Study Abroad
Become a citizen of the world! Computer Science majors are allowed and encouraged to study abroad for a semester or even a whole year. The Office of International Programs (OIP) manages study abroad programs. See the Study Abroad Program page for specific information.
Planning Your Study Abroad
If you hope to study abroad, it's best to start planning early. Some upper-level computer science courses are only offered during either the fall or spring, so going abroad during one of these semesters effectively means you cannot take the course during that calendar year. In general, both OIP and the Computer Science Department try to be as flexible as possible in approving your curriculum, but planning ahead is essential. Studying abroad for a full year is a bit more complicated, mainly because you have to find a larger number of technical courses that can count as departmentals.
Course Credit
Courses taken abroad usually count towards your overall Princeton course requirements. They can also replace up to 2 computer science departmentals in some cases, if approved by the computer science department's advisor for study abroad.
For classes of 2023 and 2024: One course may count towards the three departmental/track distribution areas (theory, systems, applications). One course may count as a non-track departmental course.
For the classes of 2025 and beyond: the five core courses (240, systems, theory, AI/ML, breadth) must be taken at Princeton. Up to two study abroad courses can count as COS elective departmentals, if approved. See the FAQ for more details.
Contact
Brian Kernighan is the director of undergraduate studies for pre-majors, non-majors, and study abroad. Schedule an appointment with him to review your plan and course information after talking with OIP.
COS Independent Work Abroad
If you have independent work requirements (e.g., for AB juniors), you will need to find a faculty adviser here, either as the direct adviser or as someone to assess work done abroad. Students studying abroad have the same deliverables and deadlines as students completing independent work on campus. If you have questions about completing your independent work while studying abroad, please contact Mikki Hornstein, Independent Work Administrator.
Other Considerations
Study abroad comes in several flavors, each with a distinct application process. You should meet with a study abroad adviser to help you find a study abroad program that meets your needs.
Princeton Computer Science Majors have studied abroad recently at:
- University of Melbourne, Australia
- AIT-Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
- ETH Zurich, Zurich Switzerland
- The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
