other experiential learning opportunities.

Programs

Stanford-In Programs

BOSP administers and operates quarter-length Stanford-In Programs in nine global locations. Prominent members of the local academic community and a Stanford faculty in residence teach courses in each BOSP global program. Students earn Stanford units towards graduation for all courses. These programs are managed onsite by dedicated Stanford staff members who coordinate academics, housing, excursions, and other program events and activities in conjunction with the BOSP home office.

Academic Partnership Programs

BOSP offers Academic Partnership Programs, in collaboration with carefully selected academic institutions. Students have the opportunity to spend the quarter fully immersed in the cultural and academic differences and nuances they will face at an institution abroad while earning Stanford units toward graduation for all courses. These programs are managed directly by onsite staff from our partner institutions, who have been contracted and trusted to coordinate program operations with input from BOSP. Students should expect an experience that is different from that provided by Stanford-In programs. Students are strongly encouraged to speak with a BOSP program advisor to discuss these differences in more detail.

Global Seminars

Global seminars are exciting and rewarding ways to study away through BOSP. Taught and led by Stanford faculty, these 2-4 week programs, traditionally offered in the summer, are specifically designed to integrate course content and program location. Short-term locations and topics change annually, allowing BOSP to offer students a wealth of new study away opportunities each year. 

Other Programs

Other Stanford Away Opportunities

Global Studies Internship Program
Stanford Global Studies offers Stanford students an opportunity to extend classroom learning to immersive, cultural, and professional experiences through the program. In-person and some virtual internship positions cover a wide range of fields, including business, nonprofit, media, education, medicine, arts, technology, engineering, science, law, human rights, and government. The program also supports students for self-arranged internships. Currently enrolled freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and co-terms at Stanford in all majors are eligible to apply, including undeclared students.

Hopkins Marine Station
Hopkins Marine Station is a place for learning, a place for research, a place to think, and a place to grow. It features small classes and unparalleled access to Stanford faculty, all a few feet from the Pacific Ocean. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to take both traditional and field based classes in a small liberal arts setting, less than two hours from Palo Alto. Conduct research and gain professional skills with access to diverse marine habitats, including the rocky intertidal and kelp forests.

Stanford in Washington
The Bing Stanford in Washington Program is a fully immersive residential program for juniors, seniors, and a limited number of sophomores in winter and spring quarters. Students live together in the Bass Center, in picturesque Woodley Park, where they also take classes and eat meals together. During the week students work at full-time internships at a wide range of governmental, non-governmental and cultural organizations. Each student is individually placed in a substantive full-time internship matched to his or her interests. The BSIW Program operates during the Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters of the academic year. Students from all majors are encouraged to attend the BSIW Program.

Stanford's Wrigley Field Program in Hawaii
Stanford's Wrigley Field Program in Hawaii is an interdisciplinary program that investigates the Earth sciences, life sciences, and Hawaiian culture to address environmental issues that arise from the interaction between man and nature. The program is designed for students interested in Earth systems, biology, geological and environmental sciences, and cultural anthropology. Led by Stanford faculty with extensive research and teaching experience in Hawaii,  20 students will spend a full quarter working, studying, and living on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, and Kauai.

Stanford On & Off-campus Learning Opportunities 
​​Stanford offers a bounty of Experiential Learning Opportunities (ELOs) for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs to get fieldwork experience, travel the world and apply classroom learning to real world challenges. These include internships, public service, research opportunities and much more. Stanford On & Off-campus Learning Opportunities is where you can discover and apply to most of these opportunities.

Non-Stanford Study Abroad Opportunities

Non-Stanford Study Abroad Opportunities refer to all short-term or year-long academic programs offered overseas by other U.S. higher education institutions, third-party providers or through direct enrollment in overseas institutions.