2026 Scholarship Opportunity

The Honors Program is passionate about study abroad and the incredible impact it can have on a student’s life – an education grounded in a global context provides life long skills and lifelong memories. We believe studying abroad deepens study at home and provides a foundation for expanded reflection and self-growth, all core tenets of the Honors Program. We are excited to announce that we will offer two scholarships for Honors Program students participating in Honors-sponsored study abroad programs in 2026 – read on for full details:

Scholarship applications for 2026 are due by Monday, February 23 at 9:00 am.

Apply Here

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APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN – Summer 2026

Summer A 

Honors+Medicine London: Socializing Medicine – Comparing Concepts of Societal Safety Nets (Summer A term)

Program Director: Mara Bann (mbann@uw.edu), Medicine
Program Coordinator: Tory Brundage (toryb@uw.edu), College of Education

Find the application and detailed information here>>

6 Honors Credits: 

• HONORS 233 (SSc, DIV) – 6 credits

 

Honors Sweden: Nordic Storyworlds (Summer B term)

Program Directors: Kim Kraft (kimkraft@uw.edu) and Lauren Poyer (lpoyer@uw.edu), Scandinavian Studies

Find the application and detailed information here>>

Eager to learn more and/or can’t make one of the info sessions? See a recording of the info session here.

12 Honors Credits: 

• HONORS 213 (A&H, W) – 5 credits
• HONORS 384 (A&H/SSc, W) – 5 credits
• HONORS 213 (A&H) – 2 credits

Program Description
This interdisciplinary study abroad program explores historical and contemporary Nordic culture and society through a series of engagements with medieval and modern Swedish and Finnish art, literature, and language. With a dual focus on “crossover” literature (literature with an intergenerational readership) and narratives from and about medieval Scandinavia, this program examines how the literary and/or narrative imaginary contributes to the social construction of both geography and community; that is to say, how do texts produced by and for people in the Nordics shape understandings of what – or who – ‘Nordic’ means? 

The program begins and ends in Stockholm, Sweden, with an extended stay in Helsinki, Finland, and overnight excursions to Uppsala and Visby, Sweden with some additional day trips. Situating our program in Stockholm and Helsinki provides opportunities for unique experiential learning such as historical site visits, field trips to culturally-significant locations from Nordic literature or film, and guest seminars with artists, authors, and/or activists. Course assignments include reflective writing, group discussions, co-created public-facing presentations of program themes and events, and the creation of a “creative” artifact. There are no prerequisites for this program. Although we introduce students to basic elements of Swedish and Finnish language, English is widely accepted in both countries. Sweden and Finland have good public transportation options and abundant opportunities for learning outside of the classroom. Lodging is in hostels, with breakfast and lunch provided on weekdays. Students are responsible for meals on weekends, most dinners, airfare to and from Stockholm, the study abroad fee, and insurance. 

 

CHID | UWT-CAC León | Honors, Spain: Migration, Culture, and Belonging in the Mediterranean (Summer B term)

Program Directors: Maya Smith (mayaas@uw.edu), French and Italian Studies & Ariana Ochoa Camacho (arianao@uw.edu ) SIAS UW Tacoma – Culture, Arts and Communication

Find the application and detailed information here>>

12 Honors Credits: 

• CHID 479 (A&H)  / TIAS 490 / HONORS 213 (A&H, DIV) – 5 credits
• TIAS 485 / CHID 471 (SSc) / HONORS 233 (SSc, W, DIV) – 5 credits
• SPAN 199 / TSPAN 199: Spanish language instruction – 2 credits

Program Description
This 2026 summer B term program based in León, Spain explores migration, identity, and belonging in the Mediterranean. Students will engage with literature, music, film, and other cultural production to examine how migrants reshape national identities and how cultural expression responds to displacement and integration. Coursework is anchored by a rich selection of texts from Spain, France, and Italy and will be complemented by site visits, guest speakers, and facilitated community interaction.

