2025 Student Opportunities for Short-Term Study Abroad

Article by Joel Grimsley, Arts Editor

The Cliffs of Moher and St Peter’s Basilica – Photos by Joel Grimsley

This spring, Aquinas College students are taking their learning abroad with two separate classes that are faculty-led travel courses. These short-term study abroad programs, which follow a spring semester course, allow students to immerse themselves in the cultures and contexts they have studied in class.

The travel programs set for May include Business in Ireland and Italian Arts, offering students firsthand experiences that deepen their understanding and enhance their learning of their respective classes.

Students enrolled in Business in Ireland, led by Professor Mark O’Toole, will spend a week in Tullycross, home to Aquinas’ semester-long Ireland program where Aquinas has developed a relationship with the local community since 1973.

Aquinas students for more than 50 years have travelled across the Atlantic to the small Irish village of Tully Cross, for both semester long programmes and short term opportunities. These have created international connections and a lasting legacy between the two communities.

After staying in Tullycross the students will be travelling to major cities and sites across the country where they can embrace the local culture. The course will explore Ireland’s business environment, giving students a chance to apply their studies in an international context.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland. The trip also perfectly fits my major, and my mom wanted to go on the same trip when she was at Aquinas in the 90s,” said Business and Communications major Kerrigan Smedley as she shared her excitement for the Ireland trip. She is looking forward to “applying what I will have learned in the classroom to a real-world setting and experiencing the culture with friends,” said Smedley.

Meanwhile, Italian Arts students will follow the paths of Saint Dominic and Saint Thomas Aquinas by visiting the historic sites where the Saints lived. All while students can experience the regional, visual and performing arts of Italy. The trip involves travelling through major Italian cities such as Bologna, Florence, Siena and Rome. The course itself is taught by both Professors Tom Pollett and Chad Gunnoe, and counts towards a credit in music, history, or humanities general education.

“In my experience, students find these short-term experiences transformative. They see their studies come alive in ways that simply can’t be replicated in a classroom,” said Gunnoe as he emphasised the importance of the travel component. Gunnoe who is co-leading the Italy trip has taken students previously to Iceland and commented how close students become with their peers throughout the trip and how valuable an experience it is for students.

“Short-term experiences are great for students who may be intimidated by semester-long programs, are in majors with rigid course sequencing, or are athletes who don’t want to miss their season,” said Hannah Bechtold from Aquinas’ International Office. “We also have some exciting opportunities in the works for May 2026, so stay tuned this spring,” said Bechtold. Students wanting to hear more about study abroad opportunities should follow their Instagram @aqinternationaloffice.

For many students, the travel experience is not just about academics but about personal growth. “The biggest takeaway for me was the friends that I came out of the trip with. We went with a smaller group so we got really close by the end of the two weeks,” said Carley Blanchard who took the short term Ireland trip last semester. “I would 100% recommend doing a short term study abroad. The short time gives you the perfect amount of time to do and see things you want and not get homesick.”

As Aquinas College continues to develop its short-term travel offerings, students should keep a look out for future opportunities to expand their education on an international level.