Study Abroad

Expand your world to design a better future.

Why study abroad in CAPLA?

CAPLA students study how places are designed, built, developed, and sustained. Study abroad gives students the opportunity to experience different cities, landscapes, climates, cultures, and approaches to the built environment firsthand.

Study abroad allows CAPLA students to:

• Experience architecture, landscapes, planning, development, and sustainability in different global contexts

• Apply classroom and studio learning to real places and communities

• Gain new perspectives on design, sustainability, urban development, and the built environment

• Develop adaptability, cross-cultural communication, observation, and problem-solving skills

• Build academic and professional experience that can strengthen a portfolio, resume, or future graduate study

An international experience can help CAPLA students become more thoughtful designers, planners, developers, and problem-solvers.

Funding

U of A Study Abroad Scholarship Opportunities

University-wide and national scholarships can help make study abroad more affordable.

These include opportunities such as:

• The Garcia Family Foundation Scholarship for Study Abroad

• The Gilman Scholarship

Students are encouraged to explore funding opportunities early, as scholarship deadlines may occur before their program’s application deadline.

Study Abroad Scholarships

CAPLA Travel and Study Abroad Scholarships

CAPLA students may also be eligible for college- and program-specific scholarships that support study abroad, travel, and other academic experiences.

CAPLA offers several travel scholarships, including opportunities specifically for students planning to study abroad. Eligibility, award amounts, and permitted uses vary.

Students should also consult with Arizona International and their academic advisor to explore funding opportunities relevant to their program and academic plan.

Explore CAPLA Scholarship Opportunities

Students should also consult with Arizona International and their academic advisor to explore funding opportunities relevant to their program and academic plan.

How can you study abroad as a CAPLA student?

Studying abroad is possible with thoughtful planning and the right support.

Start with these steps:

• Let your academic advisor know you are interested in studying abroad

• Consider which studio, major, General Education, elective, or other degree requirements you might complete abroad

• Explore programs that align with your academic interests and professional goals

• Review CAPLA faculty-led programs and Global Tracks available for CAPLA majors

• Meet with the Study Abroad office to discuss program options and the application process

• Explore funding and scholarship opportunities

• Apply to your program and complete any required academic approvals

Plan ahead

CAPLA programs can include studios, sequential coursework, and other requirements that make academic planning especially important.

Helpful planning tips:

• Talk with your academic advisor about study abroad as soon as you become interested

• Identify terms in your degree plan that offer the greatest flexibility

• Look for opportunities to complete major requirements, electives, General Education courses, or other requirements abroad

• Review Global Tracks to identify courses that have already been mapped to CAPLA degree requirements

• Consider summer or shorter-term faculty-led programs if a semester abroad is difficult to fit into your academic plan

• Pay attention to program and scholarship deadlines

Even if you are already well into your degree, do not assume that you have missed your opportunity. Talk with your advisor and the Study Abroad office about the options that may still work for you.

Look for program options

CAPLA students can choose from semester, summer, and short-term study abroad opportunities. The best fit depends on your major, degree requirements, interests, and goals.

Programs with Global Tracks

Global Tracks are academic planning guides that show how courses at specific study abroad programs may apply to University of Arizona degree requirements.

Sustainable Built Environments: Study Lima

Spend a fall semester at Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas in Lima, with direct-credit and preapproved courses that can apply toward SBE degree requirements.

View the SBE Global Track Explore Study Lima

Review Global Tracks with your academic advisor to confirm how courses will apply to your degree.

CAPLA Study Abroad: Sound & The City

panoramic view at central berlin while sunset

Travel Dates: June 3-23

Deadline to Apply: February 25

Please do not purchase plane tickets until you have received instructions from Study Abroad.

Location: Berlin, Germany
Term: Summer

This interdisciplinary study abroad program invites students to explore the cultural, technological, and spatial relationships between urban development and music composition in Berlin, Germany. Building on the success of the “Cities of the Future” program, Sound and the City merges sustainable urban planning and musical innovation into a singular experiential learning journey. Drawing from Berlin’s rich history of electronic music and progressive city-making, students will examine how sound and space co-create the urban experience.