León’s historical identity as a crossroads—between Christian and Muslim Spain, between rural and urban migration—makes it a powerful site to examine contemporary debates about integration and pluralism in Europe. Students will explore migration not only in theory, but through community engagement with local organizations such as Cáritas, Red Cross (Cruz Roja), and Pambley Foundation, which support immigrant communities. Students will stay with carefully selected host families, offering daily opportunities to practice language skills, experience Spanish life from within, and reflect meaningfully on cultural differences.

In addition to studying migration from academic and artistic perspectives, students will reflect on their own roles as visitors and tourists abroad. Using Anu Taranath’s Beyond Guilt Trips as a framework, the program encourages critical thinking about privilege, positionality, and cultural engagement in global travel. This metacognitive component deepens students’ awareness of their impact and responsibilities as global learners.

Whether you’re studying literature, languages, linguistics, international studies, sociology, arts, or communication, you will leave the program with a richer understanding of the complexities of migration–and of your own place within a changing world.

Early Fall

Honors | Art: Sacred Spaces – Paris in the Middle Ages

Program Directors: Annegret Oehme (oehme@uw.edu), Department of German Studies, & Britta Simon (bsimon@uw.edu), Department of German Studies and Art/Art History and Design

Find the application and detailed information here>>

5 Honors Credits: 

• HONORS 384 (A&H/SSc) or ART H 209 (A&H) – 5 credits

Program Description: This program takes students into the intellectual, architectural, and spiritual heart of medieval Europe through site-based learning in Paris and its surroundings. Paris was one of the central places of medieval knowledge, and the city remains filled with stunning examples of medieval architecture. Participants will explore cathedrals, churches and museums, and take excursions to Chartres, Amiens, and Reims. Students will engage with key medieval concepts throughout the program, they will participate in peer-led discussions, engage with each other in small group presentations, and reflect on their site visits and learnings in short writing assignments. The immersive environment of Paris and its surrounding towns provides a unique opportunity to study medieval thought and design in situ, while fostering global citizenship and critical thinking. Activities emphasize experiential and comparative learning, encouraging students to draw connections between past and present, particularly in relation to questions of community, power, and privilege.

 

Honors Japan: Japan Narratives/Narrating Japan

Program Directors: Juliana Villegas (villegas@uw.edu), English, & Flavia Fulco, Asian Languages & Literature

Find the application and detailed information here>>

5 Honors Credits: 

• HONORS 384 (A&H/SSc, DIV, W) – 5 credits

Program Description: This interdisciplinary study abroad program in Tokyo explores the complex and evolving web of narratives surrounding Japanese identity and social memory. Although Japan is often described as an ethnically homogeneous country, its identity was formed through centuries of migration, political consolidation and, in some cases, forced assimilation. The program explores these dynamics, and more, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. In addition to attending lectures by faculty, students will experience Japan through visits to historical and cultural sites in Tokyo and the surrounding areas. Students are expected to maintain a reflective portfolio/blog, engage in reflective writing practice, and present their final reflections at the end of the program. 

 

Honors | UWB IAS | Environmental Studies Peru: From Andes to Amazon – Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainability in Peru

Program Director: Ursula Valdez (uvaldez@uw.edu), UWB IAS, and Michele Price (mbprice@uw.edu) UWB Biological Sciences

Find the application and detailed information here>>

Read more about the 2025 version of this program here.

5 Honors Credits: 

• HONORS 382 (SSc/NSc) / BIS 480 / ENVIR 495

Program Description: This field-based program is open to all majors, and explores nature and culture in one of the most biodiverse places of the world. We traverse the many cultures and habitats from the grasslands and cloud forests of the high Andes of Cusco, to the lowland Amazonian rainforest of Madre de Dios. In addition to hands-on experience with birds and other taxonomic groups, students will learn from local Indigenous, Mestizo, and other communities about food and agriculture, resource use (including natural dyeing and weaving), and the current environmental, social, and economical challenges faced by these communities in a time of unprecedented change. We will teach research techniques relevant to both natural and social science and students will engage in short faculty-led research projects that require data analysis, reflection, and creativity. Students should be prepared to spend long days outdoors in sometimes challenging environmental conditions. Ability to walk with a day-pack on uneven terrain is a prerequisite. All of this said, a student who is willing to push outside of familiar intellectual and physical comfort zones should come away from this course highly fulfilled.

