Applications for these programs are done through consultation with Center for Global Education staff.

Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

Selected Wheaton students may participate in a semester of interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in documentary photography, radio and podcasting, non-fiction writing and editing, and field research at the Salt Center, based in Portland, Maine at Maine College of Art & Design. Enrollment is selective in this graduate certificate and accepted students receive close guidance and individual supervision as they develop their projects.

Learn more about Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

Semester in the City

Through our partnership with the College for Social Innovation, Wheaton students have the opportunity to participate in a 15-week semester in Boston, Massachusetts. The students spend 30+ hours a week undertaking an internship with a leading social change organization within the nonprofit business or public sector. The placement sites are typically within social justice, health, education, environment, or other areas dedicated to the public good. In addition to the practicum placement, all students will take two courses and earn a total of four Wheaton credits. They’ll be housed in shared apartments in Allston, Massachusetts. Students pay Wheaton tuition and pay the College for Social Innovation for housing.

Learn more about Semester in the City

The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Wheaton is a member of the Marine Biological Laboratory Consortium in Environmental Science. Select students with strong backgrounds in environmental studies may qualify for fall semester study at this world-renowned center for research, education and training in biology. While at the MBL, students enroll in two core lab and lecture courses in aquatic ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems, select elective seminars and undertake an independent project. A special effort is made to understand the links between ecosystems on land and in water at global, regional and local scales. The MBL library is jointly operated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, serving as a primary source of scientific information for the large, multi-institutional Woods Hole scientific community.

Learn more about the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

The Twelve College Exchange Program

Regional colleges cooperating with Wheaton in exchanging junior-year students include Amherst, Bowdoin, Connecticut College, Dartmouth, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Trinity, Vassar, Wellesley and Wesleyan. Admission is competitive, and students should indicate strong curricular reasons for wishing to participate in the exchange. Applications and information on eligibility are available through the Center for Global Education; a minimum GPA of 2.67 (B-) is required to apply, though individual colleges have the final say on whether they will accept a student or not. Credits become part of a Wheaton student’s academic record. Grades are considered as transfer credit and do not factor into the Wheaton GPA.  For the period of study away, no fees are paid to Wheaton; students pay tuition and fees to the host exchange institution. Wheaton merit scholarship and financial aid funds are not available, though students are eligible for state and federal aid programs.*

Applications are due to the Center for Global Education by February 1 of the sophomore year for fall or spring attendance during the junior year.

The National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center

Under the auspices of Connecticut College and the Twelve College Exchange Program, described below, students in theater may spend one semester of concentrated study in directing, play writing, acting, movement and voice, design and other electives. A final project draws together all these elements, culminating in a performance open to the public. The semester opens with two weeks spent abroad, either in Stratford-upon-Avon or at Russia’s Moscow Art Theater (subject to change). The program is very competitive and may require an audition with NTI staff. Grades and credits become part of a Wheaton student’s academic record. Grades are considered as transfer credit and do not factor into the Wheaton GPA. Students pay tuition and fees to Connecticut College, and financial aid is applied for through Wheaton. Federal, state and institutional need-based funding is transferable; however, merit scholarships do not transfer.

Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport

The Williams-Mystic program offers students an interdisciplinary, field-based approach to maritime studies and offers classes in maritime history, literature of the sea, oceanography or marine ecology, and marine policy. Students live in five historical homes in Mystic, CT and also study maritime skills under professional instruction, including demonstration squad, music of the sea, shipsmithing, boat-handling, and celestial navigation. The program offers three field seminars each semester, including an offshore voyage in the Atlantic onboard a traditionally rigged tall ship, exploring the Pacific Coast, and a trip in the Mississippi River Delta along the Gulf of Mexico. Admission is competitive and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. More information is available from the Center for Global Education staff. Grades are considered as transfer credit and do not factor into the Wheaton GPA. Students pay tuition and fees to Williams College, and financial aid is applied for through Wheaton. Federal, state and institutional need-based funding is transferable; however, merit scholarships do not transfer.

Washington Semester at American University

Qualified students may spend one semester of their junior year at American University (Washington, D.C.) studying a variety of topics. Students enroll in a core seminar, which consists of meetings with guest lecturers from a huge network of national and international organizations and agencies, and class readings. An elective course or research project is undertaken, along with an internship placement two days a week. For the period of study away, no fees are paid to Wheaton; students pay tuition and fees to American University. Wheaton merit scholarship and financial aid funds are not available, though students are eligible for state and federal aid programs and may apply to American University for special scholarships. Credits return to Wheaton, though grades are considered as transfer courses and do not affect the Wheaton grade point average.

Learn more about Washington Semester at American University

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