Academic Focus & Objectives:

Introduce sonification and data-driven music composition based on urban design elements.
Explore space as an instrument, using Berlin’s infrastructure and architectural acoustics.
Examine the aesthetic and theoretical links between musical dissonance and urban tension.
Investigate sonic subcultures and their influence on placemaking, identity, and community cohesion.
Foster collaboration between urbanists, composers, and technologists.

Explore Sound & The City

For more information, you can connect with the program lead directly at bbidolli@arizona.edu.

CAPLA in Orvieto

Travel Dates: June 29-August 5

Location: Orvieto, Italy
Term: Summer

Spend the summer living and learning in Orvieto, Italy, a beautiful medieval hill town in Umbria, the “green heart of Italy.” With its dramatic setting, rich architectural history, and central location, Orvieto becomes a living classroom for exploring architecture, culture, and everyday life in Italy.

The program includes three-day and two-day excursions to Venice, Vicenza, Verona, Rome, and Florence, with additional day trips to destinations such as Tivoli and Siena. Free weekends - including one four-day weekend - provide opportunities for independent travel.

Students live in fully furnished apartments in Orvieto’s historic center, within walking distance of the school. Housing, included excursions, and most admissions are included in the program fee.

Students will take two complementary 3-credit courses:

Drawing as Seeing: Exploration in Mindful Observation

Explore drawing as a tool for seeing and understanding place, focusing on spatial relationships, form, materiality, tactility, and construction.

Documenting the Travel Journey: The Space Between

Document the people, places, and everyday experiences encountered along the journey through journaling, photography, interviews, and visual storytelling - capturing the small moments between the monumental ones.

Explore CAPLA in Orvieto

For more information, you can connect with the program lead, Teresa Rosano, directly at teresarosano@arizona.edu.

CAPLA Abroad: Chile & Peru

Explore architecture, housing, and sustainable
urbanism during this four-week summer program in Chile and Peru! Students will travel through Santiago, Valparaíso, and Lima while studying modern architecture, urban design, and the cultural and environmental challenges shaping cities across South America!

Location: Santiago, Chile; Valparaíso, Chile; Lima, Peru
Term: Summer

Explore CAPLA in Chile & Peru

Interested Students can contact Eduardo Guerrero at eduardoguerrero@arizona.edu

CAPLA in Lima, Peru

The largest city and capital of Peru, Lima lies on steep cliffs towering above the Pacific coastline of South America. With exquisite cuisine, vibrant art, and a multicultural population, Lima offers a window into South America where indigenous roots meet contemporary development. Enjoy access to Yanachaga–Chemillén National Park, Cusco, and the ever-popular Machu Picchu.

Location: Lima, Peru
Term: Fall

In Lima, the University of Arizona partners with the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC). UPC hosts both the Study Lima progam for study abroad students and a Microcampus program where local Peruvian students earn a U of A degree. Study Lima is at the modern and artful campus of Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas and offers close proximity to restaurants, parks, museums, and shops.

Explore CAPLA in Lima

Interested students can contact Associate Professor Philip Stoker.

Aerial view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower

CAPLA in France/Paris

Location: Paris, France
Term: Summer
Coursework: 6 upper-division or graduate elective credits

Explore Paris through architecture, urbanism, design, materials, and making. The program combines seminars with walking tours, site visits, field research, and engagement with design professionals.

This 6.5-week course in Paris, with the first week’s seminars held online, is open to all CAPLA undergraduate and graduate students (BArch, BLA, SBE, BRE, MLA, M.Arch, MS Arch...), as well as students in the School of Art (BA.DAP+) and Public & Applied Humanities (PAH) who have completed their third year of study. Graduate Students (CAPLA, CFA, SCCT...) are encouraged to apply! Students earn 6cu upper division graduate electives.

Explore CAPLA in Paris

Interested students can contact Professor Beth Weinstein.

Offerings may change from year to year. Review current programs for coursework, dates, and application deadlines.

Explore CAPLA Abroad - Cities of the Future