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Additional International / Study Away Learning Opportunities

Early Fall 2026 – Lopez Island Study Away

Through this study away in Washington, students will experience the inspiring food network of Lopez Island. The program focuses on reconnecting the roots of a food system to a specific locality, creating and navigating community, and supporting multifaceted well-being in a local food system. Students will spend time learning from local farmers and food makers at the center of the food system and learn to trace the webs of relationship and food security as they interconnect. This program may be a great option for international students who may want to stay in Washington during the summer, and Program Director Professor Kerry W. Reding is happy to work with Interdisciplinary Honors students to develop an ad hoc Honors project and to have it count towards Honors Experiential Learning (leadership or service). Learn more and apply here.

*Please note Interdisciplinary Honors students will need to apply for the ad hoc Honors project for this program, and apply for Experiential Learning – it is not automatic.

Study Abroad Ad Hoc Honors

Students may receive Interdisciplinary Honors credit for work completed on a non-Honors study abroad program by creating and completing an additional ad hoc Honors project designed to supplement the regular study abroad experience. It is assumed that any Honors student who exercises this option is interested in pursuing the subject to a greater depth and with more intensity and is prepared to undertake the extra work.

More About Ad Hoc Honors Credit

UW Study Abroad

UW Study Abroad hosts a wealth of information for students interested in studying abroad, including hundreds of study abroad opportunities during every academic term, and resources on funding and financial aid, academic credits, navigating identities, and more.

UW Study Abroad

Independent International Learning

At the University of Washington, in addition to study abroad programs/courses, students may also engage in different types of independent learning opportunities that they may earn HONORS 499 credit for or use to satisfy the Honors Experiential Learning requirement. 

Fieldwork, Research & Independent Learning Abroad (FRILA): This option is for advanced and motivated students prepared to show initiative and invest time and energy, and most often requires that students have a UW faculty supervisor. Consult with an Honors adviser and the UW Study Abroad office before pursuing this option.

UW Social Impact Internships with Omprakash: Join this program to access independent social impact internships, immersive global learning, and a trusted pathway for academic credit and peer support. Offered through a partnership with Omprakash — a Seattle-based global education nonprofit — this program connects UW students with volunteer opportunities in 50+ countries and provides a digital space for shared learning and mentorship throughout the experience. Students who wish to travel abroad for an internship can earn up to 12 credits, and students who wish to intern domestically or via a remote opportunity can earn up to 3 credits. Learn more on the Omprakash website.

Additional UW-Approved Global Internship Opportunities:
Browse through additional global internship opportunities that have been vetted by UW Study Abroad.  

The Bonderman Travel Fellowship

Bonderman Fellowships enable students to undertake independent international travel to explore, be open to the unexpected, and come to know the world in new ways. Available to UW graduate students (including those in the Law and Business Schools and other graduate and professional programs) and undergraduate students across all three UW campuses, this fellowship gives students the opportunity to travel independently for at least eight months, to at least six countries, in at least two regions of the world. These are no-credit fellowships and fellows are not allowed to study or do research.

More About the Bonderman Travel Fellowship

The Gilman Scholarship Program

The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide.

More About the Gilman Scholarship

Waseda Global Leadership Fellows Program (GLFP), Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

We are pleased to announce that the Waseda Global Leadership Fellows Program (GLFP) is transitioning from its current home in the Honors Program to the UW Japan Studies Program effective October 1, 2024. Now in its 11th year, the GLFP offers undergraduate students a chance to study a full year at Waseda within an international structure focused on leadership skills not part of the regular Waseda study abroad program. This program runs from autumn to early summer each year.

More about the Waseda GLFP

Other UW Resources

Try these other departments for even more study-abroad information and opportunities:

• UW Office of Global Affairs
• Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS)
• CHID
• Engineering